Oscar winner Helen Hunt shows her age (44) in “Then She Found Me.” Her face looks slightly gaunt, her eyes appear tired, and her wrinkles are on display, unburdened by Hollywood’s typical inch-thick layer of makeup.
The mature countenance certainly suits the character Miss Hunt plays here: a 39-year-old schoolteacher named April whose struggles with divorce, death and the dearth of babies exacerbated by a gonging biological clock would push anyone to the brink of exhaustion.
In addition to putting her “un-retouched” face out there for high-definition scrutiny (You go, girl!) Miss Hunt takes a few other risks. “Then She Found Me” marks the actress’s feature-film directorial debut, and she also co-wrote and executive-produced the work. (No wonder she looks a bit worn.)
Loosely based on the novel by Elinor Lipman, the film introduces April as a nice Jewish girl who finally meets a great guy, Ben (Matthew Broderick), also a teacher. Normally, his profession would indicate a fondness for children, but the pressure April’s ticking clock puts on the new husband is too much for him to bear.
Shortly after Ben bails on his new wife, her adoptive mother dies.
Bernice (Bette Midler), April’s birth mother and a locally famous TV talk-show host, is eager to fill the void. For reasons that seem more selfish than selfless, she attempts to rekindle her relationship with her long-lost daughter. The trouble is, Bernice is gauche, presumptuous, self-involved and possibly a pathological liar — in other words, someone April will find very hard to like.
Our protagonist finds a friend in whom to confide (not to mention a lover) in Frank (Colin Firth), the father of one of her students. Despite having a bit of a temper, the also-divorced Frank has loads of winning qualities. He’s wise, funny, dependable, emotionally giving and oh-so-dreamy.
However, the couple’s smooth-sailing dating life suddenly hits a Class V rapid when April discovers she’s pregnant with Ben’s baby. (Apparently, they did have that one last “goodbye kiss.”) It’s not at all how she pictured motherhood — although, in light of all that has happened recently, she’s still working out what motherhood really means.
This well-written film tackles heavy issues with a light but mostly realistic touch. (A few of the characters’ decisions don’t feel all that, well, characteristic.)
Miss Midler’s flamboyance serves as an excellent foil to Miss Hunt’s earthy gravity, and Mr. Firth finds the human balance between Frank’s bitterness and his unabashedly romantic side. Mr. Broderick’s more two-dimensional role, on the other hand, doesn’t let him stand out much.
Miss Hunt deserves a round of applause for this engaging, laugh-peppered drama, which shows that wrinkles don’t have to mean closed doors in Hollywood. In fact, as is obvious by the actress’s expanding roles on-set, the appearance of crow’s-feet may indicate that the biggest adventures lie ahead.
***
TITLE: “Then She Found Me”
RATING: R (for language and some sexual content)
CREDITS: Directed by Helen Hunt. Written by Alice Arlen, Victor Levin and Miss Hunt. Based on the novel by Elinor Lipman.
RUNNING TIME: 100 minutes
WEB SITE: www.thenshefoundmefilm.com
MAXIMUM RATING: FOUR STARS
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