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Then She Found Me

Movie details

A hilarious and sometimes moving story about a woman in the midst of a unique mid-life crisis. Her world is turned upside down when, in quick succession, her husband leaves, her adoptive mother dies and her real one, an eccentric talk show host materialises. If this isn't enough trouble, she finds herself falling in love with the shy English guy at her work and to make matters worse, she's pregnant. She is a thoroughly modern woman in a thoroughly modern crisis and the only person who understands her is a mother that she has just met and who is quite frankly, really annoying.

Director Helen Hunt

Stars Helen Hunt, Matthew Broderick, Bette Midler, Colin Firth

Moderate sexual references and coarse language

Our review

The opening scenes of "Then She Found Me" show promise: they're sombre and unembellished, with an intriguing air of despondency and a meek dash of hope.

Based on the book by Elinor Lipman, this film is a story about becoming the person you were born to be. It centres around April Epner (Helen Hunt), a timid woman about to undergo a barrage of traumatic life events in quick succession. April longs for a child of her own and this need colours her outlook and governs her relationships.

Upon the death of her demanding yet attentive adoptive mother, April is approached by her birth mother Bernice (Bette Midler). Matters are complicated by the fact that Bernice is a local television personality with a very liberal approach to honesty. Meanwhile, April also gains and loses a husband (Mathew Broderick) and discovers a love interest (Colin Firth). Perhaps most traumatically, several attempts at becoming a mother end in tragedy.

Hunt is entirely believable as April Epner. Her lean frame and weary eyes paint April's past in a moment. Though April is an unlikely protagonist - she is spiky, closed and uncomfortable in the spotlight - Hunt miraculously makes her likeable.

Midler is a distraction. She is larger than life and twinkles onscreen, but she never quite stops being herself.

Unfortunately the plot becomes distracted and the film loses impact. The love story between Hunt and Firth is cumbersome; his dialogue is weak, and he looks puffy and, frankly, a little embarrassed to be there.

There is an inevitable schmaltzy cornball element to this film which detracts from its dramatic interest. It's a potentially interesting scenario and with slightly different treatment it could have been really memorable.

5/10

Georgia Sholl