Then She Found Me

Families
comes in all shapes and sizes, but the two main ingredients are
certainly love and trust. Helen Hunt’s directing debut, Then She Found Me, brings the life and passion of Elinor Lipman’s characters to the big screen.

After
being left by her husband (Matthew Broderick), mere months after their
wedding, April (Helen Hunt) is tracked down by her birth mother (Bette
Midler) in hopes of starting a relationship. At the same time, April
begins to form a bond with the father (Colin Firth) of one of her
kindergarten students. As she struggles to determine the meaning of
family, she discovers something missing, driven by the burning desire to have
a baby of her own.

At
first I was skeptical of Hunt covering the ground both in front of and behind the camera, but she quickly set my mind at ease. The film maintains an
undeniable intensity, from Hunt’s tired eyes to Midler’s
vigorous attempt at motherhood; the rapport between the
characters is genuine and sincere. In fact, what the plot lacks in originality, the characters make up for in chemistry. Adept at captivating audiences in movies such
as Beaches and First Wives Club, Bette Midler weaves in and out of this one eloquently, as little more than a shoulder to cry on for her newly discovered
daughter. Colin Firth’s witty Englishness lightens
the mood at the most needed times. And Hunt, who has played some questionable roles (What Women Want and Dr. T
and the Women) since winning an Academy Award for her performance in
As
Good As It Gets, reinvents herself with the direction of this film.

The
story and characters are tied together with some great music, too, including Iron & Wine’s "Naked As We Came" and Bonnie
Raitt’s "Cool, Clear Water," — highlighting the tone of the heartwarming
love story.

With a title like Then She Found Me, it’s easy to assume
the story would revolve around the search for that
mother/daughter bond, but the bulk of the film actually centers around Hunt and
Firth’s relationship. Not an unwise choice by Hunt, but an ironic one. Digging deeper into the title’s meaning, you’ll discover it’s not only a film about
finding family and love, but the self-discovery that comes with
finding these things. A truly touching film about the realities of family, Then She Found Me has proven beyond a doubt Hunt’s talent as an actress and a filmmaker.

Starts Friday, May 2, at the Edina Cinema.