“Then She Found Me” was a unique comedy/drama which focuses on relationships.  Helen Hunt was fabulous in this film, but she has aged noticeably since her last debut.  Nonetheless, she also directed this film which proved to be superb.  Bette Midler was exceptional as well, with a lovable quirkiness and undeniably real demeanor that was captivating and uplifting. 

Helen Hunt plays April Epner in this film, who was adopted when she was a child by a Jewish family.  After April’s marriage dissolves at the start of the movie, the events in her life unfolds at a brisk pace.  Her biological mother, Bernice Graves (Bette Midler), is a talk show host and immediately seeks out April after the death of her adoptive mother and triggers a relationship with her.  In conjunction with this newfound motherly relationship, April also gets tangled in a romantic relationship with a father of her student, Frank (Colin Firth).  April’s sole mission in life is to bear a child and shows an aversion to adoption. 

This movie analyzes the “realness” of parent/child relationships when it is evaluated from two perspectives: biological vs. adoptive.  April’s adoptive mother was always there for her until her death, but they obviously never shared DNA.  Bernice Graves, on the other hand, was obsolete from April’s life, but she bears the “biological mother” title.  This dynamic is what leads April to question adoption as an option for her to fill the void of having a child of her own. 

The parent/child relationship dynamic is also scrutinized as Colin Firth’s character, Frank, is a single father.  He plays the “mom” role, which intermixes with his “head of household” position and emasculates him a little.  To further complicate the situation, Frank’s relationship with April adds a “step-mother” component to the story, once again evoking another complex relationship scenario. 

Matthew Broderick, who plays April’s husband, portrays a familiar role of the “guy who needs to grow up”.  His acting is perfection, as his “mommy’s boy” persona is unrivaled. 

The 411 Fo’ Reel:  Although the movie is mostly serious, the laughs are inevitable.  The end of the movie is left to interpretation, which gives rise to two possibilities.  Great movie overall with an all-star cast, go see it!      

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 28th, 2008 at 10:44 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.