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Movies / On DVD / Then She Found Me
Then She Found Me

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Then She Found Me (2008)

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Reviews Counted:112

Fresh:57

Rotten:55

Average Rating:5.5/10

Consensus: A threadbare story anchored by strong performances, Then She Found Me is a mostly successful directorial debut by Helen Hunt.

Australian Rating: M [See Full Rating] Moderate sexual references and coarse language

Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins

Genre: Comedies

Australian Theatrical Release:
Jul 24, 2008 Wide

US Box Office: $3,728,972

Synopsis: The move from actor to director can be a difficult one, but actress Helen Hunt makes the transition seem effortless with THEN SHE FOUND ME. Hunt, who also produced and cowrote the film, plays April... The move from actor to director can be a difficult one, but actress Helen Hunt makes the transition seem effortless with THEN SHE FOUND ME. Hunt, who also produced and cowrote the film, plays April Epner, a down-on-her-luck schoolteacher who longs to have a child. April's chances of bringing a baby into the world are diminished when her husband, Ben (Matthew Broderick), leaves her, and more bad news follows when her adoptive mother dies. The beleaguered April subsequently forms an unexpected bond with her real mother, the overbearing TV host Bernice (Bette Midler), and takes tentative steps towards motherhood with a new man in her life, the bumbling Frank (Colin Firth). Hunt's film, which is based on the novel of the same name by Elinor Lipman, is likely to win over fans of classic rom-coms such as WHEN HARRY MET SALLY and YOU'VE GOT MAIL. At its heart the film poses some thoughtful observations on what a late-30s woman goes through when she is facing a possibly childless future. But Hunt also stirs some generous scoops of humor into the plot, providing light relief from her central character's plight, and also demonstrating her range as a writer/director. The cast members are uniformly excellent throughout, with Firth and Hunt giving strong performances that are helped along by a supporting cast that provides most of the comic relief. Hunt even finds time to provide a small role for the writer Salman Rushdie, who plays a doctor. [More]

Starring: Helen Hunt, Bette Midler, Colin Firth, Matthew Broderick

Starring: Helen Hunt, Bette Midler, Colin Firth, Matthew Broderick, Ben Shankman

Director: Helen Hunt

Director: Helen Hunt
Screenwriter: Helen Hunt, Vic Levin, Alice Arlen
Producer: Pamela Koffler, Katie Roumel, Christine Vachon, Helen Hunt, Connie Tavel
Composer: David Mansfield
Studio: ThinkFilm

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Reviews for Then She Found Me

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1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

There’s nothing exceptional about it, but there’s a warmth and intelligence here which sets it aside from most other romantic comedies around.

Full Review Source: At the Movies (Australia) | comment Comment
05/15/08
David Stratton
David Stratton
At the Movies (Australia)
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

To its credit, this is a romantic comedy with a more serious side than most. But in her seriousness, Hunt loses sight of the need for laughter.

Full Review Source: The Australian | comment Comment
05/28/08
David Stratton
David Stratton
The Australian
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The overt stylistic flourishes are so few that they have a special impact, particularly the moment when the camera slowly tracks towards April after she receives a piece of devastating news.

Full Review Source: The Age (Australia) | comment Comment
06/07/08
Jake Wilson
Jake Wilson
The Age (Australia)
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Happily, Helen Hunt takes the “ick” and “ick” out of chick flick.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine Australasia | comment Comment
05/15/08
Michael Adams
Michael Adams
Empire Magazine Australasia
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Words get in the way of true emotions in this comedy drama that marks Helen Hunt's directing debut.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
05/12/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It’s not going to cause too much of a stir but it left me wanting to see what else she can do, so I am already looking forward to her next film.

Full Review Source: Heart 106.2 | comment Comment
09/19/08
Heart 106.2

There’s food for thought in the pregnancy plot, although the narrative drags its heels towards a misty-eyed conclusion.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
09/19/08
Anna Smith
Anna Smith
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

What at first seems a morose if witty romantic comedy for adults ends up being an altogether more serious piece about a woman acquiring children but leaving behind childish things.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
09/15/08
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Channel 4 Film

Honesty without cynicism. Now that's something I could watch a lot more of.

Full Review Source: Colorado Springs Gazette | comment Comment
05/09/08
Brandon Fibbs
Brandon Fibbs
Colorado Springs Gazette

Sharing ace chemistry with Hunt, Midler's scenes are the jewels of the film; a reminder of how impressive her talent is and how much her recent career direction has failed to capitalize on her gifts.

Full Review Source: BrianOrndorf.com | comment Comment
04/24/08
Brian Orndorf
Brian Orndorf
BrianOrndorf.com

An impressive directorial debut for Helen Hunt that takes an intelligent look at the ways we survive unspeakable grief and play hide and seek with love.

Full Review Source: Christianity Today | comment Comment
05/07/08
Camerin Courtney
Camerin Courtney
Christianity Today

Unexpectedly sharp, light and appealing; a testament to Hunt's skills behind the camera.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
10/18/08
Carina Chocano
Carina Chocano
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

By the closing scene, I felt privileged to be along for April's emergence from the deep waters of daughterhood and her realization that when love knocks, the heart opens wide.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
05/02/08
Carrie Rickey
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer

Helen Hunt stars in, directed and co-wrote Then She Found Me, and she handles each chore beautifully.

Full Review Source: Washington Times | comment Comment
05/23/08
Christian Toto
Christian Toto
Washington Times

Hunt's performance is terrific and far more nuanced than her Oscar-winning turn in As Good as It Gets. As an actress, she helps make her director look very good indeed.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
04/24/08
Clark Collis
Clark Collis
Entertainment Weekly

Hunt draws some good performances from the cast and wisely chose a low-key personal story for her directorial debut.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
05/09/08
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig
USA Today
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

With the screenwriters Alice Arlen and Victor Levin, Hunt adapted the story from a 1990 novel by Elinor Lipman, and has turned the material into a fine, tense, unpredictable comedy of mixed-up emotions and sudden illuminations.

Full Review Source: New Yorker | comment Comment
04/28/08
David Denby
David Denby
New Yorker
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

...a charming and downright delightful spin on the romantic comedy genre.

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
10/30/07
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews

Helen Hunt proves herself to be a highly capable filmmaker with this charming and mostly enjoyable dramedy that sometimes achieves its desired blend of humor and pathos, but not always.

Full Review Source: ComingSoon.net | comment Comment
04/23/08
Edward Douglas
Edward Douglas
ComingSoon.net

The best things about this honorable feature debut, a serio comedy about the ups and downs of a schoolteacher, is that Hunt isn't as self-indulgent as other thesps who become helmers, and while lacking technical skills she gets good work from her ensemble

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
04/21/08
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 >> >|
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Latest News for Then She Found Me

September 19, 2008: UK Critics Consensus: Tropic Thunder Soldiers On; Then She Found Me Is Found Out
This week's UK releases, expect big laughs as Ben Stiller's star-studded Hollywood satire comedy blasts onto our screens in Tropic Thunder. The sound of a big old biological... More...

May 25, 2008: Helen Hunt makes decent directorial debut with bittersweet romantic comedy. Opens in new window
More...

April 21, 2008: Then She Found Me a Labor of Love for Helen Hunt Opens in new window
After some time away from the spotlight, Helen Hunt has re-emerged as the producer, director, co-writer, and star of an adaptation of Elinor Lipman's novel Then She Found Me. More...

April 13, 2008: Trailer & Poster review Opens in new window
More...

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