Looking an anorexic 15 years older than her character, she grabs onto her role with a grim, two-fisted attack. While the supporting cast in this dramedy swims toward comedy, Hunt drowns in tragedy.
Then She Found Me (2008)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
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
Reviews for Then She Found Me
As Then She Found Me moves along it takes on some of the same sweet, loopy tone of Waitress and the story has a similar arc. It doesn't have the lush, dreamy look of Waitress (or its sounds) but it felt just as satisfying.
It's a romantic "dramedy" that treads some familiar ground, but does so smartly and thoughtfully.
Suffers from, if anything, a lack of pure confidence in the story, the actors or the audience.
An uneasy mix of Baby Mama, My Big Fat Greek Wedding and a few of Woody Allen's domestic comedies, and is even messier than that makes it sound.
Helen Hunt, as she allows herself to age authentically, may have a good second career as a director, based on the surefooted handling of this comedy-drama.
Addresses thinky topics like religious faith, motherhood, and adoption, always intelligently and maturely.
Everything about Hunt's directorial debut %u2013 she also co-wrote the script and served as one of the 13 producers %u2013 is obnoxious, to say nothing of arch and artificial.
Finding a way to compartmentalize your bitterness while keeping your heart open to enlightening relationships is a more difficult task than facing Ivan Drago. In Russia. On Christmas Day. For no money.
A grim, grey little affair of people who aren't interesting failing to achieve catharsis in the banal, depressing problems of their lives.
Hunt draws some good performances from the cast and wisely chose a low-key personal story for her directorial debut.
The plot, as hinted, goes strictly by the How April Got Her Groove Back book, but it must be said that the performances push it a notch above pedestrian.
Hunt, who also co-wrote the screenplay from Elinor Lipman’s novel, scrupulously avoids anything that smacks of TV sitcom humor. This is admirable, but the result is one of the glummest romantic comedies in recent memory.
A few plot turns too many undermine Helen Hunt's Then She Found Me, and that's too bad, because Hunt shows some nice touches here both in front of and behind the camera.
Midler plays an extrovert with heart and brains, but the twists and turnarounds in this mother-and-child reunion arrive right on schedule; in the end, she's less a mother than a show-biz fairy godmother.
Helen Hunt probably could have made this into a delightful little comedy or a thoughtful drama. But the clumsy mixing of those elements makes for an awkward mess.
Honesty without cynicism. Now that's something I could watch a lot more of.
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. ![]()
More...
April 21, 2008:
Then She Found Me a Labor of Love for Helen Hunt ![]()
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 ![]()
More...
More DVDs
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Sponsored Links
Around The Network
- Then She Found Me at Rotten Tomatoes
- Then She Found Me at IGN
Fresh Links
Featured

Tim Burton's costume designer talks to Movieline about her long collaboration with the filmmaker and Johnny Depp.

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.

Double passes up for grabs to the new comedy starring Paul Giamatti.

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
Competitions

Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser

Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.

We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection



Top Critic

