Film: Then She Found Me
Studio: Killer Films
Director: Helen Hunt
Principal Actors: Helen Hunt, Bette Midler, Colin Firth and Mathew Broderick.
Release: May 2nd 2008
Film length: 100 minutes
Rating: R 

3 Stars

Reviewed By: Ashley Hunking (Vancouver correspondent - Canada) 

Then She Found Me is an independent film directed by Helen Hunt. Hunt is best known for her roles on the television series Mad About you and award winning film, As Good As It Gets. Then She Found Me is a story based on the novel by Elinor Lipman, which Hunt optioned and adapted herself. The film took ten years to make, from finding the right financer to the right cast. This was truly a labour of love. Stars such as Bette Midler, Mathew Broderick and Colin Firth agreed to receive no pay. Hunt lucked out when Killer Films, a New York based small production company agreed to finance the film, but under the condition of a six week time limit crunch.

Hunt plays newly wed April Epner married to Ben played by Mathew Broderick. Nearing 40 years old, April desperately wants a baby but is unable to conceive. When she returns home one day April finds her husband waiting for her at the kitchen table. He is leaving her with the reasoning "this isn't the life [he] want[s]". April is left in a state of devastation on the kitchen floor. Following her husband's swift departure, April's adopted mother dies. To add to the confusion, April's birth mother (Bette Midler) tracks her down and wants to develop a relationship with her estranged daughter. Meanwhile, April meets a single father of two children (Colin Firth) whom she falls in love with. After a month, Ben returns and in a moment of confusion April sleeps with her husband. To make matters more complicated, April conceives a child.

When you think things can't get any worse, you might just sleep with the man you loath and then betray the man you love. What I enjoyed about this story is the complexity in the relationships. Just when you think things will be happily ever after, something complicates the relationships. The movie stays true to the realism of life's complications. This is a movie about life's surprises and a modern middle aged woman's ability to pull through crisis. 

I love Helen Hunt because she brings a level of realism and authenticity to all the films she acts in, however I think this movie might cater to a larger audience if the lead role was cast with someone more light-hearted. April experiences heavy events and complex situations. Watching Hunt's performance is very heavy and depressing at times, contrasted with the comedic nature of the film. In interviews, Hunt has admitted to thinking it may not be smart to have cast herself, however, she just couldn't ask another person to put in what was needed for this film. Overall, this is a great independent film that many middle-aged people will enjoy and I am looking forward to Hunt's next movie.