The daily digest of Twin Cities culture | Secrets of the City

Related Content

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.