Then She Found Me

Day 2 of TIFF began with Helen Hunt’s directorial debut, Then She Found Me starring Hunt, Bette Midler, and Colin Firth.

The first disappointment of the evening was that Colin Firth wasn’t present, a sure shoe in for an appearance since he also stars in When Did You Last See your Father? Hunt was on hand to introduce the film which was a labour of love for the actress, who although is beatuiful, is frightfully thin, detracting from some of her beauty and making her appear older. I couldn’t help but think she and Jodie Foster should play sisters in a film…

Then She Found Me is not a bad film, it’s not spectacular either. It’s only so-so, and weak as a festival entry. The story follows April (Hunt) as she is blindsided by a divorce from her new husband (Matthew Broderick), the death of her adoptive mother, and the discovery that at age 39, she’s pregnant with the child she always wanted. As her world is turned upsidedown, she receives a letter from her birth mother, local TV personality beatrice Graves (Midler) requesting a meeting. As April comes to terms with relationships ending and new ones beginning, she finds solace in single dad Frank (Firth) who is dealing with his own issues. Raising a baby with two father figures in the picture and an over the top birth mother may drive April to her wits end as she struggles to hold on and stay in control of her life.

Hunt’s first time out as a director isn’t bad, although one gets the idea that she’s somewhat unsure in terms of her framing and shots. As an actress she shines as the less-than-glamourous April. Firth steps slightly outside of his normal range and gets a chance to show anger and contempt along with his charming, British side. Midler is her usual self- a louder than life characture of a spotlight seeking stage mother who has so much misguided love to give. Broderick is unfortunately underused but is cast against type as a guy that you’re meant not to like.

A decent story with adult characters and themes. The script seems fresh (based on a novel) as tackling pregancy and divorce at age 39 is something not seen on a regular basis. The film is worth a look, but not worth rushing out for.