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Raising Helen

Where would our world be without our dear, sainted mothers? Often times they are the ones we love and fear the most. I for one don't know where I, or my five brothers and sisters, would be if it weren't for the caring vigilance of dear old mom. Needless to say, the thought of losing your mother at a very young age is a very frightening and terrible thing. But what if instead of losing your mother, you suddenly became a parent yourself?

Helen Harris (Kate Hudson) is living the high-life as a young fashion agent in New York. While most of her day is spent wheeling and dealing, she still stays very close to her sister's three children, Audrey (Hayden Panettiere), Henry (Spencer Breslin), and Sarah (Abigail Breslin). But when her sister Dominique (Felicity Huffman) and brother in law suddenly die in a car accident, the three children are left in the care of Helen. The oldest sister, Jenny (Joan Cusack), is an experienced mother. She wonders why she wasn't chosen to raise the children, but perhaps there is a bigger purpose. In need of all the help she can get, Helen comes upon Lutheran Pastor Dan Parker (John Corbett) who is the principal of the kids new school in Queens. Pastor Dan hits it off big with the kids, but can he do the same with Helen? As Helen struggles with the new life that has fallen into her lap, she also has to deal with the minute by minute needs of the children. As Helen tries her best to raise the children, they are, in their own way, raising Helen.

Once again, Kate Hudson's performance is smooth, cute, and completely natural. There is a wide range of emotion for her and all of the characters to play. In one scene the characters can struggle with death, romance, frustration, and joy. Joan Cusack also holds her own quite well as a hard-nosed but caring mother. As odd as it may seem at first, John Corbett as a pastor felt very right on the screen. However, the kids are the ones who set the mood and draw you into the film. Each of their performances are very endearing, funny, and sweet.

There is no real solid demographic I can think of for this film. It has so many different elements. You can say that it is a romantic comedy, but it is just as easily a drama as well. So, for young and old, guy and girl alike"¦Raising Helen is a heart warming story about a young woman who struggles with motherhood. If this sounds like you or someone you know, you'll definitely enjoy this movie.

I

love you Mommy!

Movie Grade: B+