Raising Helen (2004)

After her sister and brother-in-law die in a car accident, a young woman becomes the guardian of their three children.

Director:

Garry Marshall

Writers:

Patrick J. Clifton (story), Beth Rigazio (story)

Stars:

Kate Hudson, John Corbett, Joan Cusack

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kate Hudson	...	Helen Harris
John Corbett	...	Pastor Dan Parker
Joan Cusack	...	Jenny Portman
Hayden Panettiere	...	Audrey Davis
Spencer Breslin	...	Henry Davis
Abigail Breslin	...	Sarah Davis
Helen Mirren	...	Dominique
Sakina Jaffrey	...	Nilma Prasad
Kevin Kilner	...	Ed Portman
Felicity Huffman	...	Lindsay Davis
Sean O'Bryan	...	Paul Davis
Amber Valletta	...	Martina
Ethan Browne	...	Devon
Michael Esparza	...	BZ
Katie Carr	...	Caitlin

Storyline

Helen Harris is living the life she's always dreamed of: her career at a top modeling agency is on the rise; she spends her days at fashion shows and her nights at the city's hottest clubs. But her carefree lifestyle comes to a screeching halt when one phone call changes everything. Helen soon finds herself responsible for her sister's children: 15-year-old Audrey, 10-year-old Henry, and 5-year-old Sarah. No one doubts that Helen is the coolest aunt in New York, but what does this glamour girl know about raising kids? The fun begins as Helen goes through the transformation from super-hip to super-mom, but she quickly finds that dancing at 3a.m. doesn't mix with getting kids to school on time--advice that Helen's older sister, Jenny, is only too quick to dish out. Along the way, Helen finds support in the most unusual place--with Dan Parker, the handsome young pastor and principal of the kids' new school--and realizes the choice she has to make is between the life she's always loved ...

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Plot Keywords:

girl in school uniform | knee socks | love | fashion show | pastor | 

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Taglines:

Helen help us.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for thematic issues involving teens

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Spain] Touchstone Pictures [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 May 2004 (USA)

Also Known As:

Helens små underverk

Filming Locations:

Forest Hills, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$50,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$14,239,252, 30 May 2004, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$37,486,138, 5 September 2004

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures,Beacon Pictures,Mandeville Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Henry (Spencer Breslin) and Sarah Davis (Abigail Breslin) not only play siblings in the movie, they are siblings in real life.

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Goofs

When Jenny confronts BZ in the hotel room, the hand she points at him changes between shots.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Club Doorman: What we got here; 1,2,3,4 - 4 beautiful ladies. Come on. Cesar let them in. Nice. Not you, too random.

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Crazy Credits

On the first half of the end credits, Helen and Dan were on a Zamboni in the dark.

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Connections

Referenced in Jeopardy!: Episode #26.72 (2009)

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Soundtracks

Feels Like Rain
Written and Performed by John Hiatt
Courtesy of A&M Records
Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

User Reviews

Lacklustre

This film is about a young woman unexpectedly becoming a mother of three because her sister died in a traffic accident.

I find the script weak and unconvincing. The script tries to examine the difficulty of transition from singlehood to motherhood, family tension, trust and childcare issues. The end result is that the film lack direction and wander around aimlessly. It fails to be funny, romantic or dramatic.

Acting has to be applauded though. Joan Cusack does a good job to convey a spectrum of emotions, especially envy. Hayden Panettiere is also very convincing as a rebellious young girl.

Overall, I find this film boring and lacklustre.