Helen (2009)

A talented professor is forced to come to terms with her clinical depression.

Director:

Sandra Nettelbeck

Writer:

Sandra Nettelbeck (screenplay)

Stars:

Ashley Judd, Goran Visnjic, Lauren Lee Smith

1 win & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Ashley Judd	...	Helen Leonard
Goran Visnjic	...	David Leonard
Lauren Lee Smith	...	Mathilda
Alexia Fast	...	Julie
Alberta Watson	...	Dr. Sherman
Leah Cairns	...	Susanna
David Hewlett	...	Frank
David Nykl	...	John
Chelah Horsdal	...	Kara
Ali Liebert	...	Donna
Conrad Coates	...	Stephen
Alex Stevens	...	Woman
Rob Heschl	...	Maire'd
Robin Nielsen	...	Stranger
Adrian Hough	...	ER Doctor

Storyline

Helen has it all: friends, an attentive second husband, a cheerful teen daughter, musical talent, and a university teaching job. Then, something's amiss: is her husband cheating, does she have a fatal disease, does her past haunt her? There's a quick hospitalization, a disclosure, a bond with one of her students, Mathilde, and a dark chasm that seems to be opening in front of her: can Helen do anything about the problem she won't discuss, or will it swallow her?

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Plot Keywords:

character name as title | forename as title | professor | clinical depression | f rated | 

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Taglines:

To reach the light, we have to face the darkness. [Scandinavian DVD.]

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and brief sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

Gillian Anderson originally was set to play "Helen" but dropped out of the film due to a scheduling conflict.

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Quotes

Dr. Barnes: Your wife is not unhappy, Mr Leonard. Your wife is ill.

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Soundtracks

Everything I have is yours
Performed by Billie Holiday

User Reviews

Another Powerhouse Performance from Ashley Judd

A painful movie about a woman struggling with severe clinical depression.

Ashley Judd has a knack for giving powerhouse performances in movies no one's ever heard of (did you ever see her in "Bug?"), and she disappears utterly into the character of "Helen," who herself descends into hell when her illness makes an appearance after lying dormant for many years. Let me be clear -- this movie is one long sustained note of agony, and it is not pleasant to sit through. But it's fascinating in its own way, and the thought of it haunted me for days after I'd seen it.

The filmmaker clearly had a very personal and painful relationship with her subject (she lost her childhood friend to clinical depression), and one might think this would make her incapable of retaining the objectivity needed to prevent a film like this from turning into melodrama, but one would be wrong for thinking that.

Grade: A-

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [Germany]

Country:

USA UK Germany Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 November 2009 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Helen

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$34,820

Company Credits

Production Co:

Egoli Tossell Pictures, Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Helen Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1