A Little Help (2010)

A woman gets entangled in a series of bizarre lies in order to take care of herself and her 12 year old son.

Director:

Michael J. Weithorn

Writer:

Michael J. Weithorn

Stars:

Jenna Fischer, Jay Klaitz, Daniel Yelsky

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jenna Fischer	...	Laura Pehlke
Jay Klaitz	...	Patient
Daniel Yelsky	...	Dennis Pehlke
Brooke Smith	...	Kathy Helms
Chris O'Donnell	...	Bob Pehlke
Rob Benedict	...	Paul Helms
Zach Page	...	Kyle Helms
Ron Leibman	...	Warren Dunning
Lesley Ann Warren	...	Joan Dunning
Sara Kapner	...	Wendy Helms
James Rebhorn	...	Dr. Bronstein
Michelle Hurst	...	Eileen
Matt Oberg	...	Minister
Douglas Lipman	...	Doug
Carla Briscoe	...	Kristen

Storyline

Dental hygienist Laura Pehlke's marriage has become sexless and dysfunctional. Because she drinks and smokes too much and has let her appearance go, she suspects her husband is cheating on her. When he suddenly dies, she finds herself buckling in to her controlling sister and mother who push her into initiating a lawsuit she doesn't want to pursue against her husband's doctor and sending her introverted, troubled son to an elite private school he doesn't want to attend. Things get more complicated when she finds her son has told classmates his father is a dead 9-11 hero, and her brother-in-law confesses he's always loved her, not her sister. Laura needs "a little help" to deal with her life.

---

Plot Keywords:

dental hygienist | private school | latex gloves | pot smoking | cigarette smoking | 

---

Taglines:

Ever have one of those lives?

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some sexual content and drug use

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 July 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Malo pomoći

Filming Locations:

Lafayette Street and Foley Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$44,870, 24 July 2011, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$85,789, 31 July 2011

Company Credits

Production Co:

Secret Handshake Entertainment

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16 : 9

Did You Know?

Quotes

[first lines]
Parrot: Rinse please!

---

Connections

Featured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #19.176 (2011)

---

Soundtracks

Girl From Ipanama
Written by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes, Norman Gimbel

User Reviews

Disappointed

I watched this movie after first coming across it on IMDb and reading stellar reviews describing it as a "dramedy". Unfortunately, I found the beginning slow and drawn out to the point of boredom. I had a difficult time caring about any of the characters or what would happen to them. I actually fell asleep and had to rewind in my quest to find the point where it would improve. I did not find this movie interesting or funny and some scenes were actually distasteful. I thought the characters annoying and unlikeable. Some reviewers commented that this movie was great because it was true to life; not every situation ends up tied up in pretty bows and perfect endings, etc. Sure, that's true. BUT, that does not mean I should be satisfied watching characters without redeeming qualities who do not develop in a movie with a flat ending. If I'm going to invest 108 minutes in a movie my lowest expectation is to care about what happens to the characters. It's interesting to read such different reviews about the same movie. In this case, since some people loved it I would suggest watching it yourself if the storyline interests you and then post a review here.