THE FILM

Helen Hunt took herself out of the Hollywood game eight years ago after sleepwalking through the Mel Gibson embarrassment, "What Women Want." She's acted in a few projects here and there, but "Then She Found Me" feels like a breaking dam: the overflowing artistic release of an actress fed up with what's been handed to her. Now Hunt takes matters into her own hands with this raw feature film, her directorial debut.

Now 39 years old, April (Helen Hunt) is desperate to have a baby of her own. However, to get to a place of motherhood, April has to deal with her divorce from husband Ben (Matthew Broderick), the death of her adoptive mother, and the persistence of her birth mother (Bette Midler), who, after all these years, is ready to be a part of her life. Also on her plate is an itchy romance with single father Frank (Colin Firth), an equally unhappy individual with passions that excite and frighten the newly-available, baby-starved April.

Adapted from the 1990 novel by Elinor Lipman, Hunt (who also co-wrote the screenplay) has molded the material into an expression of pain so piercing, it threatens to overcome the whole production. "Found" showcases the lives of some seriously miserable people, and the plot piles on the hopelessness relentlessly, making April's character arc a shoo-in candidate for the "most unlucky fictional character" award. However, Hunt's direction is sympathetic and graceful, keeping "Found" from total gloomy disintegration. She understands the necessity of maintaining a sincere mood to the piece, sympathizing with the characters and their individual needs and relationship angst. In all, it's a rather gentle take on crushing disappointment.

Hunt's camerawork is refreshingly unobtrusive, giving space to her superb cast, who each take their position memorably in April's babyfever nightmare. The standouts are easily Hunt herself, who looks to be scraping away the depressive gunk found at the very bottom of her soul to inform April's frustrations (something tells me sections of the film are autobiographical), and Midler, who's been kept away from a role this fertile for far too long. Funny, touching, and impressively subtle, Midler is a dream, executing her best performance in over a decade as April's deceptive, yet caring, birth mother. Sharing ace chemistry with Hunt, Midler's scenes are the jewels of the film; a reminder of how impressive her talent is and how much her recent career direction has failed to capitalize on her gifts.

"Found" does get a little grabby near the conclusion, attempting to smother April with even more doubt and heartache to manipulate the character into a place where her final motherhood choice can be better appreciated and cooed over; it's much too late in the game, but it doesn't smudge the rest of the picture.

THE DVD

Visual:

Presented in anamorphic widescreen (1.78:1 aspect ratio), the "Found" DVD preserves a pleasant amount of detail, gently evoking the various moods the picture is searching for. Fleshtones read a little too pink, but black detail is consistently solid.

Audio:

The 5.1 Dolby Digital mix is a tender experience, flowing through the surround channels for city sequences and to boost the soundtrack collection. Dialogue is reproduced cleanly, separated from the rest of the action with ideal clarity. A more direct 2.0 track is offered as well.

Subtitles:

English for the Hard of Hearing and Spanish subtitles are included.

Extras:

A feature-length audio commentary with Helen Hunt imparts a caloric understanding of the production and thematic hurdles the movie faced during its rapid production time. Hunt is an tremendously confident personality, and her expertise on film production (coasting on the wisdom of James L. Brooks, and the DVD commentaries of Sam Mendes and Anthony Minghella) is staggering, commenting the smallest of details with academic meticulousness. It's an extraordinary, educational track. A bountiful listen for fans of the picture and future directors who have no idea just how difficult it is to put a feature film together.

"Featurette" (11:43) is the "Helen Hunt is Awesome!" show, with cast interviews painting the sky with effusive comments on the star's talents behind the camera. After listening to the commentary, I'm inclined to agree. The mini-doc also reinforces to the viewer that the picture is indeed a comedy (I disagree). Video quality is akin to a bootleg Eastern European snuff film found on a riverbank, but the point is made.

"Interviews" (14:56) catches up with Helen Hunt, Matthew Broderick, Bette Midler (who demands softer lighting), and Colin Firth on the promotional trail, sitting down to talk about the film during junket time.

And finally, a Theatrical Trailer for the film has been included on the DVD.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Helen Hunt has always been a strange screen presence, yet her own direction of "Then She Found Me" reveals a newly-energized place for her acting, requiring astoundingly naked emotional pull that assists the picture in uncovering some unsettling, yet superbly rewarding moments of emotional truth.