Raising Helen - 2004

I liked it enough, mostly the second part. It's the story of Helen (Kate Hudson), single working girl who likes fashion, parties and dancing all night. She has two sisters, Lindsay and Jenny, both married and both mothers. Helen lost her parents when she was very young, so Jenny (Joan Cusack) raised her. When Lindsay and her husband die in an accident, both sisters receive a letter: surprisingly Lindsay chose Helen to take care of her three children: teenage Audrey (Hayden Panettiere), and younger Henry (Spencer Breslin) and Sarah (Abigail Breslin). Helen is freaking out, Jenny is hurt and can't understand why. Helen's life changes completely: she changes home, job, friends and habits. She meets pastor Dan (John Corbett) who helps her a lot and then asks her out. As soon as I saw him with the white collar, helping out, it felt so weird because it was so obvious he liked her, but then I remembered: American movie not Italy, pastor not priest. Right. Good. So, they eventually date. Helen learns quickly how to deal with Henry and Sarah, just by following her heart, but Audrey is a teenager, so things are much more difficult. Like apparently every kid in America she has fake ID (where do they get them???) and likes the wrong guy. Helen doesn't like to be tough, doesn't want to be hated, and when she learns that Audrey has left the prom with this BZ guy she asks for help. Dan 'interrogates' BZ's friends to know the exact motel they went to, and Helen begs Jenny to do the 'dirty work' for her. It's Jenny to bust in the room and shout at the two kids, she takes Audrey home. Helen just couldn't do it and now she thinks she doesn't have what it takes to be a mom. Jenny takes the three kids to her home and Helen has her old life back, but now somehow, dancing all night doesn't seem as much fun as it used to be, and coming back to an empty house feels so sad. She wants them back. Jenny always knew Helen loves the three kids like she does but she questioned Helen's ability to raise them. Now, watching Helen taking Audrey's fake ID away from her, bearing her "I hate you" with a brave "I'll just have to live with that" makes her understand that little-living-the-life-Helen has become a mom. They all make peace, Helen has the kids back, Audrey says "I'm sorry", Dan is lovely and Jenny will always be there to help if needed.


Ita: quando meno te lo aspetti