Rated: R

Adapted from Elinor Lipman's novel of the same name, Hunt makes her feature directing debut with Then She Found Me. The story centers on schoolteacher April Epner (Hunt) and her very unlikely path towards personal fulfillment. Following the separation from her husband (Broderick) and the death of her adopted mother, April gets contacted by her apparent birth mother (Midler), who turns out to be the popular local talk show host Bernice Graves.

Hunt doesn't do what many directors have tried to do, get a believable emotional performance from Midler. Not since The Rose where director Mark Rydel got an amazing performance from Midler as Janis Joplin, have we been able to see that inner dramatic ability. Some scenes showed a spark of her ability, but she was mostly being the stand up who delivers the lines to Hunt's character, allowing Hunt to bring Epner to life.

Hunt is best as Hunt, not a writer, not a director, but an all-consummate actor who can brighten up the screen or tear at your emotions. As Epner, Hunt made me a believer in her quandary of taking a chance to believe that a complete stranger was her real mother that deserted her at birth. In support, Firth plays Frank, a troubled man who has been raising a child after his wife split. Illustrating his character's persistence to bring Epner into his life, with that character's emotional problems and quirky fun-loving persona, show Firth's dramatic range.

With cases like this in the news frequently, the time was right for the release of this film, but with the limited distribution, not enough will get to see it. Women who would like to experience the touching comedy/drama should seek it out where it is showing.

Starring: Helen Hunt, Bette Midler, Colin Firth, Matthew Broderick, Tommy Nelson

FINAL ANALYSIS: Then She Found Me is an above average chick flick that contains some heavy issues.

This Reviewer's Rating: 3 / 5

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