Then She Found Me

Helen Hunt's directorial debut may mine a familiar vein--romantic comedy—but unlike other examples of the genre, Then She Found Me, based on Elinor Lipman's novel, is genuinely clever, amusing, and much more mature. Hunt plays April, a late-thirtysomething New York City schoolteacher who hears her biological clock ticking. Adopted herself, April is anxious to have a child with her new husband (Matthew Broderick), but after he abruptly asks for a divorce, she's thrown into emotional turmoil. Before long, April finds herself strangely attracted to the rumpled, ill-tempered divorced dad (Colin Firth) of one of her students, and a local television talk-show host (Bette Midler) shows up claiming to be her birth mother. From here the narrative trajectory is fairly predictable, but still quite entertaining since Hunt is adept at walking the fine line between comedy and drama, and she's helped along by a strong cast (including a cameo by novelist Salman Rushdie as a doctor). In an era when date movies tend to exclusively center on twentysomething slackers, it's refreshing to find one that deals with adult characters who have real-life concerns—and wrinkles. Recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director/star Helen Hunt, a 12-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, interview segments with Hunt and costars Bette Midler, Colin Firth, and Matthew Broderick, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a winning film.] (F. Swietek)