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Are You Excited About Helen Hunt's Possible Return to TV?

BuzzSugar — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:15:09 -0700

Last week, I told you about Maura Tierney's departure from the new NBC midseason drama, Parenthood. I was admittedly bummed, even though her recovery obviously takes priority. It's just that after watching the pilot, I thought Tierney was perfectly cast in the role.

Well, now the word is that NBC has reached out to Helen Hunt as a potential replacement for Tierney on the show.

Hunt is reportedly still mulling over the offer, but I'm already jumpy over this news. She's been off the Hollywood radar for a while, but I've always thought that she was one of the most talented actresses out there. I loved her on Mad About You and throughout her film career - As Good as It Gets, Cast Away, and don't forget Girls Just Want to Have Fun! Tierney would've been amazing in the role, but Hunt is a worthy substitute and I just know she'd deliver the complexity, which a drama like Parenthood needs. What do you think - are you excited about Hunt's possible return to the small screen?

Buzz News Roundup, 10/3

BuzzSugar — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:32:35 -0700

Frasier's John Mahoney is joining the cast of Burn Notice. - Entertainment Weekly
Liev Schreiber and Helen Hunt will play a couple in a troubled marriage in the upcoming drama Every Day. - Variety
David Strathairn and Catherine O'Hara are among the new additions to HBO's Temple Grandin film, which already stars Claire Danes. - Hollywood Reporter
Feist is turning her Fall tour into a charity drive. - Pitchfork
AMC is developing a TV series about a human colony on Mars. - TV Guide
Salma Hayek will reportedly guest-star on 30 Rock. - New York Post
Tyler Perry's in trouble with the Writers' Guild for firing four writers. - Variety
Live tracks from Ben Folds' tour will be available almost immediately on iTunes. - Billboard

Source

Then She Found Me: A Sweet Treat for Mother's Day

BuzzSugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 06:30:30 -0700

The first thing actress-turned-director Helen Hunt's film has going for it is a capable and enchanting cast that includes Hunt, Colin Firth, Matthew Broderick, and Bette Middler. I have a hard time calling Then She Found Me a romantic comedy because, unlike recent additions to the genre, no one in this cast plays a scene for an easy laugh. Instead, each actor approaches his or her character as a human being - as complicated and flawed as any of us. The humor comes, as in life, with truth. Specifically, Midler's character could easily become a farcical caricature but instead is played with such restraint that the result is both touching and funny.

The movie follows April (Hunt), a middle-aged elementary school teacher who is adopted, yet when faced with trouble getting pregnant, refuses adoption as an option. Yes, Hunt is quite thin in this film, but it didn't shock me so much as it seemed like the physical state of a woman who is exhausted by her frustrating situation, which is compounded by marriage problems and a death in the family.

The joy of the movie comes from the way in which Hunt's character begins to open her heart to a new love - and to her biological mother. A touching story about motherhood? What perfect timing! To see the other reasons I enjoyed this little film, read more.

I don't think I've ever seen adoption handled onscreen in quite this way before, specifically the way this story (based on the novel by Elinor Lipman) subtly explores the identity issues an adoptee may have later in life. April's struggle to come to terms with being an adopted child has started to seep into her daily life, and she tries to find clarity when it comes to her relationships. Matthew Broderick plays Ben, April's emotionally immature husband who decides he doesn't want to be married soon after they're wed. So, he moves in with his mom. Yeah, he's that guy. But despite his Peter Pan complex (and his less-than-crushworthy physique), April has a hard time moving on, even with the steadfast Frank (Firth playing a role that's familiar but no less adorable), who is ready and able to love her.

Just as April's love life couldn't be more complicated, her adopted mother dies and her charismatic, self-absorbed birth mother, Bernice Graves (Midler) decides she wants a relationship with her. Of course, Bernice doesn't bat an eye at the havoc she might wreak on her biological daughter's life by entering it. All of these forces combine to take April on an emotional journey that is interesting and often funny.

This film isn't perfect and some scenes feel just a touch overwrought, or the dialogue is a teeny bit stilted or "artsy" - a word that came to mind during exchanges like, "Is it you?" "It's me, is it you?" "It's me." But the performances are emotional and sometimes unsettling, the laughs are earned and best of all, the plot is anything but predictable. It all amounts to a terrific directorial debut by Hunt as well as a treat for those of us who like a good laugh and an honest tug at the old heartstrings. Take your mom if you can.

Photos courtesy of THINKFilm

Movie Preview: Then She Found Me

BuzzSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:30:44 -0700

Prepare your "ahh"s and your "yay!"s because the trailer for Helen Hunt's directorial debut, Then She Found Me, is packed with adorable actors (Bette Midler, Colin Firth, Matthew Broderick), charming moments, humor, and romance.

Helen Hunt is both director and star of this movie based on a bestselling novel by Elinor Lipman which centers around a woman who's biological mother (Midler) comes smashing into her life right as her romantic world seems to be unraveling. I'm so glad to see Hunt back to perfectly embodying the decent, intelligent woman who wears her heart on her sleeve. She described this project as a "very weird, funny story," and I can't wait to check it out.

The movie will open in limited release May 2. To take a gander at the trailer for yourself, read more.

Photo courtesy of THINKFilm