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	Raising Helen
	Garry Marshall Kate Hudson, John Corbett, Joan Cusack, Hayden Panettiere, Spencer Breslin, Abigail Breslin, Helen Mirren, Sakina Jaffrey, Kevin Kilner, Felicity Huffman, Sean O'Bryan 2004		Kate Hudson was everyone's favorite ingénue back in 2000, when she co-starred in the fictionalized, heartfelt rock 'n' roll memoir "Almost Famous." With a string of forgettable romantic comedies, she's been squandering her appeal ever since. Still, she manages to light up the screen in the largely pedestrian, uncomfortably obvious dramedy "Raising Helen," which is little more than the film "Jersey Girl" in reverse. (Rather than a career-minded guy forced to find his inner dad after leaving New York City to raise a child in New Jersey, "Raising Helen" is about a career-minded gal finding her inner mom after moving to Brooklyn to raise three children from Jersey.) Helen (Hudson) is a rising star in Manhattan's fashion scene, guiding the careers of models, then dancing and romancing until dawn. But her life goes askew when she's given custody of her late sister's offspring: 15-year-old Audrey (Hayden Panettiere), 10-year-old Henry (Spencer Breslin), and 5-year-old Sarah (Abigail Breslin). She can't be cool Aunt Helen anymore; she's got to be responsible. Instead of raising hell, Helen is soon dating handsome Pastor Dan (John Corbett), the principal of the kids' school. And so on. Director Garry Marshall ("The Princess Diaries") takes a decent cast, including Joan Cusack, Helen Mirren and Felicity Huffman, and panders to easy sentiment.


	Sunday, November 17, 2024





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