The foundation of Then She Found Me, Helen Hunt's directorial debut, rests upon very simple sitcom-worthy principles. However, the execution is a gentle mix of unsentimental drama and unforced character comedy. Hunt stars as April Eppner, a recently divorced school teacher who has been newly bombarded with a glamorous talk show host claiming to be her mother (Bette Midler) and a charming Englishman who may just be the man of her dreams (Colin Firth). The potential for cheap gags abounds as in when April meets her mother, a mismatch of the highest caliber, and finds herself at odds with the chatty, self-obsessed woman. The scene could be entirely about their disparity. April could be the righteous, composed daughter and her mother could simply be the vacuous narcissist she initially seems. Instead the scene breaths extra life into the characters with a soft vulnerability that, like much of this film, adds welcome dimension to familiar situations.The multi-talented Hunt proves herself to be an able writer and director here, but it is her honest and unglamorous performance that really makes this film riveting. This is probably Hunt's first truly rewarding film role since her Oscar winning turn in James L. Brooks' As Good As It Gets. And as masterful and charming as she was there, it was Jack Nicholson's film at the end of the day. This one is hers, through and through.
