Consider poor April Epner, she gets married late in life to Ben, a man that will prove emotionally unstable. April's desire to be a mother consumes her. She realizes her chance for conceiving is almost nil after Ben leaves her; this man is a mamma's boy, if ever there was one. What is April to do? As if it weren't enough, April receives a blow when her adoptive mother dies suddenly. She learns the hard way about who her real mother is: an egotistical television hostess. At the same time, April, who is a school teacher, begins seeing a single father, Frank, who seems to be the perfect man for her. Is it too much for April to hope for some happiness in her own life? Watching the last frames of the film one realizes that all what she wanted does indeed comes true.
Helen Hunt, the director and co-adapter of the novel by Elinor Lipman, does good work with her first assignment behind the camera. After all, Ms. Hunt has been behind the action for a great part of her life. She proves she has a voice to be considered, even if this effort doesn't satisfy as a whole.
Ms. Hunt, who appears as Helen, had the tough task of being in two places, something than even more experienced people have not been able to pull. Her April shows a resolute individual who was born to be a mother, yet nature had a way for denying her wish. Matthew Broderick, who is seen as Ben, the boyish man, makes an impression for bringing that character to life. Colin Firth, a distinguished presence in any film, plays Frank, the man who cares for April. Even Bette Midler, who is April's biological mother, shows restraint in a role that would have been wrong played by someone else.
This film debut shows Helen Hunt in a dual capacity. Ms. Hunt deserves another chance and one could only hope for a good source for the material of her next project.
Helen Hunt, the director and co-adapter of the novel by Elinor Lipman, does good work with her first assignment behind the camera. After all, Ms. Hunt has been behind the action for a great part of her life. She proves she has a voice to be considered, even if this effort doesn't satisfy as a whole.
Ms. Hunt, who appears as Helen, had the tough task of being in two places, something than even more experienced people have not been able to pull. Her April shows a resolute individual who was born to be a mother, yet nature had a way for denying her wish. Matthew Broderick, who is seen as Ben, the boyish man, makes an impression for bringing that character to life. Colin Firth, a distinguished presence in any film, plays Frank, the man who cares for April. Even Bette Midler, who is April's biological mother, shows restraint in a role that would have been wrong played by someone else.
This film debut shows Helen Hunt in a dual capacity. Ms. Hunt deserves another chance and one could only hope for a good source for the material of her next project.