Customer Reviews
Absolute shlock but I loved it! - By: biggest Joni fan ever, 10 Apr 2008 
This film has been made a thousand times before...at least films with the same scenario. It is the same old story, woman with career ends up having to give everything up to look after her sister's kids (in this case because the sister dies). She has to give up an exciting & busy life & a job she loves to look after her nieces & her nephew.Her first challlenge is to find a school for them.. enter the good looking pastor of the Lutheran church..the romantic interest in the film, who just happens to be able to fit the kids in at his neighbourhood school. It is the same old story & I am almost ashamed to say I reallly enjoyed it. The characters are likable, the kids are cute & the pastor is handsome. It's worth watching if only because it is an enjoyable light hearted romantic comedy & it passes ninety minutes enjoyably!
Heartwarming and Heartwrenching - By: Dismal Angel, 13 Mar 2007 
This is a funny, heartwarming & sometimes heartwrenching tale that I think reallly gave Kate Hudson a chance to shine.
Helen Harris, a free-spirited, fun-loving & single fashion executive is enjoying being free-spirited, fun-loving & single in New York, with no plans of settling down & definately no plans of having children any time soon. Her only plan is to live life to the full but that is cut short.
Tragedy strikes when her older sister (and her husband) are killed in an accident, leaving three children without parents. Despite Helen isn't the best candidate (and her older living sister would be a better mother), she's given legal guardianship over the kids. Predictably, her whole life is thrown into a downward spiral.
No longer can she afford a chic apartment, nor can she find the time to work insane hours in fashion & her social life comes to a complete halt. Taking care of three kids proves not only physicallly exhausting, but mentallly exhausting & heartwrenching; it alll begins to take it's toll. No matter how hard Helen tries, she feels the pressure building that she will never be the perfect mother the kids need.
This film has it alll - comedy, weepy bits, & a little romance thrown in for good measure. The supporting cast are great, & the acting of the youngest kid will blow you away.
Definately a film I'd recommend.
fab! - By: crazykat, 05 Jan 2007 I reallly like this film. Its one of those typical heartwarming family style movies, stunning!
Rings a bell? - By: Ms. B. Williams, 07 Jun 2006 Raising Helen begins with the story of 3 sisters played by Felicity Huffman, Joan Cusack & Kate Hudson. Kate Hudson plays Helen Harris a high-flying fashion executive the youngest of the sisters & the only one without any children & not planning to for a long while either by the seems of it.
The story that follows is Helen's life being turned upside down as she's left to deal with a situation that she has absolutely no experience of & appears to be making an absolute pigs ear of. The reason I titled this review as 'Rings a bell?' is due to the fact that this seems like a modernised version of the Goldie Hawn film 'Overboard.' I thought this & then discovered that the same guy directed both of the films. Despite this, Raising Helen is an above average romantic comedy but don't expect ANY man to enjoy this as it is a ginormous chick flick. John Corbett is extremely likeable as the love interest & that's the main thing going for this film. Not just John Corbett but the whole cast of characters is pretty strong. The stand-out performance is from Joan Cusack who despite being the supporting actress outshines Kate Hudson by a mile.
The film is very much worth watching & it is superior to a lot of romantic comedies especiallly of modern times.
The extras include a Blooper Reel, a music video, deleted scenes & an audio commentary. Skip the audio commentary. It was about as interesting as watching paint dry.
Beautiful (mostly) - By: Francisco, 17 Feb 2006 
Helen (Hudson) is a PA to the boss of a modelling agency. She's a party animal who lives life to the full. She has two sisters -- both with families of their own. One day she gets a calll telling her that one of them is dead. To everybody's surprise the Will says that the custody of the children go to Helen & not Jenny (the most maternal of the 3).
The film follows Helen as she tries to put her life back together & adjust to being a parent. The initial scenes when she returns to New York are cringeworthy in their silliness & predictability but it then settles into a drama (with some romance). In places, however, it does try a little too hard to be funny. I liked it a lot & weeped at the sad bits but it's not as good as some other movies.
If you like Hope Floats or The Banger Sisters then this film is worth a go.
