5.9 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Following schoolteacher April Epner's (Helen Hunt) separation from her husband (Matthew Broderick) and the death of her adopted mother, April is contacted by her apparent birth mom (Bette Midler), who turns out to be a local talk show host Bernice Graves. As Bernice tries to become the mother to April that she was never able to be, April seems to find solace in the arms of the parent of one of her students (Colin Firth), only to find that the mystery to life's questions cannot be solved by a simple revelation.
Starring: Helen Hunt, Bette Midler, Colin Firth, Matthew Broderick, Ben ShenkmanRomance | 100% |
Comedy | 63% |
Drama | 54% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Region A (C untested)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.0 | |
Extras | 2.0 | |
Overall | 3.0 |
Back in the mid-90's, actress Helen Hunt - best known and beloved for her role as Jamie Buchman in the U.S. television sitcom Mad About You - read a humble little work of fiction by Elinor Lipman titled Then She Found Me. Published in 1990, the novel so enchanted Hunt that she began on a long journey (or a quest, if you will) to adapt the book into a feature length film. Being a low-budget independent piece, money was a consistent problem, as was the amount of time needed to piece the project together.
Hunt believed it to be worthwhile, however. The actress-turned-director admits to having something of a fascination with stories like Then She Found Me. The plot, while humorous, contains difficult and painful subject matter that anchors it and creates a sympathetic, human tone. Feeling so close to the material, Hunt opted not only to direct the film herself, but contribute to the screenplay and play the part of the protagonist - one April Epner. A grade school teacher who was adopted at early age, April knows nothing of her true heritage, though she has always felt something of a rift from her adoptive Jewish family, the classic no-nonsense New Yorkers.
How does she keep getting closer when I don't even see her moving?!
With an AVC encoding and an average bitrate of 25 Mbps, Then She Found Me looks adequate for a Blu-ray release, though never really pops from the screen. A fine amount of film grain is present throughout, and detail is generally well preserved. This beast is a low-key "dramedy" of course, and the focus is not on colorful sets or flashy mise-en-scène. Much of the time the color palette is drab and muted even by "real life" standards. Still, flesh tones are accurate and whatever brighter hues that are present are reproduced nicely. Light and shadow detail are good, as is the rich level of blacks that appear. Textures of skin and cloth are distinguishable, and the dingy urban feel of New York City is overall well depicted. Still, being a "conversation piece" kind of a film doesn't necessarily mean it's doomed to look drab; the recently reviewed Smart People is a grain-tastic example of how sharp these types of films can really look. As it is, the picture of Then She Found Me services the story well enough without much flashiness.
The Blu-ray release of Then She Found Me is provided with two audio tracks; this round's lossless choice is a DTS-HD MA 5.1 mix, as well as a Dolby Digital 5.1 option. Just as with the picture, the audio is good, although not an impressive, elaborate mix. It simply does not need to be, in all fairness. This heavily dialogue-driven film keeps most of the action in the center channel, though the fronts and rears are used for plenty of ambiance, indoors and out. LFE is hardly present, unsurprisingly, as there isn't a whole heck of a lot to go "boom" in this film. The best compliment to the aural presentation is it contributed greatly to the speaking clarity of the characters, and there is hardly a muddled word to be encountered. Again, not the flashiest of films in terms of visuals or sound, but the audio is clear and unsullied and services the material well.
A scant amount of extra features - most of it light and repetitive fare - are to be found on this release. Helen Hunt's Audio Commentary is the meatiest part, wherein the actor/filmmaker extraordinaire recalls the difficulties of getting film production underway, as well as the responsibilities of working with a sizable cast and crew, especially when it is one's first time at the helm. Her topics of conversation seem plagued with the typical "so-and-so was great to work with," etc. - but become thankfully more substantial when she discusses such things as the film's themes and the literary source material.
A standard definition Featurette of about 12 minutes briefly summarizes the history and making of the film, and interviews with the main cast start becoming redundant awfully fast when providing what feels like stock responses to the same superficial queries. "It was Helen that brought me to this project," etc. etc. ad nauseum. The Interviews feel like extensions of that same vein of conversation. Also in standard def and running about 15 minutes, an interviewer that seemed no older or more professional than a high school girl asks the main cast - Hunt, Midler, Firth and Broderick - the same list of questions, and she receives varying degrees of the same answer, really. It is the very definition of fluff, and the forgettable material certainly does not warrant a second viewing. Finally, a Theatrical Trailer is included in the film's original aspect ratio, though curiously in standard definition.
It's hard to determine what kind of crowd Then She Found Me is aimed at. Adoptees and their families? Hunt herself said the film is not primarily about adoption. Single parents? Maybe. Chick flick connoisseurs? Kinda sorta. Though an admirable directorial debut by Hunt, and containing strong performances from the likes of Firth and Midler, Then She Found Me is ultimately forgettable. It is rather telling that I couldn't even remember the character's names come review time. Thank you IMDb!
With a decent picture presentation and nice sound, the Blu-ray release is undoubtedly the best this film will look for quite some time. The extra features are unfortunately a bit sparse, and lack forthright conversation in lieu of standard procedure fluff topics, but it is a serviceable release overall. Devoted fans of the film's actors may be curious to check this title out, but otherwise, Then She Found Me will probably float under the radar for most.
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