The Unseen Movie Review

Raising Helen

IMDB entry

Calling anything a “chick flick” risks bringing up any number of accusations of chauvinism, but here no other phrase really does justice to what is such a clichéd, unimaginative piece of emotions-by-numbers hackwork. Directed by Gary Marshall, the man responsible for the superb but dated Pretty Woman and its bland and boring semi-follow-up Runaway Bride, this is the sort of film that can only really appeal to slightly emotional women in need of some kind of cheesy faux-inspirational reassurance that life works out, no matter how bad the circumstances.

The trouble with the chick flick genre is that despite all its pretence at presenting strong female characters who know how to stand up to a male-dominated world and get their own way, nine times out of ten their final message is that no woman is happy without a husband and children. In Pretty Woman, headstrong prostitute Julia Roberts realises she is better off with a loving partner; in Runaway Bride headstrong commitment-phobic Julia Roberts realises she is better off married. In Raising Helen headstrong career-centred single woman Kate Hudson realises she’s happiest moving to the country and settling down with a nice man and lots of children.

This is, of course, giving away the plot, which strictly no film review should ever do. But that is the other wonder of the chick flick genre: they are so patronising towards their audience’s intelligence that they inevitably ensure that the most predictable outcomes are always the ones that happen. If anyone could go in to Raising Helen, sit through the introductory set-up where Helen’s sister and brother-in-law are killed, leaving her with three children to bring up, and not know instantly that she will come to realise how wonderful family life is, they deserve all the unchallenging enjoyment they’ll get from this saccharine lump of anti-creativity.

Raising Helen is by no means a terrible film. It has, as these films always do, a catchy soundtrack to sing along to. It has some great acting talent, from the woefully under-used Helen Mirren to the always good Joan Cusak, the up-and-coming teenager Hayden Panettiere, whom those likely to go and see this sort of film will no doubt recognise from her turn as Ally McBeal’s daughter, to John Corbett, another actor whom the target audience may recognise from My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Hudson is also the perfect lead for this kind of film – pretty enough to keep the male audience members vaguely interested, but unthreatening.

Raisin Helen is, however, as the casting of two minor actors from two genuinely good female-centred television shows demonstrates, utterly cynical in its attempts to attract its intended audience, and entirely unimaginative in its execution of a tried and tested plot. This is Uncle Buck for women.

If you are the sort of person who owns copies of second-rate romantic comedies like Runaway Bride, Working Girl, The Wedding Planner, Maid in Manhattan or Two Weeks’ Notice, you will no doubt soon be adding Raising Helen to your collection. For the rest of us, if you fancy something bland, can I recommend Ryvita instead? It’s cheaper, better for you, and tastes much nicer with honey.

posted by Nosemonkey @ 12:00 AM