If you’re in the mood for a feel-good romantic comedy that numbs the brain with sugar-coated characters, contrived dialogue and elaborately urban settings that would never happen in the most fantastic life, “Raising Helen” is not for you. In the sudden tidal wave of romantic comedies and tween-friendly films this spring, Kate Hudson’s newest wannabe blockbuster leaves the audience desperately searching for something more.
We’ve come to expect more from director Garry Marshall, who garnered his title as master of romantic comedies with “Pretty Woman,” “Runaway Bride” and “The Princess Diaries.” But Marshall delivers a stale-humored film about Helen Harris (played by the effervescent Kate Hudson), who is given custody over her sister’s three children following the untimely death of their parents (Felicity Huffman and Sean O’Bryan).
The catch is that Helen herself hasn’t quite grown up yet. Wait – Kate Hudson playing a character with a glamorous life, trying to be likeable with her slapstick humor? An attempt to pull off slapstick humor with bouncy blonde curls so that she can be more likeable? Andie Anderson of “How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days,” anyone? Hudson’s character is absorbed in her materialistic, glamorous life as a modeling agent who has the knack for discovering beautiful female talent and dating even more beautiful male talent. Helen finds herself having to change her entire life to accommodate the three new lives she is responsible for — starting with moving from her small Manhattan central apartment to a space- and rent-friendly home in less-than-glamorous Queens.
Of course, no gray cloud comes without a silver lining, and this time its in pastor Dan Parker (played by John Corbett, also no stranger to romantic comedy fame), who is in charge of the Lutheran school where Helen decides to place the kids. However, the romance is underplayed as Helen is understandably weirded out about dating a pastor (when her previous date had been on the latest Armani billboard). The romance aspect of the film is appropriately underwritten because the film sells itself as focusing around the life of a woman who has to raise three children without having fully grown up herself, but the chemistry between Corbett and Hudson is flatter than a can of soda that’s been sitting on the kitchen counter for over a week. Perhaps it is because the two incredibly talented actors keep playing the same stock characters instead of creating a character for this specific film. Parker is reminiscent of Corbett’s roles in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” and “Sex and the City,” and if Hudson plays another goofy but gorgeous New Yorker, this reviewer will have to gouge her eyes out. It goes to show that not every attractive actress with an ounce of charm can fake it well enough for the silver screen.
What is redeeming about “Raising Helen” is that the plot doesn’t deviate too much from the story of the three children, who are accurately portrayed as angst-ridden and confused elementary, middle school and high school students. Hayden Panettiere plays Audrey, a wild child following Helen’s old footsteps of partying late and dating reckless boys. Henry (Spencer Breslin) and Sarah (Abigail Breslin) both play up the lost little kids aspect when Henry won’t play basketball without his dad and Sarah won’t tie her shoes without her mom. The interaction between Hudson and the children shows the chemistry in their makeshift family, and would make the film more worthwhile, if only it were less cold and manipulating.
