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Movies / On DVD / Raising Helen
Raising Helen

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Raising Helen (2004)

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Reviews Counted:124

Fresh:27

Rotten:97

Average Rating:4.6/10

Consensus: As shallow and formulaic as a sitcom.

Runtime: 1 hr 54 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: In this heartwarming comedy from director Garry Marshall ("Runaway Bride," "The Princess Diaries"), Helen Harris (Academy AwardŽ nominee KATE HUDSON) is living the life she always dreamed of. Her... In this heartwarming comedy from director Garry Marshall ("Runaway Bride," "The Princess Diaries"), Helen Harris (Academy AwardŽ nominee KATE HUDSON) is living the life she always dreamed of. Her career at a top Manhattan modeling agency is on the rise; she spends her days at fashion shows and her nights at the city's hottest clubs. But her carefree lifestyle comes to a screeching halt when one phone call changes everything. Helen soon finds herself responsible for her sister's children 15-year-old Audrey (HAYDEN PANETTIERE), 10-year-old Henry (SPENCER BRESLIN), and 5-year-old Sarah (ABIGAIL BRESLIN). No one doubts that Helen is the coolest aunt in New York, but what does this glamour girl know about raising kids? The fun begins as Helen goes through the transformation from super hip to super mom, but she quickly finds that dancing at 3 a.m. doesn't mix with getting kids to school on time advice that Helen's older sister, Jenny (JOAN CUSACK), is only too quick to dish out. Along the way, Helen finds support in the most unusual place with Dan Parker (JOHN CORBETT), the handsome young pastor and principal of the kids' new school and realizes the choice she has to make is between the life she's always loved and the new loves of her life. -- © Touchstone Pictures [More]

Starring: Kate Hudson, Hayden Panettiere, Abigail Breslin, Spencer Breslin

Starring: Kate Hudson, Hayden Panettiere, Abigail Breslin, Spencer Breslin, Joan Cusack, John Corbett, Helen Mirren, Hector Elizondo

Director: Garry Marshall

Director: Garry Marshall
Screenwriter: Jack Amiel, Michael Begler
Producer: David Hoberman, Ashok Amritraj, Mario Iscovich, Ellen H. Schwartz
Studio: Buena Vista Pictures

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Reviews for Raising Helen

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81 - 100 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Begs for attention like a homeless puppy.

Full Review Source: Compuserve | comment Comment
05/28/04
Harvey S. Karten
Harvey S. Karten
Compuserve

Hudson is fatally miscast, and it's nearly impossible to watch the film and not imagine that a still-youthful but more world-weary star would have made a better fit.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
05/28/04
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star

The inevitable happy ending allows Helen to "have it all," but you might still be worrying about those kids.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
05/28/04
Cynthia Fuchs
Cynthia Fuchs
PopMatters

It's like two hours of the worst sitcom you've ever seen.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
05/28/04
E! Online
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

...as trite and predictable as they come...

Full Review Source: JoBlo's Movie Emporium | comment Comment
05/28/04
JoBlo
JoBlo
JoBlo's Movie Emporium

Jumps back and forth between airy-fairy romantic comedy and leaden family drama with the alacrity of a manic-depressive.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
05/28/04
Michael O'Sullivan
Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post

As relentlessly cute as you'd expect from a Garry Marshall picture.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
05/28/04
Rick Groen
Rick Groen
Globe and Mail

You are likely to encounter more surprises on the way to the bathroom each morning than you do in this film.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
05/28/04
Stephen Hunter
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post

It's a frivolous, glossy, feel-good story that's mildly amusing.

Full Review Source: Modamag.com | comment Comment
05/28/04
Susan Granger
Susan Granger
Modamag.com

Those suffering from testosterone poisoning from the current blockbusters will find this a welcome antidote.

Full Review Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette | comment Comment
05/28/04
Daniel M. Kimmel
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

3 good movie ideas... crammed all in one - who cares if it doesn't fit into a genre. One thing still remains true - it's bad for your health to be a parent in a Disney movie.

Full Review Source: TheMovieChicks.com | comment Comment
05/28/04
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone
TheMovieChicks.com

A mediocre film at best, but Hudson and the rest of the cast help raise the bar to make it a bit more palatable.

Full Review Source: Premiere Magazine | comment Comment
05/28/04
Laine Ewen
Laine Ewen
Premiere Magazine

One of Garry Marshall's better efforts. It is gently witty and occasionally entertaining, if you can overlook the fact that you've seen it all before.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
05/27/04
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

It is the kind of film that cleanses the palate and leaves viewers with nothing more than a desire to see a real movie.

Full Review Source: Critic Doctor | comment Comment
05/27/04
Peter Sobczynski
Peter Sobczynski
Critic Doctor

The best part of Raising Helen, beside the welcomed scroll of its end credits? Read on->

Full Review Source: Blunt Review | comment Comment
05/27/04
Emily Blunt
Emily Blunt
Blunt Review

Helen must also be willing not to be completely loved every single second. Hudson shows us as an actress that is a lesson she has already learned.

Full Review Source: Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies | comment Comment
05/27/04
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

Kate Hudson stars in this mildly ingratiating comedy as a selfish fashionista whose career stops short when she is granted custody of her late sister's three children.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/27/04
Stephen Holden
Stephen Holden
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It confirms the suspicion that Mr. Marshall is more a commodity than a director.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
05/27/04
Philip Wuntch
Philip Wuntch
Dallas Morning News

As much as we want to wrap our hearts around this wannabe uplifting tearjerker, it's just too shallow to embrace.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
05/27/04
Kathy Cano Murillo
Kathy Cano Murillo
Arizona Republic

Great premise, but the ensuing trials and tribulations -- not to mention hapless attempts at comedy -- are ... off-key.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
05/27/04
Stephen Humphries
Stephen Humphries
Christian Science Monitor
 
 
81 - 100 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
all

Latest News for Raising Helen

November 17, 2005: Oh It's Already Been Broughten (Part 3)
A fresh press release from Universal informs us that there will soon be a "Bring It On 3" to enjoy, but also reminds us that, hey yeah, there WAS a direct-to-video... More...

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