Former Beatle John Lennon once wrote a song lyric that rings true throughout time; ‘Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans’. This is not only at the heart of most of our lives but is has been a staple plot for films since the origins of the media. Life has the habit of taking unexpected twists and turns no matter how well we try to plan and expect what is ahead. This is an especially great format for a comedy drama combination film. Life’s unexpected deviations are a natural for both humorous and poignant moments. The independent film ‘Then She Found Me’ is an example of such a premise in action. This is a film that may not be technically perfect but it does resonate in that little place in all of us when we had to cope with changes in our lives. It takes another standard film theme, the mid life crisis, and gives it a fresh twist. For one thing this period of life is usually associated with men. In this film it is a woman in the midst of the mid life turmoil. In a way it treads close to what most people would call a ‘chick flick’. Guys in the audience have to get used to the fact that some films are going to center around women. They will appeal primarily to those of that gender but that does not automatically preclude those of us with a ‘Y’ chromosome from watching and enjoy the movie. There is nothing wrong with a guy viewing a movie that is involved with emotions. Okay, I admit it, I enjoyed ‘Steel Magnolia’ and by the way my wife would rather watch a ‘Die Hard’ movie. This is what comes to mind here. ‘Then She Found Me’ is at times corny, melodramatic and treads close to going over the top. What saves this film is the commitment of the cast and crew and the reflection of our own human nature that it provides.

Usually when you hear about an independent film with a first timer serving a star, writer, director and producer you have to wonder if they have the background to pull of such a variety of job descriptions. It is also very common that the name rolling up in all of these credits is completely unknown to you. This is not going to be the case with this film. Taking on all of these jobs is Helen Hunt. She has a shelve full of awards that include an Academy Award and four Emmy wins and an additional three nominations for her long lasting television series ‘Mad About You’ as well as a number of Golden Globes and a pair of Screen Actors Guild awards. This series did a lot more for Ms Hunt than line her shelves with shiny gold statues. She tested the waters as writer, producer and director there. Too many young auteurs try to take on too much too soon. Hunt has been working for this film, her first feature length project she can call her own. She is not someone new to the scene or an actor just woke up one day and decided to become a director and producer. Hunt has been working towards this film for years and while there are some missteps made the movie shows the care and quality behind it. The budget for this film was a reported $3.5 million which is less that normal salary for any one of several of the big names in the cast. Hunt has a reputation of being a consummate professional and this undoubtedly served well in attractive such creative people to this film.

The script was adapted from the novel of the same name by Elinor Lipman. Co-authoring with Hunt are Alice Arlen and Victor Levin. Arlen previously co-authored the screenplays for ‘Silkwood’ and ‘Cookie’ along with Nora Ephron. Most of Levin’s writing credits were in television including ‘The Larry Saunder’s Show’ and, of course, ‘Mad About You’. There are some uneven moments in the script but for me this just added to the charm of the movie. It is showing the unevenness of life so you should expect some slow moments along the way. The construction of the script is somewhat unusual. Instead of the standard plot device of heaping one problem after another throughout the film Hunt and here co-authors dump everything on their lamented protagonist all at once. We are barely out of the first act when Hunt’s character April is beset by more changes in life than most of us sees in decades. Since this is a romantic comedy we know hoe the third act will play out so the real fun is in the second where April has to juggle all the changes she has had heaped upon her.

As the director Hunt does well here. She is straightforward in her style without the usual affectations of recent film school graduates. You can see her sit-com origins in the direction though. There are a lot of close-ups, something common in television. One downside is Hunt is apparently infatuated without her own face which receives more than its share of tight shots. Other than that she does keep the pace just right. It never gets too frantic to keep track of but pushes the story forward in every scene. There is a feel of an extended sit-com episode here that does distract a little.

April Epner is a 39 year old kindergarten teacher. She hears her biological clock ticking loudly but she and her husband Ben (Matthew Broderick) have not been able to start the family April wants. Actually, it seems that Ben is not ready for fatherhood and this result in a rift between them that cumulates in his leaving to go back to his mother. The day after this occurs April’s adoptive mother suddenly dies. Just before her demise Mom tries to get April to adopt hoping that this will at least bring her the child she needs. While April is reeling from this another chunk of the sky falls on her. She is contacted by her birth mother Bernice Graves (Bette Midler). Bernice is a TV Talk show host and suddenly needs to get to know the daughter she gave up almost four decades ago. The new Mom is boisterous with the tendency towards tall tales such as April’s father was Steve McQueen. April is emotionally very vulnerable with Ben gone. She becomes attracted to the single father of one of her students. Frank (Colin Firth) is handsome and attentive; just what April needs. Ben and April have some good old fashion breakup sex and she finally becomes pregnant. This news does not sit well with Frank and the mess of her live deepens.

Hunt does well here mostly because this is an extension of the role she played for so long on TV. She has the nervous, neurotic woman down to an art form. Some may find this annoying but after a lifetime in New York City these are the people we are surrounded by. It was a wise choice for Hunt to set this in NYC for just that reason. Midler is great here again in a role that is tailor made for her. The same pretty much goes for Broderick is can play the uptight mother’s boy like few actors can.

The DVD is from the ThinkFilm division of Image Entertainment. They tend to go for the smaller Indy films that you may have seen a commercial for but never seemed to show up in the local Cineplex. This is entertaining and good distraction from the turmoil in your own life.