Product Details

• Actors: Kate Hudson, John Corbett, Joan Cusack, Hayden Panettiere, Spencer Breslin
• Directors: Garry Marshall
• Writers: Beth Rigazio, Jack Amiel, Michael Begler, Patrick J. Clifton
• Producers: Ashok Amritraj, David Hoberman, David Scharf
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Touchstone / Disney
• VHS Release Date: October 12, 2004
• Run Time: 119 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (105 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0002L83X8
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #189,090 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Kate Hudson wrestles with unlikely motherhood in Raising Helen, a comedy directed with the smooth professionalism of Garry Marshall, the man who brought us such cinematic fairy tales as Pretty Woman and The Princess Diaries. Helen (Hudson, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days) is an adorable hipster whose swift rise up the fashion industry ladder gets sideswiped when she finds herself responsible for raising three children, left in her care by the untimely death of one of her sisters. It's a standard frivolous-girl-grows-up story with an uneven script, but solidly performed by Hudson, John Corbett (My Big Fat Greek Wedding), ever-sexy Helen Mirren (Calendar Girls), and especially Joan Cusack (In and Out, Addams Family Values), who takes an obnoxious, uptight suburban mom and makes her the movie's emotional core. It's a miracle of acting alchemy; Cusack is one of contemporary comedy's most crucial performers. --Bret Fetzer

David Sheehan, SUMMER MOVIE MAGIC

"A wonderfully funny and touching tale with a radiant performance by Kate Hudson."

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Raising Helen, April 4, 2008

By 

Kelly "Reviewer for The Sinfully Sensuous" (Littleton, Colorado) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Raising Helen (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)

Helen finds herself in a situation she is not familiar with. After her sister's death, she is given custody of the three children. She has always been the party girl, but now she in the position of being a mom, and has no idea how to do it. This is a good film that touches on many issues. How to deal with loss, and how to raise children being at the forefront. Kate Hudson was well chosen to play Helen. You really get the feeling that she was completely out of her element being an authority figure with the kids.

22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars BEST CHICK FLICK I'VE EVER SEEN!, June 6, 2004

By 

K. Jump (Corbin, KY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Like most red-blooded American males, this reviewer doesn't usually go for this kind of show, but I thought it was one my wife would really enjoy so I took her out to see it. To my utmost surprise, "Raising Helen" was a hit with both of us and one I can readily recommend to any prospective watcher.

"Raising Helen" is the story of a carefree New York fashion agent played perfectly by Kate Hudson whose life is turned upside down when her sister and brother-in-law are tragically killed in a car accident, leaving behind three stunned children in need of a parent. Helen expects the children to go to her big sister Jenny, Supermom, but to everyone's shock the will makes the inexperienced and flighty Helen the kids' guardian. Totally unprepared, Helen must learn what it takes to be a mom in a hurry--and ultimately if it's all really even worth it.

Three-fifths light family fare and two-fifths bittersweet drama, "Raising Helen" is a touching, funny, and poignant portrayal of maturation and self-discovery. Hudson is perfectly cast and shines throughout, and John Corbett is likewise excellent as a fully-realized pastor at the kids' school whose unexpected attentions throw yet another monkey wrench--ableit a positive one--into Helen's spinning world. Combining romance, comedy, and drama in a suprisingly effective mix, "Raising Helen" is worth seeing at least once by anybody. Go see it and remember how important love and family are to your own life!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Raising Helen- A Great Movie for the Whole Family, November 15, 2004

By 

C. MacIntosh - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Raising Helen (Widescreen Edition) (DVD)

Raising Helen is a heartwarming story of an aunt learning how to raise her sister's three children. Starring Kate Hudson, Felicity Hoffman and Sean O'Brian, this will be a movie the whole family will enjoy.
After the unexpected death of her sister and brother in law, Helen Harris (Kate Hudson) finds out that she is now the primary caregiver for her sister's three children. But along with her job, fifteen year old Audrey, ten year old Henry and five year old Sarah are quite a handful. This comes as shocking news and trying to balance her job at a modeling agency and her hot nightlife is more than she can handle. Her other sister, Jenny, an already devoted mother, is unhappy that her sister, Lindsey, didn't leave her with the responsibility of raising her kids. She knows that Helen is not ready for the responsibility of being a mother. She has to help Helen learn the responsibilities of being a mom.
Despite some moments with a defiant teen and some mild profanities, this movie is a romantic comedy and demonstrates how a "family" can include more than just the people who share your genetics. Raising Helen is a heartwarming movie recommended for the whole family.