Quartile rating: 6/10 · 1 rating
Helen Harris has a glamorous, big-city life working for one of New York's hottest modeling agencies. But suddenly her free-spirited life gets turned upside down when she must chose between the life she's always loved, and the new loves of her life!
Raising Helen is a formulaic romantic comedy-drama that follows well-worn genre conventions. The premise of a carefree single woman suddenly becoming a guardian to her sister's children is familiar territory, and the film adds little fresh to the setup. Kate Hudson is charming and carries the film on her likability, and the supporting cast does adequate work, keeping the acting slightly above average. The cinematography is competent but unremarkable, typical of mid-budget studio fare of the era. The film offers minimal novelty, recycling recognizable beats from similar responsibility-awakening comedies. The ending resolves predictably but delivers the emotional payoff the genre promises, making it satisfying enough for its target audience.