The Rake Magazine

Families comes in all shapes and sizes, but the two main ingredients are certainly love and trust. Helen Hunt's directing debut, Then She Found Me, brings the life and passion of Elinor Lipman's characters to the big screen.

After being left by her husband (Matthew Broderick), mere months after their wedding, April (Helen Hunt) is tracked down by her birth mother (Bette Midler) in hopes of starting a relationship. At the same time, April begins to form a bond with the father (Colin Firth) of one of her kindergarten students. As she struggles to determine the meaning of family, she discovers something missing, driven by the burning desire to have a baby of her own.

At first I was skeptical of Hunt covering the ground both in front of and behind the camera, but she quickly set my mind at ease. The film maintains an undeniable intensity, from Hunt's tired eyes to Midler's vigorous attempt at motherhood; the rapport between the characters is genuine and sincere. In fact, what the plot lacks in originality, the characters make up for in chemistry. Adept at captivating audiences in movies such as Beaches and First Wives Club, Bette Midler weaves in and out of this one eloquently, as little more than a shoulder to cry on for her newly discovered daughter. Colin Firth's witty Englishness lightens the mood at the most needed times. And Hunt, who has played some questionable roles (What Women Want and Dr. T and the Women) since winning an Academy Award for her performance in
As Good As It Gets, reinvents herself with the direction of this film.

The story and characters are tied together with some great music, too, including Iron & Wine's "Naked As We Came" and Bonnie Raitt's "Cool, Clear Water," — highlighting the tone of the heartwarming love story.

With a title like Then She Found Me, it's easy to assume the story would revolve around the search for that mother/daughter bond, but the bulk of the film actually centers around Hunt and Firth's relationship. Not an unwise choice by Hunt, but an ironic one. Digging deeper into the title's meaning, you'll discover it's not only a film about finding family and love, but the self-discovery that comes with finding these things. A truly touching film about the realities of family, Then She Found Me has proven beyond a doubt Hunt's talent as an actress and a filmmaker.

Starts Friday, May 2, at the Edina Cinema.

Over the years, the Kentucky Derby has drawn comparisons to such high profile annual events as the Super Bowl and Academy Awards. But in comparing these events, the celebrity status of the participants in the Kentucky Derby seems to fall short compared to the other two. In the 133 year history of the Derby, the list of household names emerging from the Run for the Roses is very short, with most of them being horses.

The First Saturday in May tells the story of six contenders for the 2006 Kentucky Derby. The most impressive part of this documentary is the well-told personal stories of the relatively anonymous trainers, jockeys and owners that toil in the stables and racetracks of America, with the common goal of qualifying for the Kentucky Derby.

With the pomp and circumstance of such a huge event, you would expect to hear about superstars and the thrill of victory. But with 19 of 20 participants destined for disappointment, most of the stories surrounding Kentucky Derby end in defeat. While filmmakers John and Brad Hennegan were fortunate enough to document the journey of 2006 Derby winner Barbaro and his trainers, for the most part they exercised restraint from making this a Seabiscuit-esque biopic, and spread the story line across all six featured teams.

What makes this documentary special is the intimate peek of the annual journey made by thousands of trainers, jockeys and horses along the Derby trail. The ups and downs of Frank Amonte's rise from Assistant to Head Trainer for Achilles of Troy are particularly gripping. A blue collar guy working to make a better life for his kids, Amonte's passion for winning is obvious as he explains in a thick New Jersey accent that, "The big one I want is the Derby."

There is an honesty in Amonte's portion of the story that keeps you glued to the screen as he inches closer to his dream of training a horse in the Kentucky Derby. When his dreams are dashed by a poor showing in the race that Achilles of Troy needed win to qualify for the Derby, the disappointment is palpable.

As grippingly disappointing as Amonte's story is, the jubilation of trainer Kiaran McLaughlin's horse Jazil coming from way behind to finish second in the last race it needed win or place in to qualify for the Derby, is just as captivating. A former derby runner-up, McLaughlin has managed to keep his Multiple Sclerosis in check for 10 years and become a very successful trainer. Jazil's qualification for the Derby would lead to a fourth place finish in the big race, and eventually a Belmont Stakes win.

These stories may receive a short sound byte during the Kentucky Derby broadcast, but most people never get to see the dedication and sacrifice that trainers, jockeys and their families put forth in pursuit of the dream of making it to the big race. The Hennegan brothers deserve praise for bringing their stories to the big screen.

Unfortunately, this praise is somewhat tainted by the decidedly disappointing left turn the filmmakers take with the movie's ending. After spending over an hour following the ups and downs for these six unique individual stories of struggle to acheive their dreams, the final scenes take us from their various states of excitement and worry at Churchill Downs as their horses come down the stretch, to the aftermath in which the winner Barbaro struggles to regain his form after a devastating injury in the Preakness.

While Barbaro's story is an emotional one, it is not the story that had been laid out for viewers throughout the rest of the movie. The Hennegan brothers would have served their audience better by showing the disappointment on the faces of the four losing horses' team members and ask them how they felt after such a tremendous struggle for their goals had been dashed. Instead, the last 10 minutes of The First Saturday In May turned into the ending of a Barbaro biopic.

The Hennegan brothers did a great job of avoiding the temptation of following the small number of celebrity trainers, like D. Wayne Lukas and Bob Baffert, for 90 percent of The First Saturday in May. But in the end, they gave in to temptation and focused on the glorious but tragic winner of the race and abandoned the personal stories that truly make this documentary special.

How much of a story can be told by looking at a photograph? What is considered fact and proof? Is seeing truly believing? The documentary film Standard Operating Procedure breaks apart these questions by delving into the lives of soldiers stationed at Abu Ghraib prison, in Iraq. Academy Award winning director Errol Morris used photographs and stories of American soldiers to depict the stained and corrupt system within the interrogation centers in the Middle East. We all remember the horrific photos that leaked into the media, and as you may anticipate from the brief synopsis, the documentary is far from a romantic comedy. Ironically, the film opens with a photograph of a golden sunset in Iraq, which stands in stark contrast to the rest of the film’s morbid and disturbing tone. Within the first ten minutes my weak stomach got the best of me, and I had no choice but to direct my eyes to the dim lights positioned on the walls of the theater.

Photographs taken by the American soldiers exemplify the unnecessary “standard operating procedures” that include humiliation, forced stress positions (like the photograph of a man forced to stand on a bucket of water with wires attached to his hands), and sexual harassment. While there are re-enactments by actors to underscore the importance of the stories being told by the soldiers, the reality of the documentary is mind-numbing. I was surprised to find most of the American soldiers interviewed in the documentary failed to show much emotion when they described their time at Abu Ghraib. It was as if the lives they lived in Iraq never existed. They illustrated their melancholic experiences with as much grandeur as a trip to the grocery store. In fact, out of the 12 soldiers interviewed, only one seemed to show any signs of distress.

As the film continued, constant exposure to the pictures and stories caused me to feel the same numbness the soldiers exuded, stripping me of any emotion I may have come in with. Not only did I become deadened by the images, but I actually started to understand where these soldiers’ “survival tactics” came from as a technique to cope with what they were going through. Disturbing images of the humiliating stress positions of the Iraqi prisoners were coupled with the smiling faces and thumbs-up of American soldiers as if they were posing for a picture with Chuck E. Cheese. Many of the soldiers defended this by claiming it was their way of “doing what they were told,” so they could continue to photograph.

While the gruesome and grotesque picture may seem a turn-off, however, the film is certainly worth seeing. It creates an understanding of the power of stories through film, especially where conclusions and assumptions can very quickly be made without knowing the truth. Although it may feel uncomfortable and gut wrenching at times, this documentary is an important exposé on the war. The 118-minute film leaves you with some unanswered questions, but like the photographs, the documentary is up for some interpretation from the audience.

Errol Morris will visit the Twin Cities on April 15th for a premiere screening and conversation at the Walker Art Center. Exclusive Twin Cities engagement opens Friday, May 23rd at Landmark’s Lagoon Cinema.

Passive aggressive and dependent on others of their own kind, box elder bugs create havoc and annoyance when swarming in groups. Todd Sklar, a triple threat in the filmmaking business, wrote, directed, and starred in the coming of age tale, Box Elder. With a shoestring budget and 18 days of shooting, Box Elder is a promising first attempt with an entertaining story and relatable characters.

Four best buds, followed through their college years, fail to become independent from the group and use their university experience as a time to drink, have sex, and eat sandwiches, as most college students do. Much like other movies of this genre, the story follows four characters: the hopeless romantic, the party animal with ridiculous advice, the responsible one, and the ladies man. As they stumble through classes and exams, they're forced to examine their dependence on each other.

The chemistry cemented by the dialogue and plotlines is reminiscent of '90s films like Mall Rats (or any Kevin Smith film, for that matter) and even '80s flicks like Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Improvisation and subtle humor drive the friendships and create a strong rapport between the characters, who find amusement in even the most quotidian activities — like eating sandwiches. Although the film has its share of laugh-out-loud moments, other jokes become stale after repetition and drawn-out scenes. Like an Atkin-dieters burger with no bun, the plot tends to lack enough beginning and conclusion, leaving us with a considerable amount of middle; but it's one hell of a patty in between. Creative camera shots and editing create an interesting dynamic throughout the film and an element of randomness that mirrors the characters.

An indie story centered on a generation of misunderstood, misguided, and privileged youth, Box Elder will surely leave you entertained. Now showing at the Oak Street Cinema.

7:30 p.m., through Tuesday, April 15th, The Oak Street Cinema, 309 Oak Street SE, Minneapolis, 612-331-3134, $7.