“Watching Helen trying to make the transformation from party girl to mom is both hilarious and emotional – it’s right up Garry Marshall’s alley,” says Academy Award® nominee Kate Hudson, the star of Marshall’s new film, “Raising Helen.” “He’s so great at picking out those moments that ring so true from life that you just have to laugh. He’s the perfect director for this movie.”
“I like comedies with drama and I like dramas with comedy,” says Marshall. “I like to walk that line, to direct a funny scene and then a serious scene. You can tell if you’ve done it right by watching the audience: you watch where they laugh, you watch where they cry, and if you’ve got the balance right, they come out having had a good time.”
“Kate is just the right star for this picture and Garry is just the right director,” says producer David Hoberman, who marks his fourth collaboration with Marshall. “Kate’s the kind of actress that you’re rooting for from the first frame, and nobody’s better than Garry – he has an amazing ability to walk the tightrope between making the audience cry at the same time he’s making them laugh. It’s quite a gift.”
“He’s extremely talented,” says producer Ashok Amritraj. “He finds the underlying humor in every human situation; he finds a way to make it feel like life. So few directors can work with both comedy and drama; Garry does both to perfection. This is the perfect movie for him.”
“I think one of the keys is that he loves life,” continues Hoberman. “He’s a people magnet who loves telling stories, loves people, especially children. The guy has more friends that love him than anybody I’ve ever come across.”
“Plus, he runs a great set,” adds Amritraj. “He keeps the actors very upbeat and happy; the best I’ve ever seen. Sometimes you wonder how everybody can be having such a good time, but he turns out great movies. It’s great to be working with him.”
“This is a wonderful script,” says Marshall. “It’s funny, poignant and, ultimately, a very positive look at family. Also, it shows what can happen when life changes suddenly and unexpectedly, which it often does.
“Lots of movies come along,” says the veteran director, “and in the end you want to choose something that will hold your attention for an entire year of your life. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for single parents. I have two sisters who are divorced with kids and I have lots of friends in that situation. It’s a tough job to run a family alone and I thought this depicted a single parent in a positive and funny way.”
In casting “Raising Helen,” Hoberman, Amritraj, and Marshall required an actress who could not only handle both the comedic and dramatic aspects of the role, but also carry the film in every scene. They found that star in Kate Hudson, who had shown her romantic comedy chops in the box-office hit “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” as well as her more dramatic role in “Almost Famous,” for which she received an Academy Award® nomination. “This is a role that will show Kate’s range as an actress,” says Marshall. “She walks that line between comedy and drama as well as anyone. She has proven her ability in carrying a movie. She’s in every scene, every day. We put a lot on her shoulders and she did an amazing job.”
Movie Database
In Theaters
