It’s still hard for me to get past the feeling that “Raising Helen” was just Kevin Smith’s “Jersey Girl” retooled for Kate Hudson instead of Ben Affleck. Oddly enough, both of these films performed similarly at the box office (with “Raising Helen” raising about $10 million more than “Jersey Girl”). Neither was a hit, but the folks from each are still making movies. I guess that means that the Hollywood photocopy machine won’t be making a new slate of loved-one-dies-leaving-trendy-Manhattanite-alone-with-kids movies. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

“Raising Helen” tells the story of Helen Harris, who works as a rep for supermodels in New York. One day, she learns that her sister and brother-in-law are killed in a car crash, leaving the three children in the family without parents. Although Helen’s other sister Jenny (Joan Cusack) already has two children, Helen is chosen as the guardian of the orphans. Helen must deal with the challenges of working and living in the city while being a new mother of three.

This is a speed bump in Garry Marshall’s string of successful romantic comedies, bridging the gap between the two “Princess Diaries” movies. “Raising Helen” has heart, and Hudson is adorable in the role, but in many ways this story is a little too heavy for its own cuteness. It’s not that Marshall can’t do heartwrenching. He proved he could with “Beaches,” but my opinion is that he’s just too nice a guy to let bad things happen to his characters. And that takes away some of the potential bite this film could have.

Recently, Marshall’s films have been more like community theater productions in which you’ll see the same cast members throughout the mix. For fans of the “spot the actor/actress from Pretty Woman” game, he doesn’t disappoint in “Raising Helen.” My favorite cameo comes from Larry Miller as the hot-dog vendor tycoon.

But aside from the friends-of-Marshall cast list, the rest of the actors seem to be purposely subdued in order to let Hudson raise to the top. Normally brilliant actors like Spencer Breslin turn in lackluster performances. And normally mediocre actors like John Corbett keep the pace. Of course, Marshall admits in his own director commentary track that these kinds of films are made for the star, not the ensemble.

One thing I was disappointed about this DVD was the fact that it didn’t include the “Lorenzo” cartoon that was released at the head of the movie in the theaters. This little short about a French fat cat with a possessed tail was a real treat and possibly the best thing about the movie when I saw it at the multiplex.

However, the DVD is far from a waste. There are enough features to round out the production and let you feel like part of Garry Marshall’s gang for a while. First up is a slate of deleted scenes, which actually aren’t as interesting as Marshall’s introduction and recap of each one. Here, he reminds you of a slightly batty uncle at Thanksgiving dinner who just makes things up as he goes along. I’m sure everything Marshall says is true and honest, but he has a pretty funny delivery.

There’s a bloopers reel, which is pretty standard, but still fun to watch. And the obligatory music video (for Liz Phair’s “Extraordinary”) is also on the disk.

But the real gem of this DVD is the audio commentary which features Marshall and the writers. Garry Marshall always delivers a great commentary, and manages to do so completely in his batty uncle mentality. It’s not the deepest insight into American cinema, but it’s pretty entertaining to listen to, and you do pick up a nice tidbit or two from the behind-the-scenes working of the film.



Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Widescreen (1.85:1) - Enhanced for 16x9 televisions. French language track. French and Spanish subtitles. English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.