A Little Help (2010)

"What's a cooler way to die, 9/11 or a arrhythmia thing?" Laura (Fischer) and Bob (O'Donnell) have a strained marriage. Bob works all the time and Laura drinks a lot. Their 12 year old son is stuck in the middle but prefers the dad. After an argument leads to Bob's death, Laura is left to figure out how to raise her son and support her family. This is a movie that is very different from the preview. The preview makes it look like a comedy, while there are some funny parts this is more of a drama. That said this is one fantastic movie. Watching each character deal with the situation is great to watch. There are parts that you laugh at that you feel like you shouldn't. This is also one of the best mother-son bonding movies I have ever seen, and there are scenes with her family that will make you mad. The fact that you have these feeling marks the sign of a good movie. This is one of the biggest surprise movies of the year. You expect one thing, it's another, but an absolutely fantastic movie to watch. Overall, an extremely entertaining and enjoyable movie to watch that won't disappoint. I give it an A.

I was hooked by the opening scene of Laura (Jenna Fischer) playing a dental hygienist. She is pretending everything is fine while she complains to her patient that her husband has one lone fault: he uses waxed floss. Clearly her life is not together as she is late picking up her porky 12 year old son Dennis (Daniel Yelsky) from camp while extinguishing the Marlboro Light she gave up a year ago. He clearly prefers dad (Chris O'Donnell) who frequently must work late, to being with his mom.

Jenna drowns her life, which really isn't that bad, into a Budweiser product placement (later replaced by Absolut Vodka) and lies to her mother (Lesley Ann Warren who has aged gracefully) about her life. While sad, it is done in a manner that we must laugh. When Chris dies from an "anxiety" attack brought on by Laura's sudden sexual demand, Laura goes to work the morning of the day of the funeral because it isn't until three o'clock. When Laura is at home, there are times when a dog is barking in the background. It is cleverly symbolic of her tension level.

The movie has some quick dry dark comedy wit:

At the funeral Paul is talking to a woman while opening a bottle of wine:

Paul: This is my second funeral this year, my dad died earlier.

Woman: Oh I'm so sorry.

Paul: Don't be. It was for the best.

Woman: Was he sick?

Paul.: No

Dennis goes to a new school and has the "opportunity to make new friends" as the new fat kid in school. Things don't work out too well until he tells the kids his dad died "in 9-11."

Meanwhile Laura is sent to a lawyer who specializes in medical malpractice lawsuits. Just when you think the movie is going to turn sad and dramatic,like so many indies going down the road of ruin, it doesn't. Even the sad scenes have some dark humor to them.

Jenna Fischer was great. The film boasts a great supporting cast as well as a quirky script with excellent direction. This is what indie production should be.

F-bomb, pathetic sex scene (by design), pot smoking. No nudity.

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Writer/director Michael J. Weithorn, a television sitcom veteran, makes his feature film debut with the slight but likable "A Little Help." In truth, his sitcom origins are pretty apparent as many of the film's situations feel a bit forced for comedic or confrontational value--and yet, the film contains a fair share of charming moments as well. This is one of those small independent endeavors that you will either love if you identify with the characters or be generally underwhelmed by its lack of narrative momentum. I, for my part, enjoyed the movie for its unassuming tone and a bold lead performance by Jenna Fischer. Fischer, best known for "The Office," rarely has a chance to display her acting chops but this is certainly a nice showcase. Despite some of the screenplay's shortcomings, this has to have been a dream part for Fischer who is usually relegated to small or benignly generic supporting roles in feature films. Here she gets to act with a capital "A." And for my money, that is a primary selling point.

Fischer and Chris O'Donnell play a troubled married couple living a typical Long Island existence. When things take a tumultuous turn, Fischer and her son are left to rebuild their lives with the help of her ever-intrusive family. With seasoned vets Leslie Ann Warren and Ron Leibman as her protective (and oftentimes critical) parents and Brooke Smith as a caring (but overbearing) sister, it's a hard road to newly defined independence. Fischer maneuvers through the pratfalls of moving toward maturity and confidence through a series of comedic missteps that seem to be leading her in the right direction. Some of these moments contain genuine emotion, some are lightly amusing, and some are awkwardly strained (come on, does anyone really believe she'd have actively participated in the lie perpetuated at her son's school?). It is the script's unevenness that is perhaps the movie's biggest detriment, but Fischer manages to keep things grounded and on track throughout. In the end, the life lessons might be too understated and barely noticeable to make the journey worthwhile for some viewers--but I didn't mind the film's loose ending.

As I said, I quite liked "A Little Help" despite my intellectual reservations. It is designed to tug at the heartstrings and I was willing to let Fischer and team manipulate my emotions, even in the less-than-real intrusions. While I did love Fischer, the film is NOT a one woman show either. It has some notable work from a trio of actors that are often overlooked or underutilized. Brooke Smith (often misused) is terrific as the put-upon sister--it might be my favorite performance of hers going all the way back to the criminally underrated "Series 7." Rob Benedict (maybe still best known for TV's Felicity), usually playing an oddball or eccentric, gets a sympathetic and well rounded role as Smith's husband who once had a crush on Fischer. And Kim Coates (Prison Break, Sons of Anarchy) scores in a change-of-pace stint as Fischer's aggressive attorney. I appreciated seeing these great actors given a chance to shine! "A Little Help" may be a bit slight for its own good, but I genuinely enjoyed this sleeper. Recommended, but a must-see if you love Fischer. KGHarris, 10/11.

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A Little Help starring Jenna Fischer is a strange but interesting little film. Fischer's performance is what saves this film, she is so believable as Laura, a woman who's husband has died and her son makes up a lie about how his father died to his classmates to impress them. Laura is rough-around-the-edges, she's high-strung, she's neurotic, and can't make sense out of her chaotic life. This film isn't for everyone, no fairytale ending but I did enjoy this film. Who knew Jenna Fischer was such an amazing actress!?

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Other reviews have already covered much more ground than I intend. For those of you, like me, who had an interest in this film based on the preview, this review is for you. I was led to A Little Help by two things: Jenna Fischer and the trailer. Fischer delivered what I expected of her and was a pleasure to watch, but the film didn't come close to delivering on the promise of the trailer. I anticipated a pick-me-up--something heartwarming, if not entirely lighthearted. What I got was a string of agonizing relationships and choices, discordant families, and people full of regret, their flaws on display for the world (and not in a celebratory way). This is a movie about crisis, and while I found it engaging and worth watching, it was also emotionally exhausting.

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