| Helen | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Sandra Nettlebeck |
| Produced by | Christina Haebler Judy Tossler |
| Starring | Ashley Judd |
| Music by | James Edward Barker and Tim Despic |
| Cinematography | Michael Bertl |
| Editing by | Barry Egan |
| Distributed by | E1 Entertainment Distribution |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $8,000,000 |
Helen is a 2009 drama starring Ashley Judd and directed by Sandra Nettelbeck. It follows a professor (Judd) who overcomes severe depression after a massive breakdown, with the help of new friend Matilda (Smith). Filming took place late 2007 in Vancouver.
The film was released at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2009, and later at the Atlantic Film Festival in Canada. Lauren Lee Smith won the award for Best Supporting Actress at the 2010 Leo Awards, beating co-star Alexia Fast. It was nominated for Best Feature and Production Design. Helen was released to DVD in August 2010. It currently holds 33% out of a possible 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Nick Schager of Slant Magazine said "...with a visual schema that's simply drab and unimaginative when it's not also being pretentious...the material's portrait of psychological suffering goes formless."