Review of A Little Help (2010) by Wes S — 07 Mar 2012

Jenna Fischer shines as a chain-smoking, Budweiser-slamming single mom in this laugh-out loud family comedy. Though unlikely to gain accolades, or even recognition, from critics, this film fares far better than most comedies of the dysfunctional-family variety.

Set in 2002, the plot finds Fischer recently widowed from a loveless marriage and left to care for a wildly ungrateful adolescent son. The movie takes a comic yet troubling turn when the lad tells a whopper of a fib regarding his father's death.

Bowing to her maternal instincts, Fischer runs interference for her son as the audience awaits the inevitable revelation of the truth. Though often uncomfortable, at its heart this is a sweet movie and a showcase of brilliant acting.