Raising Helen Structure

Similar to Ordinary People, Raising Helen has twice the usual number of Sequences in the first half of Act II. The Screenplay Summary shows the reason why. Helen must accomplish several things to take her to the Mid-Point where Helen realizes how far she has gotten away from the lifestyle she had before she took on the responsibility for three young children. Also, some of the things she must do are not interesting enough to fuel a full Sequence time-slot (such as not being able to take a work assignment in Miami). Note how the mystery surrounding the contents of the eldest sister's letter creates the satisfying Resolution Sequence. Raising Helen is an entertaining vehicle for Kate Hudson's charm and screen presence, and is a good model for romantic comedy-drama.