I Don't Know How She Does It DVD Review

'I Don't Know How She Does' Examiner It DVD Review, Written by: Karen Benardello


Adapting a popular novel, particularly one that is filled with social commentary and has been described as the “national anthem for working mothers,” into a film has never been an easy task. However, director Douglas McGrath has naturally brought the story of working mother Kate Reddy, the main character of the acclaimed book ‘I Don’t Know How She Does It’ by Allison Pearson, to life in the film of the same name, which is now available to rent on DVD at Long Island Redbox locations. While the story mainly focuses on Kate’s inner struggle and conflict to succeed as a working mother, everyone will be able to connect with her desire to do her best in her career and with her family.

‘I Don’t Know How She Does It’ follows Kate (played by Sarah Jessica Parker), a woman struggling to balance her rising financial investment career with her hectic personal life. Kate loves her job as an investment manager at the Boston satellite of a New York-based financial firm, for which she travels frequently. However, her husband, Richard (portrayed by Greg Kinnear), and their two young children, Emily (played by Emma Rayne Lyle) and Ben (portrayed by twins Theodore and Julius Goldberg), become upset that Kate repeatedly misses their activities and family time for work.

Kate’s family becomes even more distraught when her proposal for a new investment fund is chosen by the firm’s main boss, Jack Abelhammer (played by Pierce Brosnan), to be pitched to a major client, meaning she’ll be spending more time away from home. Of her busy life, Kate’s friends, including fellow working mother Allison (portrayed by Christina Hendricks), as well as her colleagues, such as her workaholic, child-phobic associate Momo (played by Olivia Munn), all repeatedly say “I don’t know how she does it.”

The comedy’s studio, The Weinstein Company, skipped on adding numerous extras to the DVD, in an effort to release the movie on home video as soon as possible. The lone seven-minute bonus feature included, titled ‘A Conversation With Best-Selling Author Allison Pearson,’ features a look into the character and themes of the film through the eyes of the writer. She also discusses public reaction to the novel, and what the casting process for the film was like. AS a result, viewers unfortunately won’t gain any insightful knowledge into the making of the film.


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