I Am Woman Review: Helen Reddy’s Story, Filtered & Flawed

Helen Reddy’s legacy is one of power and perseverance, but I Am Woman takes a safer approach, sanding down the edges of her real-life struggles. While Tilda Cobham-Hervey embodies Reddy’s quiet determination, the film’s made-for-TV feel and softened conflicts leave it lacking the emotional weight her story deserves. With great music and a fascinating subject, I Am Woman still resonates, but it doesn’t roar.

I Am Woman is also way too squeaky clean. With a run-time of almost 2-hours, I expected grit, dirt, and power. Mother of Movies supports women filmmakers and film festivals and I liked the idea of seeing a movie based around women’s rights as well as a well-known song. But this has none of the grime I wanted to see in a movie like this.

Helen Reddy Movie, Critics First Responses

After watching the movie, I read a few bits and pieces about the production process. One thing that stood out was a quote from the director, Unjo Moon, which surmised the story was made with the idea it would be shown to the woman herself. It was to be told in a ‘sensitive light.’ Helen Reddy and her children alongside her ex-husband were shown the movie first. They liked it. Early film critics have given the I Am Woman production as a whole, the thumbs up.

If you don’t know who Helen Reddy is or much about her, the film does little to fill in that information for you. It touches, ever so lightly, on Reddy’s family history in the music industry. It doesn’t include one iota of information about Reddy’s previous husband and father to her child, Traci, who’s introduced as a 3-year-old. The narrative doesn’t include Reddy’s previous appearance on stage, television, and radio. Tilda Cobham-Hervey plays Helen in light of her characters’ well-seasoned place in the limelight already. Her character comes across as meek, quiet, and naive.

Helen Reddy, You & Me Against the World

With this in mind, I even had to google Lilian Roxon (played by Danielle Macdonald.) Her appearance in the film shows Tilda’s Reddy simply picking up a phone book and, suddenly she becomes the answer to all her problems as well as a friendly ear. Other internet searches I made offer a different set of circumstances as to Roxon’s part in Helen Reddy meeting her then-husband Jeff Wald as well.

This I Am Woman story, written by Emma Jensen (Mary Shelley 2017) also barely looks in the direction of her education and political involvement. Despite this, there is a limping backdrop about the actual women’s movement that was prevalent at the time. It’s told as if all the men on the planet were unaware a woman could have any talent in the first place. Correct me if I’m wrong, but Karen Carpenter, Patty Page, and Olivia Newton-John were all in that same era. And they were all smashing out hit songs.

I Am Woman Movie

The storyline lacked any motivating details. Nothing that gives you that sense of accomplishment and strength I thought I would feel. Helen Reddy in the I Am Woman movie has her as a solitary figure for much of the film. It was as though someone created the story they thought people wanted instead of the story with heart and guts many fans know is there. In effect, we are treated to an almost overdose of Helen Reddy songs in full. Her lyrics give more insight into the types of things Helen Reddy was dealing with than the movie ever will.

I Am Woman is a pleasant enough time-filler. If you’re a fan of Helen Reddy, it will show you a good time.

I give I Am Woman

2.5 Who is Ray Burton? out of 5