Ray Meets Helen

August 12, 2026

Ray Meets Helen

Release Date
May 5th, 2017

Directed by
Alan Rudolph

Screenplay by
Alan Rudolph

Starring
Keith Carradine
Sondra Locke
Jennifer Tilly
Samantha Mathis
Keith David

Trivia
Jennifer Tilly also appears in Bird of Prey and Sallywood.
Samantha Mathis also appears in Camilla Dickinson.

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Helen, who is having trouble making ends meet, feels sympathy for a woman she encounters at a bar and is later horrified to find the woman's body after she commits suicide. A note near her body instructs whoever finds her to step into her life, which Helen, facing bills she cannot pay, decides to do.

Ray is a former boxer who works as an insurance investigator. While working on a case, Ray sees a little boy place large amounts of cash in a bag. He later finds the child and takes some of the money for his own.

Staying in the woman's apartment, Helen receives visits from the woman's ghost. Mary, as she was known, bonds with Helen and eventually helps Helen choose one of her old dresses, transforming herself. Looking more upscale, Helen returns to a French restaurant she visited earlier. Ray, who had also been at the restaurant earlier but was too absorbed watching his ex romance his boss, sees Helen's beauty and is captivated. He charms her, and the pair leave the restaurant for the night. Ray plays the piano for Helen and buys her street food before they go to Mary's apartment. When they enter, Ray hears Mary's ex-boyfriend leave a message on a video call. Humiliated, Helen confesses that she's pretending to be someone she's not. Ray, who has his secrets, doesn't seem to mind and stays the night.

Ray returns to visit the little boy, as the child has a box filled with thousands of dollars. The child tells him he gave his parents a large percentage of the money, and Ray surmises that they're out spending it. As Ray leaves the house, he is followed by a group of men and later cornered by the police. The police suspect he may be involved with the stolen money. Tired of pretending, Helen returns home. What happens next changes their lives.

Mr. Von Dohlen portrays Armond, an eccentric, snobbish maître d' who pretends he has a French accent as he begrudgingly attends Ray and Helen.

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Streaming Availablity

Ray Meets Helen is available on DVD and Blu-Ray and to stream free of cost on the following platforms.

YouTube

Tubi

Amazon

Trailer and Interview

Film Stills

Promotional Photos

Images Shared By The Lenny Von Dohlen Fan Page

Media Art

Screening Images

The Fans of Lenny Von Dohlen Facebook Page posted images shared by Mr. Von Dohlen of a screening of Ray Meets Helen.

Mr. Von Dohlen and director Alan Rudolph. Louise Fletcher, Mr. Von Dohlen, Cerris Mogan
Moyer and Caley O'Dwyer

Fan Michael Fijolek contacted me with information and photos from a screening and Q&A for the film held in Beverly Hills on May 18th, 2018. He was fortunate enough to meet Mr. Von Dohlen and Louise Fletcher at the screening. Mr. Fijolek kindly allowed me to post his photos here.