Sandra Bullock stepped out last week to support her good friend Ryan Reynolds at the LA premiere of his movie The Change-Up

How did Sandra Bullock bounce back from a hard year?

Credit her 19-month-old son Louis, her sense of humor and her decision to jump back into the acting world in a big way.

"She was very keen to get back to work," says Stephen Daldry, who directed her in Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, one of two dramas the actress, 47, has filmed since last fall.

Gallery: Over 40 and Hotter Than Ever

"She threw herself in with her usual enthusiasm and energy, and she was very relaxed," he added. "She had little Louis with her, and it was a very familial environment on-set."

Bullock, who also just wrapped the astronaut drama Gravity, has been keeping a low profile as she passes emotional milestones: the one-year mark of her divorce from Jesse James, and this month's anniversary of her official adoption of Louis.

As she steps back into the spotlight, her new life is a joyful one. "She's glowing," says her Extremely Loud costar Reagan Leonard.