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Hitching an agreeable ride on the long coattails (or maybe gown trains) of Bridesmaids, Friends with Kids isn't in the same category of grown-up raunch, but it does occupy a similar realm of grown-up comedy about the contemporary late-30s crowd facing serious relationship issues with intelligence and aplomb. It's also a stroke of good fortune that Friends with Kids features a hefty portion of the same cast that made Bridesmaids such a hit. The stars of Friends with Kids are Jennifer Westfeldt (who also wrote and directed) and Adam Scott as Julie and Jason, BFFs who are strictly platonic but decide to have a child toge
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Hitching an agreeable ride on the long coattails (or maybe gown trains) of Bridesmaids, Friends with Kids isn't in the same category of grown-up raunch, but it does occupy a similar realm of grown-up comedy about the contemporary late-30s crowd facing serious relationship issues with intelligence and aplomb. It's also a stroke of good fortune that Friends with Kids features a hefty portion of the same cast that made Bridesmaids such a hit. The stars of Friends with Kids are Jennifer Westfeldt (who also wrote and directed) and Adam Scott as Julie and Jason, BFFs who are strictly platonic but decide to have a child together out of mutual need, convenience, and familiarity. Their married friends have all brought kids into the world with mixed results, and they feel a little left out. Neither wants the burden of marriage and both profess to have no romantic inclination toward the other, even though it's pretty clear from the first scenes that the script is heading for a very predictable romantic conclusion. That's no spoiler, and it's also no sappy or formulaic rom-com equation. Julie and Jason make a successful go of co-raising their adorable little boy, sharing care and feeding duties from the safety of their individual upscale New York apartments that are on different floors of the same building. Concurrently with their parenting, each one is also playing the same old dating game that ranges from simple hookups to what looks like true love when Julie meets Kurt (Edward Burns) and Jason meets Mary Jane (Megan Fox). That's when the emotions start getting complicated and both realize that they may not have thought through their child-rearing plan or their honest feelings for each other thoroughly enough. Their married friends Ben and Missy and Alex and Leslie are played by Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Chris O'Dowd, and Maya Rudolph, who were part of the outstanding core cast of Bridesmaids. The entire ensemble in Friends with Kids is also pretty terrific in conveying a sense of how life and relationships change with time (and with kids). Alex and Leslie become stronger because of kids, Ben and Missy are torn apart, and Julie and Jason fall somewhere in between. Westfeldt's script and direction give a fairly New York-centric view of dating and relationships, which may grate on some people's nerves (movie New Yorkers can often seem like stereotypical snooty jerks). The movie doesn't always come across as unique from a stylistic perspective, and Westfeldt often steps into Woody Allen territory in her portrayal of New York neuroses. But she also brings her own gracefully original touch to the unfolding emotions. The dialogue is sharp and the comic sheen often belies a genuinely moving dramatic core. Even if it's sometimes hard to relate to these privileged, beautiful New York people whose only problems stem from their love life, Friends with Kids carries an honest heart of humor and modern romantic clout. --Ted Fry
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Manufacturer: Lions Gate
Release date: 17 July 2012
EAN: 0031398154174 UPC: 031398154174
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