Friends with Kids

Starring: Jennifer Westfeldt, Adam Scott, Jon Hamm, Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Chris O'Dowd, Megan Fox, Edward Burns
Directed by: Jennifer Westfeldt
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
2012

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: When all of their friends have children and move on with their lives, two single platonic friends (Jennifer Westfeldt, Adam Scott) decide to have a child together and to raise the baby as friends, skipping the relationship part.

Review:
Tim: This is quite an odd film. It is a movie that is obviously the passion project of one individual, but it feels like that individual needed to seek more help to make this a stronger effort. Friends With Kids is written, starred, and directed by Jennifer Westfeldt (who is making her directorial debut). While the writing is pretty good, the directing and Westfeldt's performance were both weak. I feel like the screenplay was pretty strong, but Westfeldt's over-involvement ruined what could have been a strong film.

I actually do like the screenplay pretty well. The dialogue is often quite funny, and I like how Westfeldt wasn't afraid to embrace the more vulgar side of adulthood. While some of the dialogue made me cringe, it does give off the impression of being "realistic" and true to real life. The characters are certainly interesting, and while the basic premise of the film is a completely tired romantic comedy cliche, the execution is certainly different and the movie never felt like a rehash. This is because the script handles the subject matter in a mature way. I loved that aspect of the film.

The biggest mistake Westfeldt made in this whole film was casting herself in the lead role. I've never heard of Westfeldt before this movie, and after doing a little research, it seems like she needed something to get her career on a better track. I am all for an actor branching out on their own, and I think writing and directing your own movie is a great way to create opportunities for yourself. However, Westfeldt is a cold, boring actress (at least judging by this film). Her performance was wooden and I really struggled with it. She might have been better in a smaller supporting role, but as the lead actress, her performance greatly sinks the film. This is a huge problem, because she assembles a good cast around her, but her lack of talent shows up in every scene she's in, and her bad performance hurts the film immensely.

I really liked Adam Scott as the lead actor. He is a charismatic, funny everyman-type of actor. I really liked his performance here. He was very likely the best part of the whole film. I thought Jon Hamm did a decent job, but I'm still not on board with why everyone thinks he's so great. He did not show me anything great here. Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph were well cast, but neither has anything interesting to do in the whole film. I actually think the movie would have been better if Wiig and Westfeldt switched roles. I like Chris O'Dowd, and thought he was good here. I love Edward Burns, so I was really excited to see him here. He definitely helps the film- I just wish he had more screen time. Megan Fox felt completely miscast, and she never seemed to click with the rest of the cast. This is likely due to some combination of being miscast and being a terrible actress. So, the cast as a whole is impressive, although not everyone is used to their full potential.

There was a lot I liked about Friends With Kids. It treated the subject matter seriously, and I thought it took a mature approach to couples having children, and seeing their lives change in completely unexpected ways. It didn't sugarcoat this, and I really appreciated that. The film created some interesting characters and put them through entertaining and thought-provoking events. However, Westfeldt should never have cast herself (and I thought her directing was just a bit above average). Westfeldt is responsible for this film getting made, but she also limited its potential. This is an average film, but one whose strengths are overshadowed by the flaws throughout the movie. I could have liked this movie more, but the limitations really hurt it. I'd be interested to see Westfeldt continue her directing career, but I hope she finds a better lead actress.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Bridesmaids, Friends With Benefits