Jessica Stein (Jennifer Westfeldt) is a lovely, young, conservative Jewish girl with the perfect loft situated on New York City's Upper West Side, a fun job working for a hip newspaper, and beautiful clothes. The only thing she doesn't have is the ideal boyfriend. Not that she doesn't have tons of dates--from geeky nerds to .. Read more
| Starring | Heather Juergensen, Jennifer Westfeldt, Scott Cohen, Jackie Hoffman |
|---|---|
| Director | Charles Herman-Wurmfield |
| Genres | Comedy, Gay/Lesbian, Romance |
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Jessica Stein (Jennifer Westfeldt) is a lovely, young, conservative Jewish girl with the perfect loft situated on New York City's Upper West Side, a fun job working for a hip newspaper, and beautiful clothes. The only thing she doesn't have is the ideal boyfriend. Not that she doesn't have tons of dates--from geeky nerds to suave sexy types, Jessica is sought after by throngs of men. She just doesn't like any of the guys that like her. When her coworker, Joan (Jackie Hoffman), reads her an ad from the personals of the Village Voice, Jessica knows she's interested. Even when she realizes that the ad is in the "women seeking women" section, she figures it's worth a try. A funny, girly, prissy, very lipstick lesbian relationship ensues with Chelsea gallery owner Helen (Heather Juergensen). When the girls aren't making out, they share makeup secrets and raid each other's closets. However, Helen's daring nymphomaniac side clashes with Jessica's conservative straight side, and the couple is forced to face some real challenges, one of which is Jessica's hilarious Scarsdale-based matchmaker mother (Tovah Feldshuh). A light, laugh-a-minute romantic comedy, KISSING JESSICA STEIN is a good fit for fans of sitcoms like Ally McBeal, Sex in the City, and Will and Grace.
| Starring | Heather Juergensen, Jennifer Westfeldt, Scott Cohen, Jackie Hoffman, Tovah Feldshuh |
|---|---|
| Director | Charles Herman-Wurmfield |
| Studio | 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 32 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Comedy, Gay/Lesbian, Romance |
| Language | English |
| Released | DVD: 16 Dec 2002 Production year: 2001 |
| Format | DVD |
Two unknowns, Jennifer Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen, wrote an off-Broadway play about female sexuality and two women who attempt a lesbian affair. A few years later and they're both starring in the spin-off film — a witty, quirky, original New York story about a straight Jewish journalist (Westfeldt) who responds to a singles ad and ends up on a date with the also straight but willing to experiment Juergensen. As tentative as two porcupines making out, the women walk the Sapphic way and have to deal with the shock waves this sends through family and friends. Think of Sex and the City meeting Woody Allen and you've got the sense of this sparklingly funny gem that deals with sexuality without prejudice.
A romance involving a seemingly heterosexual woman who falls in love with an occasional lesbian; otherwise a typical New York comedy, full of smart remarks, angst-ridden inhabitants and a match-making Jewish mother.
'Kissing Jessica Stein' will win no awards for originality (and neither will the opening line of this review). Straight girl is sick of men and decides to try the feminine thing. But like every other romantic movie you've ever seen, it isn't about the set-up, it's about the journey and in this case I'll be happy to show you onto the train.
No stars here, just talent. And what talent. Usually in low budget films, you have to take it for granted that - some - of the acting - will be a bit stilted. Staggeringly although I can't think of a face here I've seen before, everyone is uniformly excellent. It feels like a movie which has dropped in from an alternate dimension where everyone here is a big, famous actor in their field. Jennifer Westfeldt as Jessica, has a stunning screen presence. But unlike Jennifer Anniston (for example) she feels like one of us - and that's why we root for her. Similarly Heather Juergensen, as the girlfriend, is instantly likeable (and not just because of her opening scene). The fact that their already friends improves an on-screen chemistry you feel would be their anyway.
The writing is also superb. They act, they write. I was reminded of the first time I saw 'Walking and Talking' or 'Love and Other Consequences', that kind of attention to the detail of people. The blossoming of Jessica from slightly plain, the just unbelievable is totally believable. There is an obvious through route from 'Annie Hall' to 'When Harry Met Sally' to what we find her. The girls are obviously fans of there previous movies, scenes there are mirrored here with a twist. Of course to tell you what they are would spoil your enjoyment of this film, but keep an eye out for re-runs of the moment from the end of 'Sally' when Harry tells her he loves her, when Woody and Annie go to the movies in 'Hall'. That this film has been released under Fox's Searchlight banner and not as a major studio piece demonstrates how the priorities of Hollywood have changed.
Very Slow and a weird storyline - about Lesbians and no boys theres no dirty scenes!!