I saw "Friends with Kids" in the theater last night. Now I'll start by saying I really liked it, but coming fom me this isn't really saying a lot. I like almost everything I ever see. I am a bit of a movie zealot. I used to dream of a career as a film critic until I realized that I would never critique anything poorly, and nobody would ever believe me or care about my opinion. Now I'm not totally without standards. I have walked out of one movie in my life. I also dislike several films. And when I don't like a movie, I REALLY don't like it. Tropic Thunder, I'm talking to you.
In my book, a movie can be made great through a fantastic script, excellend cinematography. A movie can be RUINED through poor acting. If I can see the person acting, I'm done. And I don't treat all my "good" movies the same. I can articulate the difference between a fun rom-com that I enjoyed and a genuinely good movie. I saw Inception four times in the theater because my mind was so blown that I needed time to process the movie's greatness. I saw The Artist for the first time in a small independent New York theater and felt that it was so inventive and powerful that I forced my whole family to go see it with me. Truly great films can move me to tears or anger. They can invoke passion in me for things I didn't realize I even cared about. They can ignite my curiosity and make me question my world.
And then there are the brilliantly simple, "why hasn't anyone ever made this movie before?" kinds of movies. Those are the ones that seem so true to life, so utterly believable that the script doesn't sound scripted at all and the characters seem like your real life friends and co-workers. These are usually my favorite movies. They often don't end incredibly happily. Or rather, they end happily and sometimes as expected, but with a twist that makes them seem more lifelike. These are the movies I wish I'd written. These are movies like My Best Friend's Wedding where (spoiler alert) Julia Roberts doesn't get the guy in the end. Or Love Actually where people sometimes cheat or hurt one another, and life sometimes gets in the way of what we want.
Well, to get back on track from a serious tangent, I saw Friends with Kids this weekend. Thsi was one of those refreshingly real and unique movies. The basic plot (not to give anything away because I actually think you should go see it for yourself) is about two best friends who both want a baby, but without the drama of it potentially runining their romantic relationships with their future spouses. They decide to have a baby together, have split custody, and keep their friendship in tact. Meanwhile, their two sets of married friends slowly realize their relationships being tattered and strained by their children.
The plot seems simple enough (I'll leave it to you to guess the ending), but the brilliance doesn't come from the predictible story line. It comes from Jennifer Westfeldt's true to life writing. The precision of her characters and the relationships they share with one another feel like the relationships you have with your friends. These characters hurt and bruise one another. They love deeply and make mistakes. They say the wrong thing and have regrets. They struggle to find a balance between parenthood and love, often unsuccessfully. They come together and fall apart. It's destructive and beautiful.
I genuinely loved this movie. I laughed a bit, but not too hard. I sat quietly holding my breath for a moment to handle the tension on screen. I wanted things to work out well for these people whose lives were fictional, and yet so real.
If it's not yet clear, I would recommend you see it. I think there's always room for a movie that teaches a lesson and does so with heart and humanity. Friends with Kids certainly delivers.
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