Customer Reviews

Kissing Jessica Stein

5 star:		(76)
4 star:		(44)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

"Kissing Jessica Stein," directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld, tells the story of a young, single, Jewish professional woman in New York City (the Jessica of the title, played by Jennifer Westfeldt). She's fed up with men after a series of bad experiences. Intrigued by a "woman-seeks-woman" personal ad, Jessic decides to give lesbianism a try. The object of her often clumsy affection is Helen (Heather Juergensen), a sexy art gallery manager.

This movie hooked me from its outrageous opening scene, in which Jessica, her mother, and her grandmother bicker and gossip about men during a Day of Atonement service. "Jessica" is a wonderfully funny and sweet film, filled with witty dialogue and some genuinely touching moments. The ensemble cast is superb. Westfeldt and Juergensen shine in the lead roles. Westfeldt, who looks remarkably like Lisa Kudrow, is reminiscent of a young female Woody Allen in this quirky, neurotic role. Juergensen brings an irreverent sensuality to her role. The two are delicious together. Although the whole supporting cast is great, I was particularly moved by Tovah Feldshuh as Jessica's loving mother.

I'm sure people will be tempted to pigeonhole "Jessica" as a "lesbian" movie, a "New York" movie, and/or a "Jewish" movie. It's certainly all of these, but its charm and universality also transcend all categories. It's about love, family ties, friendship, self-knowledge, and other issues that are relevant to everybody. And the film is populated with a wonderful group of characters -- male and female, Jewish and gentile, straight, gay, and "bi-curious" -- who are treated with affection and respect by the filmmakers. My advice: whatever your own preferences, prepare to kiss "Jessica" and love it.

I absolutely adored this film - for its real life messiness, for its honest performances, for the eye it turns toward the unexpected nature of life and love. When mousy, perfectionist copyeditor Jessica (Jennifer Westfeldt) answers a personal ad for "women seeking women" on a whim - she is, and always has been, heterosexual - she meets Helen (Heather Juergenson), a sexy, confident bisexual who works in an art gallery. The two women click on a deep soul-mate level. As Jessica begins to find the happiness that has eluded her for so long, her high spirits are contagious - except to dark but lovable Josh (Scott Cohen), who is perplexed by his own feelings for the newly liberated, but still closeted, Jessica. Westfeldt and Juergenson, who also co-wrote the screenplay, provide so much depth to their characterizations and situations that the viewer must wrestle with his own expectations. Jessica's awkward and sometimes outrageously funny exploration of what it means to love another woman never takes the easy way out.

The chemistry between Westfeldt and Juergenson is so phenomenal that even the most prudish viewer will want them to find happiness together. Tovah Feldshuh plays Jessica's mother with energy and deep sensitivity; her powerful performance in one scene provides the pivot upon which the entire film turns. And how can one not like angst-filled, love-stricken Josh the way Cohen plays him? Even the supporting actors turn in memorable performances.

"Kissing Jessica Stein" is an off-beat romantic comedy that has far more hilarity than its more tired and traditional siblings. The story unfolds with a naturalness that deserves to be admired. The views of New York from Hoboken, as well as shots of Hoboken itself, provide an excellent backdrop to a story that blends progressive ideas with the old-fashioned, just as Hoboken itself does.

I loved it.

This was a wonderful beginning to what I hope is a more open-minded approach to romantic comedies--two strong, reletively secure, stable women who fall in love. There are obvious neuroses (what would a romantic comedy be without it?) but the two women, Helen and Jessica, are impressively "together" all on their own.

Jessica Stein is a brilliant, but bored, copy editor whose boss happens to be an old flame from college. Just when she has convinced herself that she isn't the problem--blaming everything the non-commital ...men of New York--her brother announces his engagement. Mortified and a little worried about her own single status, Jessica makes a life-altering decision: she answers a singles ad placed by another woman.

...I won't leak any details (because it's too funny to give away) but they're hilarious as they fumble through their relationship, learning as they go.

This movie is laden with great actresses, many of whom I've never seen before. We'll doubtless see more of Jennifer Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen (hopefully as a team, since they write and act exceptionally well together). The wonderfully quirky performances of Jackie Hoffman (Joan) and Esther Wurmfeld (Grandma) are hilarious.

The most refreshing aspect of this movie is that it doesn't acknowledge the "femme" and "butch" stereotypes of lesbian relationships. Also, Westfeldt and Juergensen have written a screenplay that beautifully depicts (FINALLY) a long-neglected truth: sexuality is not black and white but rather fluid and ever-changing. I'm sure this "type" relationship is more common than anyone likes to admit. This movie is funny, quirky, fresh and all-around fun. I highly recommend it!

This is the romantic comedy I have been looking for. Lately I have found this genre to be lacking in both humor and romance (the dud "Life or Something Like It" springs to mind). I rented it on a whim without ever hearing any commentary on the film--positive or negative. The idea sounded intriguing. Fed up with her unsuccessful attempts at the dating scene, high-strung, neurotic and heterosexual Jessica Stein impulsively answers a personal ad placed by a low-key, free-spirited, nurturing bisexual woman, Helen. Though at first Jessica is troubled by the entire idea of having a lesbian relationship, the movie follows her and Helen as they become friends, then lovers. Jessica's busybody but ultimately loving mother is a wonderful addition to the superb cast of characters.

I loved the characters of both Jessica and Helen. They are both funny in different ways, and both dealing with the reality of an unconventional love affair differently. This movie requires no deep thoughts, no personal revelations--it is just a sweet romantic comedy with great acting and which happens to feature a same-sex couple rather than a heterosexual one. The dialogue is witty, the characters are likable, and the ending is a happy one if not entirely unexpected. After watching this movie, I am wondering why I haven't seen either of the two co-writers and stars of this movie in other projects. Watch this movie with your partner. People of either gender, and people of all sexual orientations, will find something to love about the film.

Written by the Jennifer Westfelt, (who plays Jessica) and Heather Jurgensen (who plays Helen), this romantic comedy explores a romantic relationship between two women. Both are typical New York urbanites, both are young and pretty and both have had their share of men. But then, on a whim, Helen puts an ad in the newspaper seeking a woman. Also on a whim, Jessica answers. The results are both real and funny and I found myself laughing out loud as they awkwardly get to know each other and ultimately fall in love. There are complications of course. Jessica's Jewish mother (Tovah Feldshuh) keeps trying to play matchmaker with a wide variety of men, her boss and former boyfriend (Scott Cohen) is still interested in her, and her brother's wedding is coming up to which she is reluctant to invite Helen.

I totally enjoyed this film. It was the New York I know with the exception of the downtown skyline, which I understand, was purposely avoided because of the 9/11 tragedy. The characters were individuals, not stereotypes and the humor was really funny. The director, Charles Herman-Wurmfeld, was able bring the humor to every scene and kept the tone lighthearted and real. I'm not so sure I liked the ending, but there are hints throughout and certain inevitability to it. Don't miss this small gem. You'll not only come away smiling, but you'll get a bit of insight into a heretofore very lightly explored world. Recommended.

On a whim, while fed up with the same old nonsense she encounters with men, Jessica decides to answer a woman-seeks-woman personal ad and meets Heather, a woman to whom, to her surprise, she finds herself drawn and attracted. Despite Jessica's hitherto heterosexual leanings, she finds herself becoming more involved with Heather and enjoying it. Heather is a very different person from Jessica, open, friendly, outgoing, not uptight, and these qualities appeal to Jessica, it seems. The development of their relationship together is complex, complicated and intelligently portrayed for the most part, while Jessica clearly feels a lot for Heather but at first finds it hard to accept that this is her life, her lifestyle and her relationship. Eventually the two live together and enjoy a relatively happy relationship, although it turns platonic. Despite the fact that the relationship ends, Jessica's life is changed and it was a life affirming relationship for her, but ultimately not what she was looking for. Therein lies the draw and power of this story; two people work hard to give each other a shot, like people should in any kind of relationship, and when they split, they take away a feeling of being richer for the experience rather than bitterness that accompanies the end of many relationships. That, if nothing else, is refreshing.

Just out of boredom and coming off of a huge train of loser dates (who make you bust a gut laughing), Jessica Stein decides, on a whim, to answer a "Women Seeking Women" personals ad. The results: Jessica expands her horizons and is forced to a higher degree of self-awareness, as are the people closest to her.

Leaving aside any "political" statements that all gay-themed movies seem pigeon-holed toward making, "Stein" is a funny, yet touching, film. Watching Jessica's failed dates, followed by her attempts to keep her newfound lesbian relationship private, allows us the opportunity to peek into this girl's neuroses, which, let's face it, are not that uncommon.

But the beauty of this movie is how empathetic Jessica and Helen become to the viewer. I found myself truly admiring these women, and rooting for the success of their relationship, despite all odds. I honestly felt Jessica's pain on the porch of her house during that scene with her mother. The characters truly come to life on screen, almost as much as if I knew them and had brunch with them last week.

Having looked over the reviews on here -- which appear split between "it's a cop-out ending" and "it's a great ending" -- I've simply come to the conclusion that you can't please all of the people all of the time. Better that the movie gave us an ending, as opposed to some other movies I've seen ("Coming Out" comes to mind) where what happens next is completely up in the air.

Watch this movie, laugh, think - and enjoy.

I loved this movie so much, my partner and I saw it the next evening it played. When we saw it the first night, half the group complained about it being a great movie except for the ending. I thought it was a perfect ending, absolutely not the Chasing Amy cop out. The ending had a realistic balance and it made sense if you watch the two main characters closely throughout the movie. I think the movie intelligently points out that just because women can usually connect on a higher emotional level with women as opposed to men, it doesn't make every woman a homosexual. That's why we all have our best girlfriends, as best portrayed by the wonderful relationships in Sex and the City. This movie isn't just about a lesbian experience, it's also about the roller coaster of being single and wondering if you're ever going to have a satisfying love relationship. But this is the best movie with a lesbian theme since When Night is Falling and the Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls In Love. And I think any person, straight or gay, can relate to it and have a great laugh. Thanks to the writers/actresses whose obvious labor of love made the movie a joy to experience.

Kissing Jessica Stein follows the trials and tribulations of Jessica Stein, (Jennifer Westfeldt) a copy editor in Manhattan. Bleakly high standards and a string of loser dates compel Jessica to seek other options in the form of a woman-seeking-woman personal ad by sexy art gallery hipster Helen (Heather Juergenson). The two meet and sparks fly, despite previously held heterosexual identities. They bring out each's qualities and have a chemistry, both friendly and erotic. The movie becomes resonant as it explores this relationship's implications personally and societally.

This movie wouldn't work without exceptional central performances. And Heather Juergenson and Jennifer Westfeldt more than live up to the challenge. They deftly capture the pathos yet pure comedy of their characters. There's something undeniably tender (their love and respect for each other) yet hilarious (the nervous energy they generate) about the two discovering sex and romantic love. Jessica Westfeldt proves to be a real rennaissance woman: likable, desirable, intelligent, and hysterically funny all at once. She captures every facet of her character's existence, so that we're watching a thinking breathing force onscreen. Similarly, Heather Juergenson brings a visceral energy and immediacy to her portrayal of the wily and sexually adventurous Helen. Because of their sensitive skilled portrayals, I grew to care about Helen and Jessica. I wanted them to be happy; whether it would be with each other, I wasn't sure.

Though essentially about women, the movie never sells its male characters short. Jessica's snarky yet more carnally attractive boss, Josh is a full-bodied, interesting character. I wanted him to be happy too. Not because he, or anyone in this movie, is an idealistically "good person," in the way that people in movies are, but because he seemed like a real individual with plausible desires. I identified with Josh as much as Jessica and Helen.

The movie as a whole measures up to its significant parts in a brilliant ending which has evoked, much to my surprise, controversy for its supposed offbeatness. This was the only logical, emotional, and spiritual way to end the movie, and I commend Jennifer Westfeldt and Heather Juergenson for never copping out in their script. In summation, it is rare to find a film this sharply entertaining with this much to say about something so vital as our identities and our sexualities. I genuinely loved Kissing Jessica Stein and would recommend it to anyone interested.

Kissing Jessica Stein really clicked with my own experiences experimenting with the possibility I might be a lesbian, and so I enjoyed that aspect very much. This movie is sweet, funny, romantic, and touching. In particular, the realistic way Jessica's struggles with her own thoughts on love and sex were really well played. I found myself liking each of the characters for their own unique qualities. This isn't a "lesbian movie" or a "heterosexuality is the only right way to be" movie as some propose, but rather a story of a woman trying to understand just what it is she wants out of life and love. I actually thought it remarkably brave for the writers to go the direction they did with the story--it was honest rather than political. I highly recommend it.