Heart-warming

Having heard nothing about this film prior to watching it, my first impression was based on the title alone. Just what the world needs, another cross between What to Expect When You’re Expecting and Friends with Benefits, my initial thought … ‘I would rather die a slow painful death’ than sit through Friends With Kids.

I was surprisingly mistaken. First-time director and star of the film Jennifer Westfeldt gives the audience a cliché, but heartfelt comedy convincing the viewers that sometimes love intends to break hearts, not warm them.

Lifelong best friends Julie (Westfeldt) and Jason (Scott), both in their thirties and living in Manhattan, are a snug fit, but the only problem is, they just don’t fancy each other.

When their circle of friends, hot-for-each-other couple Ben (Jon Hamm) and Missy (Kristen Wiig) and the bohemian couple Leslie (Rudolph) and Alex (Chris O’Dowd), start having children and transform into mean, stressed-out parents, Julie and Jason also ponder having a baby together, while still seeking their life partners elsewhere.

Alex and Leslie exile themselves to Brooklyn and try to cope with raising two children and Ben and Missy turn into alcoholics who pretty much hate each other. The tension isn’t missed but Julie and Jason still decide to enter the baby brawl, sharing custody and being ‘100 per cent committed, half of the time.’

Skip nine months later and baby Joe is born. Jason begins to fall for Mary-Jane (Megan Fox), a dancer on Broadway, and Julie finds pleasure in Kurt (Edward Burns), a divorced father-of-two. Everything seems to be perfect. That is, until Julie starts to have feelings for Jason. And as with every ‘rom-com’, you see where this is going.

Friends With Kids is funny, witty and fantastically foul-mouthed and almost acts like a sequel to Bridesmaids, using a similar cast. It is definitely one to watch for first time parents, giving three different perspectives on family life.

The gifted ensemble of friends in this story is what provides the film with real heart-warming moments. O’Dowd, Rudolph, Hamm and Wiig are given enough scenes throughout to provide an outstanding balance between vulgar humour and uncomfortable, genuine emotion.

Although the movie runs 20 minutes too long in my opinion and still manages to rush to its climax, it somehow manages to captivate the audience with themes of family, love and raising a child with a refreshingly honest script.

Having said that, casting Scott as the ladies man, who was able to get the stunning Megan Fox to fall in love with him, was a poor decision as I couldn’t help but wonder why anyone would cast someone so geeky-looking to act as a player. However, as a comedian, he surprised me with his versatility, as his blunt humour was not outshined by his realistic portrayal of a father and friend.

In addition, the stress of writing, directing and acting in the film must have taken its toll on Wesfeldt, because her performance was disappointingly weak and I was rooting for Scott to be the better parent.

Friends With Kids may not focus entirely on parenting but Westfeldt delivers a novel approach on why nobody, even when you think it’s possible, can ‘beat the system’ of having a child without the hassle of a love-filled relationship.

*Showing in Cineco and Seef II