Friends with Kids (2011)

Two best friends decide to have a child together while keeping their relationship platonic, so they can avoid the toll kids can take on romantic relationships.

Director:

Jennifer Westfeldt

Writer:

Jennifer Westfeldt

Stars:

Jennifer Westfeldt, Adam Scott, Maya Rudolph

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Adam Scott	...	Jason Fryman
Jennifer Westfeldt	...	Julie Keller
Maya Rudolph	...	Leslie
Chris O'Dowd	...	Alex
Kristen Wiig	...	Missy
Jon Hamm	...	Ben
Loulou Sloss	...	Girl Acting Up in Restaurant
Katie Foster	...	Girl in Office / Jule's Assistant
Robert Halpern	...	Cole
Daniel Halpern	...	Cole
Rekha Luther	...	Life Coach / Jason's Date
Peter K. Hirsch	...	Doctor in Delivery Room
Lee Bryant	...	Elaine Keller
Kelly Bishop	...	Marcy Fryman
Cotter Smith	...	Phil Fryman

Storyline

Julie and Jason have been best friends for years with no romantic interest in each other. He sleeps with someone new every few days, and she's looking for Mr. Right. Now in their thirties, they notice that their friends seem to lose all their good qualities when they have children - child rearing and the spark of Eros don't seem to co-exist. So, they decide to have a child together, share in child rearing, but pursue their own romantic lives. Things go well until he meets Mary Jane and she meets Kurt. Both seem like perfect mates. What could go wrong?

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Plot Keywords:

f rated | cabin | life coach | friend | children | 

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Taglines:

Family doesn't always go according to plan.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content and language

Did You Know?

Trivia

The opening sequence that starts with a shot of the book The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins on Jason Fryman's (Adam Scott) nightstand was intended to end with a shot of the late Christopher Hitchens book on Julie Keller's (Jennifer Westfeldt) nightstand. A dilemma followed over whether the shot of Hitchen's book should stay in the film given the author's recent death. The shot of Hitchen's book was ultimately dropped due to time.

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Goofs

When Jason describes his girlfriend Mary Jane to Julie and insists that she should meet her, while leaving the house Julie's white scarf is tied in one scene and untied in the next scene.

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Quotes

Jason Fryman: Ah, she'll be fine. She's gotta great
[looks under the comforter]
Jason Fryman: sense of humour.
Julie Keller: You're such an asshole.
Jason Fryman: I know.

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Connections

Referenced in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #20.118 (2012)

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Soundtracks

M-O-M
Performed by Tim Hockenberry
Written by Joe Lervold (as Joel Evans) and Johnny Elkins
Courtesy of Crucial Music Corporation

User Reviews

Relentlessly annoying

While I understand the lead/writer/director/producer has been in a 15 year relationship with Jon Hamm, it's pretty obvious she doesn't have kids or know anyone who does or has ever come across any. The "kids" which supposedly form the foundation of the plot, that having kids wrecks your marriage, are nearly non existent except when these urban super-couples are seemingly having meltdowns and the 'kids' are in Defcon 3 tantrum mode. Color me cynical but the reason that marriages with kids fail isn't because of the kids, in fact that old saw 'we stayed together for the children' is often sadly more true than not.

Be that as it may. My main objection is the dialog. The lead never shuts up, literally never. Not for a second. She talks like a meth'd up high school cheerleader the entire time. And there are whole scenes, where EVERY single character in the scene is yammering like crack monkeys nonstop at each other simultaneously. Except when Adam Scott is launching into a snarky monologue about how cool it is to be as cool as him.

I would have given it 3 stars but +1 for finally putting Meagan Fox in a role where the character is as functionally retarded as she is in real life and doesn't pull any punches. Most of the characters are supposed to be in their mid 30's they act 20 and they make fun of young 20-something Meagan for acting 14. The only character who plays to type is the little kid, who in less than a year grows from birth to age 5 but supposedly is 2 and acts it. If there's a sequel he'll be graduating Colombia Law.

Details

Official Sites:

Lionsgate [United States] Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 March 2012 (USA)

Also Known As:

Friends with Kids

Filming Locations:

Mt. Peter, Warwick, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$10,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,019,083, 11 March 2012

Gross USA:

$7,251,073

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$13,041,254

Company Credits

Production Co:

Red Granite Pictures, Points West Pictures, Locomotive

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1