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Kissing Jessica Stein

Threat advisory: Elevated - Significant risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

When it comes to love, sometimes she just can't think straight!

Jessica Stein (Jennifer Westfeldt) - a sensitive but neurotic New York journalist - is at the end of her emotional rope. Her brother's engaged, her best friend's pregnant, she hasn't dated in a year and she can't sleep.

After an optimistic but nightmarish dating spree, she happens upon an intriguing personal ad, whose only drawback is that it's in the "women seeking women" section. On a daring whim, she decides to answer it. She meets funky downtown hipster Helen Cooper (Heather Juergensen) for drinks and, to her surprise, they click instantly. Their evening of banter, connection and heated debate culminates in a kiss that confounds and intrigues even the reluctant Jessica.

Persons of interest

Jennifer Westfeldt .... Jessica Stein
Heather Juergensen .... Helen Cooper
David Aaron Barker .... Dan Stein
Tovah Feldshuh .... Judy Stein
Jackie Hoffman .... Joan
Michael Mastro .... Martin
Carson Elrod .... Sebastian
Ilana Levine .... Laurie
Ben Weber .... Larry
Scott Cohen .... Josh Meyers
Jennifer Westfeldt .... Screenwriter
Heather Juergensen .... Screenwriter
Charles Herman-Wurmfeld .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

Awards and film festivals:

Deauville Festival of American Film Film Festival 2002: Screening
Independent Spirit Awards 2001: Won: Special jury prize - Best writing and acting, Audience award - Best film
Miami Film Festival 2002: Audience award

Studios and distributors:

20th Century Fox

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

Friends: The one with the lesbians.

Jennifer Westfeldt is a combination of Rachael and Phoebe while Heather Juergensen is Monica. Scott Cohen (the boy romantic interest) is Ross and Chandler while Michael Mastro and Carson Elrod (the funny gay couple) are Joey. That said, Kissing Jessica Stein is just as funny as any episode of Friends, with a lot more drama besides. Deciding to stop pretending that your are straight is a lot scarier than deciding to stop pretending that you don't love the babe across the hall of your apartment building.

What Kissing Jessica Stein does for lipstick lesbians is ignore the politics and go straight for the entertainment. Many filmmakers are inspired to create by their need to influence the laws which restrict their lives: it's a means to an end. This film ignores that (for the most part; just making a film with non-heterosexual characters is political) and concentrates on the two women as characters in the play of their own lives. You end up with an often hilarious warts and all portrait of the therapy addicted twentysomething New York female, right down to the Prada.

For the guys, there is some lip-locking between the two girls (hubba, hubba) and lots of intimacy but no nudie bits but you still might be able to convince your girlfriend that she should get it on with another chick so that you can watch. Just make sure that she doesn't ask you to make it with another guy, equality only goes so far.