Kissing Jessica Stein

Released 2001
Stars Jennifer Westfeldt, Heather Juergensen, Scott Cohen, Tovah Feldshuh, Jackie Hoffman
Directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld

Kissing Jessica Stein is a fun romantic comedy about two straight women who stray into carpet-munching land. That's right, they've had enough of men, so they decide to switch teams. The movie opens with some glimpses into each gal's recent dating history, which helps us see why they want to do this. First, there's repressed, neurotic Jessica (Jennifer Westfeldt), who's an editor for a New York paper. Think Lisa Kudrow playing Woody Allen, and you'll have a good impression. Then there's Helen (Heather Juergensen), who's a sexually free assistant director of an art gallery.

The film is shot in New York City, and it's breathtakingly beautiful. I don't believe for a minute that these gals could afford to live in these apartments and taxi all over the city doing the things they do, but it's gorgeous to watch. This is the first movie I've seen that shows New York's new skyline. It was filmed before 9/11, but I guess they removed the World Trace Center buildings from all shots. That's a little odd, but it would have probably been too distracting and depressing to leave them in. It's a little distracting to have so many shots of the new skyline, but the tone is so innocent it's actually uplifting. Visually, this film is a love poem to New York.

Summary by Bill Alward, October 5, 2002

Click here for the full review: Kissing Jessica Stein