Friends With Kids

Like the female Woody Allen crossed with Edward Burns, Jennifer Westfeldt is a filmmaker that smartly looks at relationships and their many idiosyncrasies and allows us to laugh and relate to them. Granted, in her new film "Friends with Kids," the characters tend to be upper-middle class white people with their "horrible" problems (like a $50 cab ride from NYC to Brooklyn that they take anyway). But still, the issues are real and she picks them apart with aplomb.

Womanizer Jason (Adam Scott from "Parks and Recreation") and hopeless serial dater Julie (Westfeldt) are long-time best friends who have been watching their friends couple up and then have kids. This change in their dynamic is disconcerting to them especially when they see what having a kid does to their relationships. After a particularly annoying night watching their friends argue passive/aggressively (and not so passively), they figure out a way for it to be done better.

Rather than starting as a couple, having a kid, then watching the relationship fall apart, they decide to do it the opposite way. They feel if they have a kid together, they can begin to raise the child and then get into a separate relationship where the kid is already a part of the dynamic. This solves the problem of having the relationship change in the future. This is the way to beat the system.

After an awkward night of conceiving the "old-fashioned way," Julie becomes pregnant and they announce to their friends what they've done. Their friends feign excitement, but in actuality they all think it's a terrible idea. Mostly, it seems they are jealous. Once baby Joe arrives, all does seem well. In fact, the two live in the same building so sharing custody is a breeze. Everything goes so swimmingly, that their friends are a bit annoyed at how easy it's been.

Soon enough, Jason meets Mary Jane (Megan Fox) a Broadway dancer who is exactly what he's been seeking (read: hot). But because they also have a lot in common, he quickly falls for her. Meanwhile, Julie meets Kurt (Edward Burns) who is divorced, has two kids of his own, and is the kindest man she's ever met. Everything is perfect, right?

Not so much. The jealousy of their friends at not only the ease of their child rearing, but also of their relationships, causes rifts. Ben (Jon Hamm, incidentally married to Westfeldt) is so incensed that he and Jason have harsh words over a New Years Eve dinner. His marriage to his wife Missy (Kristen Wiig) shows signs of trouble, and their friends Leslie (Maya Rudolph) and Alex (Chris Dowd "Bridesmaids") have a marriage that teeters on the brink of possible chaos.

And while everyone around them is falling apart, Julie realizes that her arrangement might not be exactly what she had dreamed. Maybe she isn't being honest with herself about her feelings.

It's best not to give too much away as the film takes a few dips into unexpected territory and it's always nice to go on the journey with the characters as they flounder, struggle, and triumph. Westfeldt is a master at dialogue and the first half of the film is truly one of the most human, funniest comedies in years. It takes a turn for more serious waters in the second half, but Westfeldt's dialogue is still rich and incisive. There are a few plot points - pretty big ones in fact - with which I'm not sure I was totally on board. Without giving anything away, I almost felt like the roles should have been reversed in what becomes the film's primary obstacle. Nonetheless, Scott and Westfeldt's performances still make this possible misstep engaging and I'll admit to tearing up a few times as the two charter their feelings about their situation.

The supporting cast is game, but not on screen as much as expected. Wiig tones down her hilarity in order to give a touching portrayal of a woman whose marriage is crumbling. It's such a thrill to see this talented comedienne prove that she is more talented than just making us laugh. Hamm plays such a jerk it's hard to watch him on screen. O'Dowd fills the charm shoes he previously played in "Bridesmaids" and Rudolph solidifies that she, too, can play comedy or drama equally. Fox is a surprise as she is more engaging that would be expected from a woman that catapulted to stardom by running away from giant alien robots; but here she shows that she can do more than pose and look pretty.

With a terrific cast and a sharp script, "Friends with Kids" is an appealing old-fashioned indie that will make you laugh at the characters' state of affairs and root for them to succeed. It gets a little sad from time to time, but that just makes it a rich exploration of the map of the human heart.