Kissing Jessica Stein

Kissing Jessica Stein is a low budget romantic comedy about a neurotic New York journalist who, after a series of bad dates, decides to answer a personal ad that catches her eye, the only problem is that it's in the "women seeking women" section----and she's straight.

Thankfully "Kissing Jessica Stein" was able to live up to its catchy concept, resulting in one of the best and most original romantic comedies I've seen in quite some time. It's sort of like a same sex version of "When Harry Met Sally," in fact you could even call it "When Sally Met Sally." Jennifer Westfeldt and Heather Juergensen, who star as Jessica and Helen, also wrote the wonderfully clever script. I must say these two real life best friends have a lot of talent, not only do they give two very natural and charming performances, but they also wrote this gem of a film. The character of Jessica could have been semi-annoying if she were played by anyone else, but Westfeldt gives Jessica the right amount of charm and cuteness to make us love her. Westfeldt, who is like a cross between Jennifer Aniston and Helent Hunt, and Juergensen, who is like a younger Janeane Garofalo, are definitely quite a find. They were able to take a controversial topic and create a light and fun film that can be enjoyed by almost anyone. Now that's not to say that it doesn't have its serious moments, one particular scene involving Jessica and her mother, Judy (Tovah Feldshuh), was quite touching. I loved how the simple line "I think she's a very nice girl" was able to make such an unbelievably huge impact.

I think anyone, male/female or gay/straight, will be able to relate to "Kissing Jessica Stein" in one way or another. It's not easy finding someone you can "click" with and it can seem hopeless sometimes, like you will never find "the one." So when you actually do find someone you "click" with, it's a great feeling. In "Kissing Jessica Stein" Jessica is shocked when her date with Helen ends up being one of the best dates she's ever been on. She finds herself confused because she has finally found someone she "clicks" with, except it's not a man, and she's not a lesbian. Jessica, not sure what to do, pursues a relationship with Helen. This leads to a number of funny moments with Jessica trying to be turned on by Helen and trying to find herself by experimenting, at one point she even breaks out the how-to books on lesbianism.

Another thing I really enjoyed about "Kissing Jessica Stein" was the music. I usually don't like Jazz but the songs went perfect with the film, especially the very fun and catchy "When The Special Girlfriend" by Ute Lemper.

Overall, I really appreciated the originality of this film. I hope the Academy remembers it come Oscar time because it deserves to at least be nominated, especially for "Best Original Screenplay," which it deserves to win. I also must say for such a small budget the film looked great, director Charles Herman-Wurmfeld did a top notch job. It had the feel of a Woody Allen movie, although it was better than any Woody Allen movie I've ever seen. It delivered everything it promised and more. I didn't even mind the ending, which a lot of people seem to have a problem with. At first I was disappointed when it started going in that direction because there's a spot where it could have ended perfectly (you'll see what I mean when you see it), but in the end I thought they pulled it off really well. It ended realistically and on a happy note. I can see why some people wouldn't like the ending, but for me it wasn't enough to keep "Kissing Jessica Stein" from being a classic romantic comedy.

Grade: 9/10 or A- or ****1/2 of *****