Friends with Kids is a textbook example of the good ole bait and switch. Trailers,
one-sheets, and other marketing materials feed the consumer with a steady diet
of Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, John Hamm, and Chris O’Dowd. The goal clearly is to create an association
between this film and the quartet’s last project together - Bridesmaids. In doing so your expectations align to that
film experience – the laugh out loud humor, the witty repartee, and just the
right amount of sentimentality. However, in reality you are getting something
completely different with this movie. Instead
of the aforementioned four, you are getting Adam Scott and Jennifer Westfeldt
weaving their way towards parenthood in a overly contrived plot that tries to
take aim at the conventions of parenthood and relationships. Instead of
humor, you get soapbox preaching. In lieu of charm, you get drab.
The film provides us two protagonists who believe
the traditional concepts and conventions of parenthood are silly and frivolous
after watching the mundane lives of their friends and so they decide to
platonically have a baby together. Even as you are reading that last
sentence I would venture a guess that you have already figured out how this movie will
end for our two protagonists. The problem then is that before
we - the viewers - can get to that incredibly telegraphed conclusion, you must
first endure the plot.
If the movie had only one
message to disseminate and if it were actually a useful one, then there might
have been value in the almost two hours I spent watching it. But sadly the
plot takes off in so many directions and tries to address so many different
relationship issues that it all gets lost in a morass of social angst. What
truly exasperates things is that by the third act, you realize that there are
no real answers to be had, no anecdote that makes all the onscreen drama make
sense. Like a dog, the plot seems to be
chasing its own tail in one big circle.
The cast in this movie does very little to acquit itself or the film. Jennifer Westfedlt
and Adam Scott star in this movie but in all honesty are not
suitable-for-primetime-players. Their
best work clearly is as bit parts.
That the duo is supported by a group of very successful actors makes
their lack of star panache more glaring. As for the aforementioned supporting cast, the four Bridesmaids alums are sadly underutilized and appear
void of the dynamic qualities that define each of their respective
talents. It’s not so much that they are not trying but more that their respective characters are one-dimensional. Everything they do feels so bland and muted.
I am going to be honest and disclose that this
movie put me to sleep for about 10 minutes between the first and second acts.
That alone makes this movie no better than a C- though even that grade
may be a bit generous. I don't think the
movie is an abomination or anything to that extent but it is inconsequential and sterile with no one good redeeming quality. I would be hard
pressed to recommend this film even if it were on network TV, because it is just
not entertaining. If these kinds of movies really are your cup of tea, then I would recommend you keep an eye out
for This is 40 starring Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann. Hopefully director
Judd Apatow can stem the tide of his Sandler-like descent into mediocrity.
Standout Performance: Megan Fox. She may not be able to act, but she is carving out a little bit of a niche channeling her real-life persona
into some smaller roles.
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