KISSING JESSICA STEIN
Year: 2001
Country:
United States
Run Time:
97 minutes
Actors/playwrights Heather Jeurgensen and Jennifer Westfeldt bring their own off-Broadway stage production to the screen in an effervescent comedy about crossing over ? and we don't mean that bogus TV show with the alleged spirit medium. Jessica Stein is a lonely New Yorker whose avocation to paint goes unrecognized in her job at a busy publishing firm, just as it was by an unsatisfying string of ex-boyfriends. Finally Jessica resorts to scanning the lonely-hearts ads in the newspaper for a kindred spirit, and she reads a listing that touches her soul with its Rilke-quoting poetry. The only problem is that the notice was placed not by a Sensitive Guy but by a female, in the Women Seeking-Women section. Nonetheless, after a moment of hesitation, Jessica decides to respond and winds up making a rendezvous with an art dealer named Helen Cooper, who is also experimenting with cross-gender dating. The pair click instantly, discovering they have much in common. In spite of Jessica's mother's apprehension and derogatory comments from friends, Jessica and Helen waver on the palette's-knife-edge between sisterly affection and genuine romance, self-consciously going about an ambiguous bonding routine that may be a lesbian courtship, if only they would both recognize it as such. Finally, on the occasion of Jessica's brother's wedding, our heroine decides it's time to introduce Helen to the family ? and make a decision over just what Helen means to her.
Screenplay
Heather Juergensen, Jennifer Westfeldt (based on their play, ?Lipschtick
Director
Charles Herman-Wurmfeld
Producer
Eden Wurmfeld, Brad Zions
Cinematography
Lawrence Sher
Editing
Kristy Jacobs Maslin, Gregory Tillman
Principal Cast
Jennifer Westfeldt, Heather Juergensen, Scott Cohen, Tovah Feldshuh, Jackie Hoffman
Fox Searchlight Pictures
10201 W. Pico Blvd., Building 38
Los Angeles
California
90064
USA
Tel: (310) 369 2942
Fax: (310) 969 0257
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