Rating: 
Summary: The best romantic comedy of 2002! Very witty & sweet!
Review: KISSING JESSICA STEIN (2002)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 *****
Rating: 
Summary: Worth renting, not buying
Review: I rented this movie with my friend. We both found it funny and were ready to rush out and buy it....then we finished the movie and were ready to bring it back to the video store that night. Its a cute movie, but I would recomend stoping the movie right about the time they walk back to the wedding (you will know the part when you see it) after that its all down hill. Up until before the wedding its about 4 stars, but the ending made me rate it 2 stars
Rating:
Summary: The Best Movie I have seen this year!
Review: This movie follows the lives of 2 young New York women as they fall in love. This movie is not just for Gay/Lesbians, in fact this movie is for everyone with an open mind and a warm heart. ...Jessica is a beautiful girl with a sweet nature (although rather fidgety and nervous) who's luck with men is horrible. Dates with men who's vocabulary rivals that of a 5th grader, and men who go above and beyond believing in going "Dutch" make the beginning of the movie something any single but dating woman could understand. So Jessica answers an ad..."It is not inertia alone..." and meets quirky and intelligent Helen. What follows is funny, sad, romantic, and heartwarming all at the same time. My favorite part is when Jessica's mother shows her kind heart... If you haven't seen this movie, you don't know what you are missing.
Rating: 
Summary: Great movie not so good ending
Review: I have seen this movie twice already and I love it but I still don't get why after taking so many risks to create a movie like this the ending is so rushed and "politically correct", it seems making this a Hollywood movie at the end took it's toll. For me it failed when Jessica says Helen wanted someone more gay while in reality she wanted someone more sexual.... it's not the same thing.
Rating:
Summary: spoiler ahead
Review: This was a pretty good movie, but it was not at all as advertised. It was labeled as romantic comedy. Comedy, yes. Romantic, no. It didn't have any good love scenes, and just when it seemed that everything was going really well, it ended with the couple breaking up with no hope of getting back together. What kind of romance is that?
Rating:
Summary: Kissing Jessica Stein
Review: This movie is terrific in every way. For starters it should not be advertised as a Gay & Lesbian film. It is a brilliant romantic comeny. Jessica Westfelt and Heather Jurgensten steal the show in every scene. Their performances are terrific and the supporting cast do a great job. The two girls wrote the movie themselves and it is perfect. The key behind a good movie is a good story and they have done it. The humour is halerious and it is an all around good and fun film. You can see the fun they had making this movie because it is reflected on the screen.
This is a good and funny film in every way. Because it didn't get as much exposure through advertising as other films because of the budget lots of people will miss out on the experience. It just goes to show, you don't need to have a huge budget or media attention (eg.StarWars or Spiderman) to have a great movie
Rating:
Summary: Charming Indie Film - Great New York Flavor
Review: This is a nice, light little film with a decent script, charming actors and actresses, and a New York Flavor thicker than the pastrami sandwiches at the Carnegie Deli. And oy, gevalt, it is so deliciously Jewish. The premise of the film is that a somewhat conservative ("vanilla", not "political") young professional woman has wiped out on bad dates with various New York men and decides to answer to a personal ad placed by a woman who shows (on advice of her gay friends) a literary bent. The friendship and romance are developed very believably, as are the reactions of friends and loved ones for both parties. This film does not talk down to the viewer, nor does it pander. It is a sweet, simple story. Although many screenwriting hacks say that a good story is driven by conflict and distopia, this film succeeds in telling a story where *everyone* is a decent person. How refreshing! Having said that, let's describe the DVD itself. The quality is good, the colors have not been tweaked to death. The features are what you expect - you can get subtitles, commentary, and deleted scenes. There's a lot of extra footage about "Grandma Esther", who is the granny of one of the people involved in the film. Its a nice little look into the fantasy I certainly have had - "What if someone threw me in front of a camera in a movie and shouted, 'ACTION!'" (Tovah Feldsuh gently instructs Grandma Esther - "Honey, wait 'till they say "action" and THEN you can talk.") The chatty commentary is interesting. One is the director and cameraman and they go on about sweeps, pans, angles, and other technical stuff. The other is the two women who wrote and starred in it. They go more into the story. Both commentaries agree that the film had a lot of kind benefactors who had the coolest apartments in New York City. I think commentary is the best thing about DVDs. I love hearing the people talking about all the folks who don't get a lot of recognition for their work in film - these folks acknowledged contributions from everyone from the catering truck to the production assistants who had to run out and buy juice for a prop to a neighborhood cat who just happened to sit itself down right in the middle of a fruit stand to grab some screentime.
Rating:
Summary: Finally, a good lesbian film... :o)
Review: Not to be rude, but I haven't seen as good a lesbian movie as this one. Gay movies have had a leap forward ever since Queer as Folk, and I find it very satisfying to see the same happening in the lesbian side of the spectrum. This movie was very funny, the characters were lovable (especially Jessica's impertinent grandmother) and the story interesting, despite some not-so-believable situations. Do yourself a favor and see it. It's well worth watching. NOTE: The DVD version of the movie has some very funny deleted scenes.
Rating:
Summary: making statements about making statements
Review: Ever seen GI Jane? When she tells the comander that she isn't there to make a statment and he says "If you were just like everyone else I suspect we wouldn't be making statements about making statements"?? Well this DVD is a bit like that. In the comentary the women who plays Jessica talks about not trying to make statements about being lesbian or straight. This movie made me angry. Not because I'm so close minded that I can't handle people experimenting but because this movie was advertised as a lesbian film. It is not a lesbian romace. It is a movie about a straight women who experiments with a bisexual women. The focus is on Jessica and who she ends up with and not on Helen. I recomend this movie for straight couples or women as a "chick flick." However I do not recomend it to lesbians. It is not the same sex romance it appears to be.
Rating:
Summary: Caustic Good Humor Fun and simply wonderful!
Review: The writing, the acting, make this a wonderful treasure of a film...Love and attraction should be gender blind...this movie teaches a universal lesson without being preachy or polictically correct...many scenes are unforgettable..(especially emotional and touching is the scene on the porch with Jessica and her mother, beautifully acted by Tovah Feldush) plus you'll enjoy the scene stealing acting of Jessica's married co-worker upon Jessica's "coming out" This is a must see...a great film ..go out and see your big fat greek wedding BUT come home and kiss Jessica Stein!!
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