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Kissing Jessica Stein

In "Kissing Jessica Stein," girl meets countless guys, girl goes out on dates with said guys, girl thinks said guys are nothing but disgusting pigs, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. But instead of pining for that one moment where she meets the perfect mate of the opposite sex, girl answers ad in paper from bi-curious girl, girl meets girl, girl likes girl but isn't sure if girl is the way to go because girl (our girl, in case you've lost your way) has never done anything like this before. ***

If you think reading the above paragraph was a tongue twister, try watching the movie. This is one of those rare pieces that takes us on a life-changing journey with its main characters, and here's the kicker: we actually see, feel, experience, and understand the changes they go through. Granted, the movie does tend to throw in one too many plot developments in the end, but in terms of conveying the hackneyed, complicated, disarrayed version of life that we never actually see within the Hollywood gloss, this one got it right. ***

The film stars Jennifer Westfeldt as the title character, who in her late twenties has begun to experience feelings of loneliness and repression from countless dates with losers who do everything from sticking her with half the bill to pouring out endless come-ons without the common courtesy of subtlety. Her mother, played with terrific comic warmth by Tovah Feldshuh, is that everpresent force in her daughter's life that cries out, "Get married already!" She even sees fit to argue with her own mother in the middle of a Day of Atonement service over which man in the congregation is right for Jessica. ***

On the opposite side of the spectrum is Helen (Heather Juergensen), the assistant director of one of New York's many art galleries who, of course, is swathed with gay best friends and a passion for all things passionate, sensual, sexual, and enlightening. One day she realizes, "There's one thing I still haven't tried;" after finding the killer quote, she places an ad in the personals for a female love interest. As fate would have it, this quote happens to be one of life's most meaningful for our Jessica, who sees the ad, responds to it, tries to chicken out, and ultimately ends up developing a friendship with Helen. ***

It's your typical setup for a romantic comedy, though as things develop further, they become more complex and heartfelt. Actresses Westfeldt and Juergensen, the writers of the movie's screenplay, have fashioned their characters in ways that so many movies of this genre are afraid to exercise. There are the standards issues associated with any gay romance movie that come into play: Helen is put off by Jessica's unwillingness to be more open with her family about their relationship, Jessica wishing that Helen would just allow her time. Then there's the whole coming out issue, but upon thinking about it, I didn't really view the movie as a coming out piece. It's more a story of two people finding out things about themselves they never knew, and dealing with these newcoming aspects of their lives as best they can without losing it completely. ***

It helps that the writers play their characters here: they already know the nuances of the people they've created, so it makes their resonance that much more lasting. Juergensen's performance is very down-to-earth and involving, and she fills her character with great conviction and zest for life. Westfeldt, quite a mousy little girl, actually, makes such an endearing onscreen appearance every time she steps into frame that I'm instantly reminded of the brilliance of Renee Zellweger's performance in last year's "Bridget Jones's Diary." Together, the two make an unbeatable screen couple, one of the most smashing gay pairs to hit celluloid in ages. ***

Above all else, I admire the way in which "Kissing Jessica Stein" strays from the fantasy world of so many romantic comedies. Yes, the movie is cliched, routine, and derivative in more than one instance, and the ending throws us for a loop we weren't quite expecting, but it maintains the semblance of realistic events. The emotional awakenings and reawakenings of its characters could easily take place in our own real world, and Westfeldt and Juergensen are careful to keep us aware of this. The humor is delightful, the emotional instances moving, the self-realization heartfelt and convincing, and the overall experience ranks as one of the best the genre has put forth in years.

Of great value are the extensive deleted scenes and outtakes, which make up a large portion of the supplemental material, and many of which Juergensen and Westfeldt make reference to in their commentary for the movie. Incidentally, they also happen to provide commentary for the cut material, which features scenes like the original ending, the various outtakes and snippets of the blind dates scenarios, outtakes of the grandmother character, and various others. These are some of the better deleted scenes available on DVD today: they fit right in with the material, they're just as entertaining as the movie itself, and get this: you can actually see the image and hear the sound! ***

The making-of featurette is an okay additive, with interviews from Westfeldt and Juergensen talking more about the movie and its characters, its emotional and social layers, and its journey from stage to screen. It only lasts for little more than five or six minutes, but the two women talk so passionately about the movie that it's not a complete loss. Then there is the film's original theatrical trailer, rounding out a very likeable gathering of special features that make this a worthy addition for any fan's collection.

The first commentary is with director Charles Herman-Wurmfeld and cinematographer Lawrence Sher. Theirs is basically a technical discussion of the movie, breaking it down according to location shooting, the different types of cameras used including handheld in many cases involving real apartments in place of sets, all the while throwing in their own small touches and comments when interesting scenes arrive. It's especially interesting to learn that much of the movie is filmed on location: no wonder this movie feels more realistic than many others of its kind. ***

The second commentary features co-writers, co-producers, and co-stars Heather Juergensen and Jennifer Westfeldt talking about some technical aspects of the production as well as their own personal experiences in writing, producing, and starring in the movie. While theirs is overall the more interesting commentary in terms of backstory on how the movie got its start as a play and its later evolution, their discussion does tend to overlap with that of Wurmfeld and Sher. The beginning of each track features some talk of the apartment location filming, and other instances will be recognizable in both tracks. Nonetheless, they are all engaging.