Jennifer Westfeldt broke out as the star and co-writer of the winning comedy Kissing Jessica Stein back in 2001, kicked around in TV before and after writing Ira & Abby in 2006, then hit casting gold with her directorial debut Friends With Kids, which features no less than four actors from Bridesmaids: Jon Hamm and Kristen Wiig as a cavalier, sex-fiend couple and Maya Rudolph and Chris O’Dowd as a settled, saddled couple. Westfeldt, who also wrote, plays Julie, and Adam Scott (Parks and Recreation) is her BFF Jason. Single and aging, they decide to have a child together, platonically. What could go wrong? Westfeldt the writer-director blends the disparate tones—dirty, sweet, funny and flailing—into a largely compelling, wholly watchable modern movie, while Westfeldt the actor gamely carries its heavy centre, aided by a terrific ensemble, and yes, that includes Megan Fox.
This article appears in Mar 1-7, 2012.