Kissing Jessica Stein
Encyclopedia
Kissing Jessica Stein is a 2001 independent
romantic comedy film
, written and co-produced by the film's stars, Jennifer Westfeldt
and Heather Juergensen
. The film also stars Tovah Feldshuh
and is directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld
. The film is based on a scene from the 1997 off-Broadway
play by Westfeldt and Juergensen called Lipschtick.
), a Jewish
copyeditor living and working in New York City, is plagued by failed blind dates with men, and decides to answer a newspaper's personal advertisement
containing a quote from Rilke
that she had read and admired earlier. The advertisement has been placed by Helen Cooper (Heather Juergensen
), a thirtysomething art gallerist
bisexual who is seeking a lesbian relationship to replace her unsatisfying and meaningless sex with men.
Given some of the men Jessica is shown to be test-dating at the start of the film, ranging from borderline gay
to nerd
, some would probably say that it's no surprise she'd want to fan out her prospects a little. As nervous as Jessica is about dating Helen, she realizes after a surprise kiss that even a different experience can be good. Through the early part of their relationship, Jessica finds in Helen everything she'd dreamed of finding in a man. They are compatible, they like many of the same things, and they are caring for one another. Even when Helen gets sick—which she says earlier in the film never happens to her—Jessica is there to care for her.
The only predicament for the relationship is Jessica's nervousness concerning same-sex intimacy. Over the early weeks of their relationship, she and Helen slowly work on building up her confidence in this area by gradually extended make-out sessions. Eventually, they graduate to full intimacy, which is initiated by Jessica during an over night stay at her parents' home in Scarsdale. In spite of Jessica's happiness with Helen, she keeps the relationship secret. Jessica's secrecy means that she has to endure scenes that would not happen had she been open about the two of them. One example occurs during a dinner to celebrate her brother's engagement. Her mother (Tovah Feldshuh
) had invited an IBM
executive in hopes of setting him up with Jessica.
Helen and Jessica later get into a quarrel about Jessica's refusal to inform her family of their relationship, resulting in an apparent breakup. It isn't until later, as her brother's wedding approaches, that her mother figures out that they are dating. Her mother reminds Jessica of when she was little and had been given the lead in the school play, but after the first rehearsal, Jessica had deemed her co-star not to be up to the task. She quit the play because she thought the play wouldn't be "the best ever." Her mother says that she worries about Jessica having this attitude towards life, and that sometimes she thinks back to that night and thinks that if Jessica went on, maybe it wouldn't have been the best, but it might have been pretty good—and who knows, maybe it would have been the best ever. She then tells Jessica that she thinks Helen "is a very nice girl."
This acceptance on her mother's part gives Jessica the confidence to come out in the open with her relationship with Helen, and invites her as her guest to her brother's wedding. Helen becomes an immediate curiosity of the other women at the reception. It is there that Jessica gets a kiss, this one from ex-beau and current boss Josh (Scott Cohen), who confesses that recently she has been the object of his fascination. Jessica and Helen move in together, but their relationship, while good in most respects, begins to suffer from a lack of frequent sexual intimacy. It becomes clear that Jessica loves Helen as a friend, and not a lover. The relationship ends amidst Jessica's tears and Helen's realization that she wants more than Jessica is willing to offer. After moving beyond the heartbreak, Jessica and Helen remain best friends, and Jessica starts to show renewed interest in Josh at the end of the film, after both have left the newspaper where they both previously worked.
on April 21, 2001, receiving the Audience Award for Best Feature Film and a Critics Special Jury Award.
The film was next shown at the Toronto International Film Festival
, with screenings scheduled the day before and the day after the 9/11 attacks
.
According to the DVD commentary track by Westfeldt and Juergensen, both screenings took place, with the second screening on September 12th producing audible gasps among audience members at the sight of the World Trade Center
. The two filmmakers decided to eliminate the nine or ten scenes featuring the Twin Towers because they weren't integral to the story, and served to distract from it because of the attacks.
, which tracks the portrayal of lesbian and bisexual women in the media, reviewed the film positively. Rotten Tomatoes
carries an 84% 'fresh' rating.
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
, written and co-produced by the film's stars, Jennifer Westfeldt
Jennifer Westfeldt
Jennifer Westfeldt is an American actress and screenwriter known for the hit 2001 independent film Kissing Jessica Stein, which she co-wrote with Heather Juergensen and in which the two women starred.- Early life :...
and Heather Juergensen
Heather Juergensen
Heather Julia Juergensen is an American actress and writer.-Life and career:Juergensen was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1987. Soon after, she began writing and performing for the stage in both New York and Los Angeles...
. The film also stars Tovah Feldshuh
Tovah Feldshuh
Tovah Feldshuh is an American actress, singer and playwright.-Early life:Terri Sue Feldshuh was born to a Jewish family in New York City, the daughter of Lillian and Sidney Feldshuh, who was a lawyer. She was raised in Scarsdale, New York, an affluent community in Westchester County and graduated...
and is directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld
Charles Herman-Wurmfeld
Charles Herman-Wurmfeld is an American film director.- External links :...
. The film is based on a scene from the 1997 off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
play by Westfeldt and Juergensen called Lipschtick.
Plot
Twenty-eight-year-old Jessica Stein (Jennifer WestfeldtJennifer Westfeldt
Jennifer Westfeldt is an American actress and screenwriter known for the hit 2001 independent film Kissing Jessica Stein, which she co-wrote with Heather Juergensen and in which the two women starred.- Early life :...
), a Jewish
American Jews
American Jews, also known as Jewish Americans, are American citizens of the Jewish faith or Jewish ethnicity. The Jewish community in the United States is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their U.S.-born descendants...
copyeditor living and working in New York City, is plagued by failed blind dates with men, and decides to answer a newspaper's personal advertisement
Personal advertisement
A personal or personal ad is an item or notice traditionally in the newspaper, similar to a classified ad but in nature. In British English it is also commonly known as an advert in a lonely hearts column. With its rise in popularity, the World Wide Web has also become a common medium for...
containing a quote from Rilke
Rainer Maria Rilke
René Karl Wilhelm Johann Josef Maria Rilke , better known as Rainer Maria Rilke, was a Bohemian–Austrian poet. He is considered one of the most significant poets in the German language...
that she had read and admired earlier. The advertisement has been placed by Helen Cooper (Heather Juergensen
Heather Juergensen
Heather Julia Juergensen is an American actress and writer.-Life and career:Juergensen was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1987. Soon after, she began writing and performing for the stage in both New York and Los Angeles...
), a thirtysomething art gallerist
Art gallery
An art gallery or art museum is a building or space for the exhibition of art, usually visual art.Museums can be public or private, but what distinguishes a museum is the ownership of a collection...
bisexual who is seeking a lesbian relationship to replace her unsatisfying and meaningless sex with men.
Given some of the men Jessica is shown to be test-dating at the start of the film, ranging from borderline gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
to nerd
Nerd
Nerd is a derogatory slang term for an intelligent but socially awkward and obsessive person who spends time on unpopular or obscure pursuits, to the exclusion of more mainstream activities. Nerds are considered to be awkward, shy, and unattractive...
, some would probably say that it's no surprise she'd want to fan out her prospects a little. As nervous as Jessica is about dating Helen, she realizes after a surprise kiss that even a different experience can be good. Through the early part of their relationship, Jessica finds in Helen everything she'd dreamed of finding in a man. They are compatible, they like many of the same things, and they are caring for one another. Even when Helen gets sick—which she says earlier in the film never happens to her—Jessica is there to care for her.
The only predicament for the relationship is Jessica's nervousness concerning same-sex intimacy. Over the early weeks of their relationship, she and Helen slowly work on building up her confidence in this area by gradually extended make-out sessions. Eventually, they graduate to full intimacy, which is initiated by Jessica during an over night stay at her parents' home in Scarsdale. In spite of Jessica's happiness with Helen, she keeps the relationship secret. Jessica's secrecy means that she has to endure scenes that would not happen had she been open about the two of them. One example occurs during a dinner to celebrate her brother's engagement. Her mother (Tovah Feldshuh
Tovah Feldshuh
Tovah Feldshuh is an American actress, singer and playwright.-Early life:Terri Sue Feldshuh was born to a Jewish family in New York City, the daughter of Lillian and Sidney Feldshuh, who was a lawyer. She was raised in Scarsdale, New York, an affluent community in Westchester County and graduated...
) had invited an IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
executive in hopes of setting him up with Jessica.
Helen and Jessica later get into a quarrel about Jessica's refusal to inform her family of their relationship, resulting in an apparent breakup. It isn't until later, as her brother's wedding approaches, that her mother figures out that they are dating. Her mother reminds Jessica of when she was little and had been given the lead in the school play, but after the first rehearsal, Jessica had deemed her co-star not to be up to the task. She quit the play because she thought the play wouldn't be "the best ever." Her mother says that she worries about Jessica having this attitude towards life, and that sometimes she thinks back to that night and thinks that if Jessica went on, maybe it wouldn't have been the best, but it might have been pretty good—and who knows, maybe it would have been the best ever. She then tells Jessica that she thinks Helen "is a very nice girl."
This acceptance on her mother's part gives Jessica the confidence to come out in the open with her relationship with Helen, and invites her as her guest to her brother's wedding. Helen becomes an immediate curiosity of the other women at the reception. It is there that Jessica gets a kiss, this one from ex-beau and current boss Josh (Scott Cohen), who confesses that recently she has been the object of his fascination. Jessica and Helen move in together, but their relationship, while good in most respects, begins to suffer from a lack of frequent sexual intimacy. It becomes clear that Jessica loves Helen as a friend, and not a lover. The relationship ends amidst Jessica's tears and Helen's realization that she wants more than Jessica is willing to offer. After moving beyond the heartbreak, Jessica and Helen remain best friends, and Jessica starts to show renewed interest in Josh at the end of the film, after both have left the newspaper where they both previously worked.
Cast
- Jennifer WestfeldtJennifer WestfeldtJennifer Westfeldt is an American actress and screenwriter known for the hit 2001 independent film Kissing Jessica Stein, which she co-wrote with Heather Juergensen and in which the two women starred.- Early life :...
as Jessica Stein - Heather JuergensenHeather JuergensenHeather Julia Juergensen is an American actress and writer.-Life and career:Juergensen was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She graduated from Stuyvesant High School in 1987. Soon after, she began writing and performing for the stage in both New York and Los Angeles...
as Helen Cooper - Scott Cohen as Josh Myers
- Jackie HoffmanJackie HoffmanJacqueline Laura Hoffman , known as Jackie Hoffman, is an American actress and stand-up comedian known for her facially-contorting expressions, and one-woman shows of Jewish-themed original songs and monologues...
as Joan - Brian StepanekBrian StepanekBrian Stepanek is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Arwin Hawkhauser in the Disney Channel Original Series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody...
as Peter - John CarianiJohn CarianiJohn Cariani is an American actor best known for his role as CSU Tech Julian Beck on television's Law & Order, and for his performance as Motel the Tailor in the 2004 Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof for which he received a Tony Award nomination. He is also a playwright best known for...
as Chuck - Michael Mastro as Martin
- Carson Elrod as Sebastian
- David Aaron Baker as Dan Stein
- Jon Hamm as Charles
- Tovah FeldshuhTovah FeldshuhTovah Feldshuh is an American actress, singer and playwright.-Early life:Terri Sue Feldshuh was born to a Jewish family in New York City, the daughter of Lillian and Sidney Feldshuh, who was a lawyer. She was raised in Scarsdale, New York, an affluent community in Westchester County and graduated...
as Judy Stein - Esther Wurmfeld as Grandma Esther
Festival screenings
The film premiered at the Los Angeles Film FestivalLos Angeles Film Festival
The Los Angeles Film Festival, presented by the Los Angeles Times is an event held annually in June in downtown Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Film Festival began as the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival in 1995. The first LAIFF took place over the course of five days in a single...
on April 21, 2001, receiving the Audience Award for Best Feature Film and a Critics Special Jury Award.
The film was next shown at the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
, with screenings scheduled the day before and the day after the 9/11 attacks
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
.
According to the DVD commentary track by Westfeldt and Juergensen, both screenings took place, with the second screening on September 12th producing audible gasps among audience members at the sight of the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
. The two filmmakers decided to eliminate the nine or ten scenes featuring the Twin Towers because they weren't integral to the story, and served to distract from it because of the attacks.
Reception
The film was hailed by critics upon release. It withstood some criticism from the gay community for not dealing in depth with the difficulties of being openly gay, but even among these criticisms, it was praised for portraying a same-sex relationship in a positive light. The website AfterEllen.comAfterEllen.com
AfterEllen.com, founded in April 2002, is a website that focuses on the portrayal of lesbian and bisexual women in the media. AfterElton.com, its brother site for gay and bisexual men, was launched in January 2005. The websites were founded by Sarah Warn, who initially served as the editor in...
, which tracks the portrayal of lesbian and bisexual women in the media, reviewed the film positively. Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
carries an 84% 'fresh' rating.
See also
- 2001 in film2001 in filmThe year 2001 in film involved some significant events, including the first of the Harry Potter series and also the first of The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
- Cinema of the United StatesCinema of the United StatesThe cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
- List of American films of 2001