Friends With Kids

LITTLE ROCK — What Jennifer Westfeldt means to do in Friends With Kids is basically the same thing she did in her indie breakout hit, 2001’s Kissing Jessica Stein. And that is to seem to subvert convention before wholeheartedly embracing it.

And that’s fine, for some conventions are probably worth embracing. But I’m not sure the romantic comedy template is one of them. In Stein, Westfeldt’s character (she co-wrote and co-produced that film with her costar Heather Juergensen) played a straight woman who flirts with a lesbian relationship before finally deciding she might be attracted to her ex-boyfriend after all. In the current film, her character (Julie) attempts to have and rear a child with the full cooperation of her platonic best friend forever Jason (Adam Scott) and ... oh, would saying more spoil anything?

Probably not, but let’s embrace convention for a moment ourselves and only say that Friends With Kids is a talky and sometimes witty romantic comedy that, at least for a while, serves as a bracing antidote to all those irritating, stroller-pushing Sacred Baby couples who seem to be everywhere, even in upscale restaurants, these days. The first act critique of child-rearing is refreshing - for children do wreak havoc on one’s social life and suppress certain options. And couples who are friendly can drift apart when children intervene.

It helps that Westfeldt has assembled a fine company, including the reliable comic actor Adam Scott as Jason, her chief foil, and her real life partner Jon Hamm, as the truth-telling grump of the group. Rounding out the three principal couples are Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Chris O’Dowd, all of whom, along with Hamm, appeared in last year’s trashier, funnier and by all means superior Bridesmaids. (I would complain that Wiig is criminally under-used here, but then this is unmistakably Westfeldt’s movie and Wiig’s appearance seems to be on the order of a favor paid to a friend. It’s nice of her to show up.)

The banter between these three couples is literate, adult and honest in ways movie dialogue usually can’t afford to be. (No doubt some solemn mommies and daddies will be offended at how their childless friends talk behind their backs.)

But the world works as it works - Rudolph and O’Dowd are the first couple to contract the kiddie virus, with Hamm and Wiig following them into the breach (with ultimately disastrous results). This leaves the uncoupled Julie and Jason on the outside, and their decision to have a child while remaining just friends feels sit-commy familiar and genuinely dangerous. You can almost believe that these particular people, with these specific sets of prejudices (they are Manhattanites who think Brooklyn is for losers) and life experiences, might actually attempt something so outre.

Still, I couldn’t help but be disappointed by the movie’s inevitable drawing back to the familiar territory of the Hollywood romantic comedy. Still, that’s not all bad - recent years have given us decent, middle-of-the-road films like last year’s Friends With Benefits and Crazy, Stupid, Love. This is another in that line. It’s not bad, just not as original as it pretends to be.

Friends With Kids 86

Cast: Jennifer Westfeldt, Adam Scott, Jon Hamm, Maya Rudolph, Kristen Wiig, Chris O’Dowd, Megan Fox, Edward Burns

Director: Jennifer Westfeldt

Rating: R, for sexual content and language

Running time: 107 minutes