[Avon-theatre-news] AVON THEATER NEWS EXTRA! EXTRA!

[Skip Huston]

Hello Avon Theater Fans!!
>From time to time, I find it necessary to remind everyone that film critics are like ice cream flavors, some will like a certain movie, and some will not.
(...and, some, if taken in large quantities, will cause "brain freeze"...ha ha ha)
In the case of one of The Avon Theater's 2 new movies this weekend, FRIENDS WITH KIDS starring TV's Jon Hamm ("Mad Men") and a bunch of other recognizable stars, I know there are a few less-than-enthusiastic reviews out there, along with some very positive ones!
Below is Avon Theater fan, and nationally-known critic LEONARD MALTIN'S take on FRIENDS WITH KIDS.


FRIENDS WITH KIDS reviewed by LEONARD MALTIN (used with permission)


I became an instant fan of Jennifer Westfeldt after seeing the film she co-wrote and starred in, Kissing Jessica Stein, just over a decade ago. For her debut feature as director, writer, and star, she has assembled a powerhouse cast, and devised a comedy (with dramatic undertones) that manages to be on the cutting edge without sacrificing the qualities people look for in romantic movies. 


Westfeldt and Adam Scott (of TV’s Parks and Recreation) play best friends who live in the same Manhattan apartment building and share their most intimate thoughts with each other. They also share an upscale lifestyle with two other couples, played by Kristen Wiig and Jon Hamm and Maya Rudolph and Chris O’Dowd, making this something of a Bridesmaids cast reunion. When one of the couples announces that they’re about to have a baby, Westfeldt and Scott are appalled, at first, to lose their friends to such a conventional way of life, then resign themselves to the inevitable. With her biological clock ticking loudly, the two pals decide to make a baby together and share the responsibility for its parenting, even though they aren’t sexually attracted to one another. This being a romantic comedy—albeit an indie version and not a Hollywood studio concoction—you know full well that their plan is bound to go awry.


The film makes sharp observations about married life, the responsibility of raising children, the pressure of dating, and more. The candid sexual conversations define this as a film made by, and for, adults…but who says grownups don’t want romantic fulfillment in movies? That’s where writer-director Westfeldt becomes surprisingly traditional. 


Every member of the cast gets a chance to shine, including Westfeldt’s real-life partner Hamm, as well as Edward Burns and even Megan Fox. But it’s Westfeldt and the very likable Scott who anchor the film and make it worthwhile. The romantic comedy genre isn’t dead; it just needs people with fresh ideas like this to keep it healthy.

By Leonard Maltin
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
So, there we have some "balance" in reviews, and you have the chance to weigh your movie-going decision this weekend with the complete spectrum of opinions!

By the way, the "Tomato Meter" on the web, gives FRIENDS WITH KIDS a 63%, which is a THREE-STAR REVIEW any way you slice it!

I hope to see you this weekend for FRIENDS WITH KIDS, and DARK SHADOWS, and THE AVENGERS, now it its colossal 2nd week!


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