Friends with Money (2006)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Nicole Holofcener

Writer (WGA):

Nicole Holofcener (written by)

Release Date:

7 April 2006 (Canada)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

A drama about three married women, their husbands, and their lone single friend.

Plot Keywords:

Gay | Friend | Writer | Old Friend | Fashion

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Catherine Keener	...	Christine
Jason Isaacs	...	David
Timm Sharp	...	Richard
Joan Cusack	...	Franny
Greg Germann	...	Matt
Hailey Noelle Johnson	...	Tammy
Simon McBurney	...	Aaron
Frances McDormand	...	Jane
Jake Cherry	...	Wyatt
Jennifer Aniston	...	Olivia
Bob Stephenson	...	Marty
Marin Hinkle	...	Maya
Scott Caan	...	Mike
Troy Ruptash	...	Brad
Elizabeth Keener	...	Lancome Saleswoman

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some sexual content and brief drug use.

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Ireland:15A | UK:15 | Australia:M | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Finland:K-11 | Sweden:Btl | Singapore:M18 | Germany:o.Al. | USA:R (certificate #42071) | Argentina:13 | Brazil:14 | France:U | South Korea:15 | South Africa:13LS

Filming Locations:

855 S. Serrano Street, Koreatown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

This Is That Productions

Trivia:

The Farmer's Market sequence was shot guerrilla style, with permits, but without extras. Most of the people are real shoppers, and many of them didn't notice that Frances McDormand and Jennifer Aniston were among them. However, members of the paparazzi still managed to slip in, trying to get shots of Aniston.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the thrift store when Aaron is trying on sweaters, his sweater appears inside-out even before the guy trying to pick him up urges him to try on a new sweater.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Richard: So the corrugated metal not only reflects the beauty of the common, off-the-shelf material but also emphasizes the invisible line between the old and the new construction.
Christine: Wait. There'll be a line?
Richard: It's invisible.
David: Just let him finish.
Christine: Oh, sorry.

Movie Connections:

References "SpongeBob SquarePants" (1999)

Soundtrack:

Leaving Home

Quietly comic exploration of mid-life

It's true that this movie is utterly bereft of car crashes and blood, but both my husband and I enjoyed it very much. I found it very refreshing to spend time in the company of people my age whose lives are not non-stop excitement, who are not trying to escape from terrorists/having sex with an unending stream of nubile blondes/both.

Yes, this movie is dialogue-driven, and yes, many of the comments and even conversations will seem familiar. I enjoyed watching and hearing people I could genuinely relate to, discussing problems which, if not all directly paralleling my own concerns, I could at least understand. The movie deals with the role that money has in personal happiness and how it changes the dynamics of friendships, and effectively shows that while money is neither a universal panacea, neither is it the root of all evil. One of the interesting questions the movie raises is also what you focus on and contemplate when money isn't an issue for you.

I thought the movie accurately portrays many of the misgivings that women in their 40s experience, even when they're financially comfortable--dealing with Olivia's feelings of *invisibility*, Jane's quiet despair at the loss of the hopeful anticipation with which she used to view her upcoming life, Christine's external expression of her mental off-balancedness and gracelessness.

There are plenty of movies out there directed at 18-year-old skateboarding ninja-fiends--is it so wrong to make one for me?? I found the performances (especially Jason Isaacs' overbearing and emotionally heedless American husband) compelling and believable, and I enjoyed this movie a lot.