Kissing Jessica Stein (2001)

Director:

Charles Herman-Wurmfeld

Writers (WGA):

Heather Juergensen (written by) &
Jennifer Westfeldt (written by)

Release Date:

21 June 2002 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

When it comes to love, sometimes she just can't think straight.

Plot:

Jessica Stein is a single, straight, successful, journalist, part of a bonded Jewish family living in New York City...

Plot Keywords:

Jewish | New York City | Personal Ad | Malaprop | Wedding

Awards:

8 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Jennifer Westfeldt	...	Jessica Stein
Tovah Feldshuh	...	Judy Stein
Esther Wurmfeld	...	Grandma Esther
Hillel Friedman	...	Rabbi
Ben Feldman	...	Himself
Robert Ari	...	Sidney Stein
David Aaron Baker	...	Dan Stein
Jennifer Carta	...	Rachel - Dan's Fiancée
Ben Weber	...	Larry
Brian Stepanek	...	Peter
Nick Corley	...	Howard
Jackie Hoffman	...	Joan
John Cariani	...	Chuck
Scott Cohen	...	Josh Meyers
Christopher Berger	...	Malaprops Guy
Hayden Adams	...	Weird Smooth Guy
Kevin Sussman	...	Calculator Guy
Jim J. Bullock	...	Not-Yet-Out Gay Guy
Heather Juergensen	...	Helen Cooper
Alysia Reiner	...	Schuller Gallery Artist
Carson Elrod	...	Sebastian
Michael Mastro	...	Martin
Tibor Feldman	...	Roland
Michael Showalter	...	Stephen
Michael Ealy	...	Greg
Naomi Sablan	...	Seductive Woman at Gallery
Jon Hamm	...	Charles
Allen Fitzpatrick	...	Matthew
Julie Lauren	...	Josh's Date
Jimmy Palumbo	...	Cheesy Pick-up Guy #1
Thomas L. Bolster	...	Cheesy Pick-up Guy #2 (as Thomas Bolster)
Vinny Vella	...	Cab Driver (as Vinnie Vella)
Peter Hirsch	...	Stanley
Idina Menzel	...	Bridesmaid
Adele Reichman	...	Grandma Interrogating Helen
Amy Wilson	...	Bookstore Saleswoman
Ilana Levine	...	Helen's New Girlfriend

Directed by
Charles Herman-Wurmfeld

Writing credits (WGA)
Heather Juergensen		(written by) &
Jennifer Westfeldt		(written by)

Produced by
Eduardo Braniff	....	associate producer
Steven Firestone	....	associate producer
Matt Janes	....	line producer
Heather Juergensen	....	co-producer
Doug Liman	....	associate producer
Mark Pincus	....	associate producer
Kaye Popofsky	....	associate producer
Jennifer Westfeldt	....	co-producer
Eden Wurmfeld	....	producer (as Eden H. Wurmfeld)
Brad Zions	....	producer

Original Music by
Marcelo Zarvos

Cinematography by
Lawrence Sher		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Kristy Jacobs Maslin
Greg Tillman		(as Gregory Tillman)

Casting by
Susie Farris

Production Design by
Charlotte Bourke

Art Direction by
Tema Levine

Costume Design by
Melissa Bruning

Makeup Department
Loretta Alston	....	assistant hair stylist
Fiona Distefano	....	assistant makeup artist
Sheri Kornhaber	....	key makeup artist
Stephani Resnick	....	key hair stylist
Stephani Resnick	....	makeup artist: Jennifer Westfeldt

Production Management
Naomi Sablan	....	unit manager
Heidi Tannenbaum	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Stewart Griffin	....	second assistant director
Jeff Huston	....	first assistant director
T. Scott Keiner	....	first assistant director: second unit (as Scott Keiner)
James Mastracco	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Larry Chen	....	swing
Jim Cook	....	art assistant
Joanna Da Toca	....	artist: Schuller gallery work
Joanna Da Toca	....	assistant art director
Natalie Dierckx	....	art director: second unit
Chloe Garcia-Roberts	....	art assistant
Mary Hawkins	....	graphic designer
Ariel Enriquez Saulog	....	supervising graphic artist
Nini Than	....	prop master
Anthony Titus	....	paintings: Jessica
David Tonn	....	prop assistant
Suzanne Wang	....	off-set decorator
Treva Wurmfeld	....	first look show paintings

Sound Department
Gerald Donlan	....	sound editor
Robert Fernandez	....	sound re-recording mixer
Seth Granger	....	boom operator
Dan Korintus	....	dialogue editor
Angela Organ	....	assistant sound editor
Mike Poppleton	....	assistant sound editor (as Michael G. Poppleton)
Theresa Radka	....	sound mixer
Jacob Ribicoff	....	supervising sound editor
Griffin Richardson	....	boom operator
Alan B. Samuels	....	sound: second unit (as Alan Samuels)
Daniel Ward	....	first assistant sound editor (as Dan Ward)

Visual Effects by
Ramon Ferro	....	optical camera
Louis Goold	....	optical layout (as Lou Goold)
Simon Lund	....	optical layout
Janos Pilenyi	....	opticals supervisor
Adam Wangerin	....	optical camera

Camera and Electrical Department
Heath Allen	....	additional electrician
Antonio Anguilar	....	key grip: second unit
Madison Bellanger	....	second assistant camera: second unit
George Bianchini	....	Steadicam operator
Chris Clarke	....	best boy
Chad Cohlmia	....	best boy electric
Caswell Cooke	....	key grip
Julie Donovan	....	first assistant camera
Anna Gilpatrick	....	additional electrician
Bryan Haigh	....	second assistant camera
David Irwin	....	gaffer
Milly Itzhak	....	camera loader (as Milli Itzhak)
Stu Kaufman	....	best boy electric
Seth Kotok	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Dan Kubicek	....	grip
Evin Lowe	....	additional electrician
Syd Ross	....	grip: second unit
Nick Theodorakis	....	camera loader
Perry Unjang	....	additional grip
Andy Westbrook	....	grip
Hope Wurmfeld	....	still photographer
Stuart Kaufman	....	best boy electric (uncredited)
Matt Schuman	....	electrician (uncredited)
L. Andrew Sigler	....	grip (uncredited)
Justin Whitaker	....	electrician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Byron Crystal	....	background casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jennifer Galvelis	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Jason Ensler	....	additional editor
Danny Hack	....	color timer
Julie O'Grady	....	negative cutter
Tina Pacheco	....	assistant editor
Nate Taylor	....	additional editor
Nate Taylor	....	assistant editor
Douglas Weiner	....	assistant editor (as Doug Weiner)
Blaine Hope	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Lori Machens	....	post-production coordinator (uncredited)
Alexander Serpico	....	second assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Matthew Abbott	....	music supervisor
Jim Black	....	music supervisor
David Cerrutti	....	musician: viola
Gilad	....	musician: percussion
Dorothy Lawson	....	musician: cello
Romero Lubambo	....	musician: guitar
Mary Rowell	....	musician: violin
Marcelo Zarvos	....	musician: piano

Other crew
Moran Banai	....	office production assistant
Mark L. Beigelman	....	production legal services
Tarra Marie Bercegeay	....	production assistant: first team
Renee Brown	....	craft service
Juan Bryan	....	teamster
Eileen Burke	....	office production assistant
Dana Castro	....	production coordinator: second unit
Jason Chaet	....	creative consultant
Aristotle Dreher	....	key production assistant
Kate Drennen	....	script supervisor
Jason Ensler	....	creative consultant
Ben Feldman	....	production legal services
Todd Hunter	....	assistant location manager
Beth Irizarry	....	production assistant
Wes Jones	....	office production assistant
Daniel Leavy	....	set production assistant
Glenn McQuaid	....	title designer
Keefe Murren	....	set production assistant
William P. Nance	....	location manager
Derek Pastures	....	parking coordinator
Connie Perelson	....	location manager: Guilford
Jon Schroder	....	location scout
Laurie Touma	....	set production assistant
Marie Turkot	....	production assistant
Kevin Vargas	....	accountant
A.J. Khan	....	location translator (uncredited)
Joseph Taylor	....	additional location manager (uncredited)

Thanks
Tom Bolster	....	special thanks
Christina Cabot	....	special thanks
Chip Cooper	....	special thanks
Ted Field	....	special thanks
Jon Hamm	....	special thanks
Alec Holland	....	special thanks
Erica Huggins	....	special thanks
Shirley Juergensen	....	special thanks
Scott Kroopf	....	special thanks
Julie Lauren	....	special thanks
Bill Nisselson	....	thanks
Connie Perelson	....	special thanks
Michael Perelson	....	special thanks
Elinor Reed	....	special thanks
Saul Rubinek	....	special thanks
George Sheanshang	....	special thanks
Daniel Sollinger	....	special thanks
Matthias Visser	....	special thanks
Hope Wurmfeld	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Fox Searchlight Pictures (presents)
• Brad Zions Films
• Eden Wurmfeld Films
• Cineric
• Michael Alden Productions

Distributors

• Fox Searchlight Pictures (2002) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2002) (UK) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox of Germany (2002) (Germany) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Netherlands (2002) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (2002) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Italia (2002) (Italy) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2002) (Mexico) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2002) (France) (theatrical)
• Gemini Film (2002) (Russia) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox (2003) (Japan) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD) (VHS)
• Yorin (2005) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Cineric (special effects)

Other Companies

• Anheuser Busch  product placement
• Axium Payroll Services  production payroll
• Camera Service Center  cameras provided by
• Cineric  titles and opticals
• Coast to Coast Catering  catering
• Coca-Cola Company, The  product placement
• Complex  production services
• Crew Cuts  post services
• Dansk Inc.  dishware
• Gay Men's Health Crisis  product placement
• General Mills  product placement
• Krispy Kreme  product placement
• MAC Cosmetics  makeup furnished by
• Paris Film Productions  lighting and grip equipment
• Perrier-Jouët  product placement
• Philosophy  makeup furnished by
• Planet 10 Post  sound post-production
• Post Group, The  post services
• Prescriptives  makeup furnished by
• Sound One Corporation  sound post-production
• Sterling National Bank  banking services
• yuki nyc  handbags

Also Known As:

Seeking Same (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content and language.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-11 | Iceland:L | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | Greece:K-13 | USA:R | UK:15 | Canada:18A | Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Guilford, Connecticut, USA

Company:

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Trivia:

Some background shots were removed from the film prior to its release because they showed the World Trade Center.

Goofs:

Continuity: A couple of the shots during the wedding (when Jessica and Josh are up on the roof) are flipped (the text on a sign on the wall is reversed and the text on a sign on the inside of the door is also reversed).

Quotes:

Jessica: Oh, I'm a terrible insomniac.
Helen: I'm so sorry. Since when?
Jessica: Um, I don't know, since birth.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 2003 IFP Independent Spirit Awards (2003) (TV)

Soundtrack:

That Could Happen to Us

Elegant Hoydens

There are so few lesbian genre films "OUT" there. And for those lesbian genre films that do exist most have characters that are either disturbed psychopaths (my favorite- Heavenly Creatures) or cardboard cutout prototypes that have no place in my world. As result, unfortunately most lesbians are starved for good lesbian genre films. The best lesbian roles have usually been played out in supporting role characters within the main stream. To appease the appetite, `gaydar' commands an ever watchful eye to find those precious tidbits.

However, thank heavens for the charming wit and refreshingly real characters in "Kissing Jessica Stein". "Kissing Jessica Stein" goes beyond the stereotypical to explore individual characters for who they are and what they are going through in their lives. The film is a positive reinforcement on the value of relationships to an individual's personal growth and spiritual evolution.

"Kissing Jessica Stein" is a highly intelligent romantic comedy that goes deep to explore emotional relationships: Not only between Jessica and Helen but also between Jessica and her Mother, Jessica and Josh, other co-workers and all of their friends. The film highlights the importance of discovering yourself and of letting those that love and care about you know who and what makes you happy. Ultimately anyone that truly loves you wants you to be happy. Jessica and Helen's continued deep friendship after their breakup is testament to this. Jessica's painting, Josh's true love for writing and Helen's continued enjoyment of a lesbian sexual relationship is also testament.

All is true to the spiritual core of the writers intent. There is no definitive end to ongoing life. The writers cleverly leave us to "marinate" within our own imaginations.