Kissing Jessica Stein is a intelligent film, with some real qualities that made me see it several times. Every scene is well thought, well played, visually brilliant, almost nothing is extra, nothing is lacking. I would recommend it to anyone.Two main characters seem to be very opposite, however, when they get to know each other, it turns out they have a lot in common, they are both perfectionists searching for a real thing, just in different ways.There is a very tiny line between a woman who sleeps with many people, and a woman who sleeps with nobody. Jessica seems to be very shy, very reserved, and proper, while actually deeply inside she keeps her sex appeal under the lock. Helen, who is very sexual and very experienced in practical stuff, realizes immediately how sexy Jessica actually is. That is why she keeps being so patient and persistent with her, waiting for Jessica's sexuality to come to the surface. That is the best quality of the movie: two women from different universes actually come to the same: they are so much into each other, once they give each other a chance.What is naive in this movie is the end. In general, the film very sharply shows how smart, intelligent, and opinionated women in NY are simply wasting time by looking for a perfect guy. There is no such thing for them, and instead of pleasing their families and friends expectations, they should look for alternative ways to find happiness - and it often turns out be a happiness with women. While the break up of Helen and Jessica in the end is still believable, since they both still have a lot to explore, it is very naive to hint that Jessica is in the end excited for meeting that guy, Josh, whom she has already dated in the past, and whom she dropped long time ago, without any interest. In spite of Josh now becoming a writer, it is not realistic to believe that a woman who moved on, and developed herself and her self-confidence, would now go back to the deprecating, judgmental and macho guy whom she dropped even when she was much less experienced, and much less self-confident. I see this part of the movie as nothing but simple lip-service to hetero audience who still would like to see a boy with a girl in the movie. Otherwise, the whole Josh role has no any real function in the story, it is mostly occupying the space to add some flavor for straight viewers. Well, it was 2001, one can even understand that calculation, it was still early in the game.

I have seen romantic comedies and this canNOT be categorized as a romantic comedy at all. this is no where near a romantic comedy. it is about a girl who thinks everything should be perfect and finds herself in the middle of a relationship with another girl. it is a bad combination of actors first of all. it is not at all funny, irritating sometimes...it could have been a good movie about a girl trying to be a something she is not but the combination of some fatal errors including NOT coming up with a good script, bad casting etc,. gave the movie a hard time. on the other hand it is not a very bad movie either. watch it if you have nothing else to do and don't expect particularly anything from the movie. i did that and saw it in spite of having my exam on the next day and i think it was a complete waste of time... so i rate it 5/10...

I've never been bothered by the fact that they were never nude. In my opinion, the film is not at all about sex, it's about growth and relationships. It's Jessica Stein's realization that she is the only reason she is unhappy; she has an image in her mind of what "should" make her happy, and this film is the story of her letting go of that and taking a risk that maybe something completely different could make her happy. It's a movie about growing, not about sex.If you haven't seen it, you should. Movies have played an important role in my life and I would say hands down, this is my favorite.That's all I was going to write, but apparently you have to write at least 10 lines. I first saw this movie when I was in college and was having that whole crisis of, "What am I supposed to be doing? How do I get to the house with the 2.5 kids and white picket fence?" This movie helped me realize that you can't live your life planning for the future all the time. Find the thing that makes you happy and hold on to it. Now, five or so years later, I'm happier than I ever have been, living a very fulfilling life that I'd never imagined for myself. I'm starting a film production company that I hope will someday make films like this one.

KJS was directed by Charles Herman-Wurmfeld, but written by Heather Juergensen & Jennifer Westfeldt, who star in the film as New Yorkers Jessica Stein & Helen Cooper. Despite the lesbianism there is little T&A- the leads are rather frumpy, but not unattractive, women. The story is every lesbian's fantasy- seducing a clueless straight girl fed up with the male sex. This banal premise goes nowhere. Jessica's hetero-frustration is portrayed in a montage of bad dates that could only occur in films, so right away emotional realism is tossed, & sets the film up for a failure to connect on anything but a superficial level. Helen is a bisexual fed up with men's shallowness & places 1 of those 'bi-curious' personal ads. Jessica reads it, is intrigued by a quote from Rilke (she is a copy editor & bookworm), & answers. Even though the ad claims to seek 'friendship or more' any person over the age of 20 (especially a copy editor) would know this is adspeak for a lesbian relationship. The 30+ Jessica is clueless, & spends the whole film never even attempting to get with it. That Jessica, as portrayed before meeting Helen, could ever be attracted to such a duplicitous & shallow sort as Helen- even if a man- undercuts the whole point of her dates-from-hell montage. Also, it's supposed to be funny that she approaches her 1st lesbian experience with a slew of 'how to' books. Yes, this is a comedy, but it's not too much to ask the characters & writing to show some maturity & developmental stability.