We all know money can't buy happiness, but it seems our celebrity-worshipping, consumerist generation doesn't really believe it. The burden of proof lies in "Friends with Money," though we might be a little too young to appreciate this glimpse into our futures.
Written and directed by Nicole Holofcener, "Friends with Money" is a literary film - no plot and not even a traditional story arc with a beginning, middle and end. There's not much action, but its interest comes from the insightful transfer of everyday life to the big screen. These particular lives belong to Jane (Frances McDormand), Franny (Joan Cusack), Christine (Catherine Keener) and Olivia (Jennifer Aniston), all women committed to their friendship in the way people used to commit to marriage.
It is important to note that "Friends with Money" comes post-"Sex and the City," which sold men and women alike a definition of happiness achieved through casual sex and a successful career. But by the series finale, the stars had learned what they had tried so hard to challenge - that true happiness lies not just in any bed, but a marriage bed. "Friends with Money" grapples with the same quest for happiness on a much deeper level, ultimately confirming what we all try to ignore as we pursue our own American dreams: Happiness is hard to come by, regardless of sex or money.
The film puts the nuclear family and financial prosperity on a pedestal, and then sets about tearing it down. These women have both stable families and lucrative careers, but Jane still gripes over the horrible injustice of getting cut in line, Franny still buckles under the pressure of being a stay-at-home mom with full-time help, and Christine still fails to realize the contradiction of her minimalist family room. "Friends with Money" is filled with these clever snapshots of over-privileged angst that wind up being symptomatic of bigger problems. But to be sure, the film steers clear of the argument that money is the root of all evil. It's not the money's fault; it's ours.
Olivia, the broke friend, is hardly problem-free. She's just as miserable as her wealthy friends, and maybe more; she's also single, which explains her weed habit. However, Olivia's not poor from necessity. She was once a teacher at a posh private school who couldn't handle that her students drove nicer cars than she did. She becomes a maid and is so badly off she actually steals cosmetic samples. But it is unclear whether Olivia is really confronted with affluent America any less when cleaning up its messes than when teaching its children.
The film's leads all deliver great performances, but the never-disappointing Frances McDormand nearly overshadows her co-stars as the hysterical and heartbreaking Jane. Part of this may be the character herself, who stops washing her hair by her 40th birthday because her arms get tired. She used to feel that the right shampoo would give her the perfect mane. Then she got married and realized all shampoos are the same. Jane doesn't dislike her life, just the fact that she's already lived a substantial portion of it.
Olivia almost seems secondary to Jane, but Jennifer Aniston manages to evoke empathy for her pathetic character. We watch as Olivia helplessly hands over a share of her paycheck to her boyfriend, Mike (Scott Caan), who feels entitled because he watched her clean house.
The film's male characters are equally well-portrayed and equally issue-riddled as their female counterparts. So just in case anyone fears that "Friends with Money" is an anti-feminist portrayal of overemotional, unappeasable women, rest assured: The film would only change superficially if the story were told through men instead of through wives and girlfriends.
"Friends with Money" makes its point when Franny asks her husband (Greg Germann) if it would bother him if their son were gay, and he considerately answers that he wouldn't want him to experience "any extra gay pain." The implication here is that a certain degree of pain is inevitable. Problems are universal, but problems and money are better than just problems.
"Friends with Money" is a great portrait of the unfulfilling American dream, but while it skillfully questions our definition of happiness and what constitutes success, it doesn't offer us any answers. I guess answers are another thing money can't buy.
