Friends with Money is a comedy-drama film that centers around the lives of four longtime friends. The movie, which was released in 2006, explores the many problems that these women face in their respective lives. From financial difficulties to marital problems, the women are thrown into situations that test the strength of their friendship.
The four friends are Olivia, Jane, Christine, and Franny. Olivia, portrayed by Jennifer Aniston, is the only one of the group who is not married. She works as a maid to make ends meet and struggles to find her place in the world. The other three friends are married and rich but each of them is dealing with their own set of conflicts.
Christine and her husband David, played by Catherine Keener and Jason Isaacs, are writers who constantly argue and are on the verge of a divorce. Jane, played by Frances McDormand, is dealing with the stress of aging and has stopped taking care of herself. Her husband Aaron is rumored to be gay which only adds to her insecurities. Franny, played by Joan Cusack, has seemingly the most stable life but is dealing with her own problems of being numb to everything around her.
The movie takes a turn when the seven of them attend a fundraiser. This event triggers changes in each of their lives as they realize that their problems are not insurmountable. Olivia meets Mike, a personal trainer, who she has a brief fling with before finding love in Marty, an unemployed man who she works for. Christine finally decides to leave David and embrace a better life with her son, while David moves out of the family home. Jane breaks her nose in a supermarket tussle but it brings a new perspective to her life. Her relationship with Aaron improves when he starts seeing someone new. Franny continues to keep her distance from everything but starts to see the changes happening in her friends’ lives.
The movie is a dialogue-driven film, with many scenes dedicated to the conversations the women have with each other. The conversations have heavy themes that tackle weighty subjects but also have moments of humor. The dialogues may be a bit daunting to some viewers but they offer insight into the problems faced by women in their lives. The dialogues’ pragmatic approach to the women’s problems adds to the movie’s realism and reflective power.
Conclusion
Friends with Money is a movie that has stood the test of time. The film’s approach to its themes of friendship, financial struggles, and marital problems makes it relatable to viewers, no matter their circumstances. Its many dialogues may be a challenge to some viewers but offer an honest reflection of the problems that people face in their everyday lives. The movie has a fantastic cast who give moving performances that bring the characters to life. Overall, Friends with Money is a movie that is both entertaining and thought-provoking, worth watching over and over again.
