Allentown’s Christine Taylor stars in Thanksgiving holiday comedy
Nazareth’s Kate Micucci appears in indie film
Given the popularity of Thanksgiving, there are surprisingly few movies that take advantage of the holiday.
“Friendsgiving” aims to remedy the situation with the story of a successful Hollywood actress (Malin Akerman) and her bestie (Philadelphia native Kat Dennings) finding themselves unexpectedly besieged on Turkey Day by friends (Allentown native Christine Taylor, Aisha Tyler, Ryan Hansen) and family (Jane Seymour.)
The movie — available on streaming services including video-on-demand on iTunes, FandangoNow or Vudu and as a Blu-ray and DVD title — was written and directed by actress Nicol Paone and produced by Ben Stiller. As many film fans know, Stiller and Taylor were married for 17 years before splitting up in 2017.
Taylor, who is best known for her performance as Marcia Brady in the “Brady Bunch” movies, generates a lot of laughs with her turn as a Hollywood trophy wife who has had so much plastic surgery, she can barely speak.
It’s a one-note role, but Taylor works magic with it. No matter who is anchoring a scene, it is hard to take your eyes off Taylor, who mugs hilariously as the tight-faced floozy.
While not all of the characters or situations yield a comic bounty, Paone gets so much right about friendship and postbreak-up blues that “Friendsgiving” winds up being as satisfying as a slice of pumpkin pie with whipped cream on top.
ALSONEWTOSTREAMING: Why isn’t Gillian Jacobs a big star? After a charming turn in a number of flicks, including “Don’t Think Twice,” she aces the starring role in the irresistible indie “I Used To Go Here.”
Jacobs stars as Kate, a failed, thirtysomething novelist who goes back to her alma mater for a reading and receives a lesson in the true meaning of success.
While in town, Kate pals around with college kids (Josh Wiggins, Forrest Goodluck, Brandon Daley, Khloe Janel), learns some inconvenient truths about her former mentor (Jemaine Clement) and runs into a former classmate (Jorma Taccone).
It’s during the scene with Taccone that Jacobs gets to interact with her “Don’t Think Twice” co-star Kate Micucci, a former Nazareth resident who’s one of Hollywood’s finest comic actors.
Micucci, who’s best known for her recurring roles on “Scrubs,” “Raising Hope” and “The Big Bang Theory,” only
appears in one scene, but she’s hilarious as Taccone’s needy girlfriend, a woman who nearly attacks him with kisses while he’s drinking in a bar with Jacobs who is, ironically, singing the praises of restraint in all things.
A romance between Kate and one of the students is awkwardly handled but this understated comedy, produced by Taccone and Andy Samberg, is a smart choice for anyone looking for a bracing blend of humor and heartbreak.