Delightful ‘Life Happens’ Proves Truth is Funny

Rating: 4.0/5.0

CHICAGO – Is it possible to be addled in encroaching middle age? Because “Life Happens,” a film about an ex-party girl turned single mother, starring “it” girl Krysten Ritter, actually is quite funny, and gets those laughs simply by applying some simple truths to a unique situation. Kate Bosworth, Rachel Bilson, Justin Kirk and Kirsten Johnston co-star.

Ritter, who just opened this week as the title character in the awkwardly titled sitcom “Don’t Trust the B—— in Apartment 23,” carries this comedy on her shoulders, which she also co-wrote. She is an impressive scene stealer, but also allows the very strong supporting cast to get their moments. The script relies on some time honored stereotypes – twentysomething virgin, chirpy Mom, horny social misfit, dismissive boss – and turns them on their ear by leading them into unexpected directions. All of the actions of the films evolve from well-established background circumstances, and by the end the laughs come just from the preconceived missteps of the well-developed characters.

Kim (Krysten Ritter), Deena (Kate Bosworth) and Laura (Rachel Bilson) are young adult roommates in a Los Angeles bungalow. The film frantically starts out with Kim and Deena fighting over the last condom in the house, as they both have potential mates in their bedrooms (Laura doesn’t participate, she has promised herself to remain a virgin until marriage). Deena wins the rubber competition, and one year later it is discovered that Kim has a newborn boy resulting from that night. The father, an Australian surfer, decides he’s not ready to be a Dad, and leaves Kim to raise their son.

Women in Life: Krysten Ritter (Kim), Rachel Bilson (Laura) and Kate Bosworth (Deena) in ‘Life Happens’ Photo credit: PMK*BNC Films

This throws the household into a tizzy, as three young women aren’t exactly equipped to deal with child rearing. Kim misses her old life, Deena is a struggling writer and Laura continues to grab any odd job the City of Angels offers. This allows Kim no social life beyond caring for her boss Francesca (Kristen Johnston), but things are about to change when she meets Nicholas (Geoff Stults) at a work event. She convinces Deena to double date with Nicholas’s friend Henri (Justin Kirk), and the balance of the roommates’ friendship is about to shift as a result.

There are some blips in setting up the story, but at least it’s not conventional. The scenario goes from the condom fight to the panel card “one year later,” and the baby is discovered in the back seat during a car-to-car flirting session. That’s pretty good shorthand, and starts the story buzzing. Kim and Deena have terrific friendship chemistry and Kate Bosworth has a good time sinking her teeth into the writer’s role. Rachel Bilson is fairly consistent comic relief as the only virgin over twenty in Los Angeles, and the payoff is worth the set-up.

Actually all of the characters act like persons on the singles scene, albeit actor pretty. Geoff Stults (now on TV’s “The Finder”) plays his handsome guy as a vulnerable divorcee, and Justin Kirk of “Weeds” hits his Henri character out of the park, adding a bad mustache to a clueless social soul. Hooking up is tough, even for the beautiful, and the cast has a good time playing out those often uncomfortable transitions. The hook-ups are also shown from a female perspective, and reflects the changing roles in society bluntly.

Movies are about conflict resolution and the dramatic arcs along the way to the resolution, and “Life Happens” garner the laughs from those arcs. Krysten Ritter obviously paced the rhythms of the story through writing the script (with director Kat Coiro) and made sure that all the situations, while glammed up a bit, still rang with a honesty that felt natural. She also has an ear for glib dialogue, as the characters say the strangest things at the oddest moments, which again offers a nice platform for laughs.

Justin Kirk (Henri) and Geoff Stults (Nicholas) in ‘Life Happens’ Photo credit: PMK*BNC Films

Geez, analyzing a “chick flick” (not a fan of that term) movie that intently is like wrestling with air, but the romantic comedy is in such a moribund state that having a burst of refreshment like “Life Happens” – stupid title by the way – is a breath of fresh air. Director Kat Coiro has another film slated for 2012, “While We Were Here” (better title), and that will also star Kate Bosworth.

Getting back to the addled nature of middle age, it’s probably just symptomatic of the addled nature of film criticism. There has to be many treks through the romantic comedy desert until an oasis comes along, and that’s when “Life Happens.”

[16]	By PATRICK McDONALD [17] Senior Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com [16]