I’ll Be There For…Some of You: Revisiting a Few “Friends”
I find it hard to believe that Friends debuted 15 years ago. While that makes ME feel old, I am rather impressed with how one half of the cast has fared since the season finale. That’s right, three of them. The female friends. Because let’s face it…have you seen anything stellar from the likes of David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc or Matthew Perry recently?
The reason I’m revisiting this show and topic is that I recently discovered yet another gem from Lisa Kudrow, the online series Web Therapy. Dry, dark, hysterical. Kudrow is the queen of amusingly awkward and uncomfortable. I was not at all surprised to learn that she was a 2009 Webby Award winner for Outstanding Comedic Performance for these webisodes. Guest stars have included Courteney Cox, Rashida Jones, Jane Lynch and Steven Weber. Trust me, it is well worth 10-15 minutes of your time each week to watch this series, from Kudrow’s frequent writer/director collaborator Don Roos (The Opposite of Sex, Happy Endings). After Friends ended, I fell in love with Kudrow’s wildly underrated series The Comeback, which featured up and coming actors like Malin Akerman (Watchmen) and Kellan Lutz (Twilight). It only lasted one season on HBO, but at least she was Emmy nominated for Outstanding Lead Actress. And then I 
Jennifer Aniston is obviously the break out star from the six pack of Friends, but I have yet to discover why so many love her on the big screen. I still do not buy her as a MOVIE STAR, despite the obvious indie attempt (The Good Girl), the glamor and the endless adoration from fans and the media. I have enjoyed Aniston in exactly one movie thus far, and ironically it was a voice-only role (The Iron Giant). Until she successfully pulls off a Monster or Boys Don’t Cry level transformation, I will continue to relegate Aniston’s films to rainy afternoon, happen-to-catch-it-on-cable status.
Of the three actresses from Friends, I still find that Courteney Cox has the best comedic timing. Her series Dirt was a true guilty pleasure and I was quite entertained by her stint on Scrubs as well. She is the only reason that I plan to give the new ABC show Cougar Town a chance when it debuts in the fall. Based on that title alone, it may have otherwise been a pass.
By the way, there is something about Jennifer Westfeldt (who will be on 24 next season; she also co-wrote & starred in the fantastic Kissing Jessica Stein) that has always reminded me of Lisa Kudrow. The above is a Gap ad that she appeared in with her boyfriend of over ten years, Jon Hamm (Mad Men).
I digress, as usual.