Friends with Money

Plot

Olivia (Jennifer Aniston) is a single, cash-strapped woman working as a maid in Los Angeles in order to make ends meet. She is surrounded by a support network of well-off friends consisting of Franny (Joan Cusack) – a stay at home mom with a large trust fund; Christine (Catherine Keener) – a successful television writer; Jane (Frances McDormand) – a fashion designer; and their respective husbands.

While the disparity in financial situations between Olivia and her friends creates some friction, each woman is facing her own individual struggles. Olivia can't seem to find love or money and resorts to questionable tactics to satisfy both. Franny's inheritance sometimes causes tension between her and her accountant husband, who likes to spend it. Christine's marriage is falling apart because she and her husband can't communicate effectively. Finally, Jane is becoming increasingly unpleasant to be around, possibly because of her discomfort with her age and her husband's sexual ambiguity. Together, these women attend charity benefits, have lunch, lean on each other, and wade their way through life.

Box office

In its opening weekend in wide release, the film grossed a total of $4.96 million, ranking tenth at the North American box office, this soon became $13,367,101 domestically and $18,245,244 worldwide even though it received a limited release in most weeks (under 600 screens).

Critical reception

The film received generally positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 72% of the critics gave the film a positive review, based on 152 reviews, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Stong lead performances, witty dialogue and wry observations cement Friends With Money as another winning dramedy from writer/director Nicole Holofcener." Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 68 out of 100, based on 38 reviews. McDormand won the Best Supporting Female award at the 2006 Independent Spirit Awards.

Home Media

The film was released on DVD on August 29, 2006. It has grossed $29.60 M in U.S. DVD/home video rentals.