“Friends with Money”, a comedic drama written and directed by Nicole Holofcener (“Lovely and Amazing) tells the story of four friends dealing with money and their copious personal lives.

Franny (Joan Cusack) seems to be the happiest of the foursome. She has the ideal life, prospering with a loving and supportive husband and two children, while having more than enough money in the bank that she must decide who she will donate 2 million dollars of disposable income to.

Christine (Catherine Keener) writes screenplays with her husband. They have the means to add a second floor to their home so that Christine can finally have a view of the ocean from the master bedroom, perhaps it is also meant to help divert her attention from her crumbling marriage.

Jane (Frances McDormand) is a fashion designer going through a mid-life crisis. She puts less effort in her appearance and decides that washing her hair is irrelevant . Her sudden rabid behavior gets her into more trouble, often lecturing her friends and family about the “injustice” in the world, when truly she is speaking about the unfairness of the inevitable aging process.

Unlike her three married friends, Olivia (Jennifer Aniston) is single. She works a low wage job as a housecleaner and is obsessed with a married man she had a brief affair with. She is the common topic of conversation among her three friends and although they are supportive and loving, they do have a low opinion of her. As one of her friends laconically and bluntly puts it, “She’s unmarried. She’s a pothead and she’s a maid”.

Overall, Holofcener fans will be pleased with what develops on screen. She presents everyday women and thrusts them into four different, yet believable protagonists. The story moves gradually, allowing audiences to truly understand each character and there is a desire for each one of them to grow and learn from their mistakes. There are no happy endings, only a satisfying conclusion that stays true to Holofcener’s style.