''Friends (with benefits)'' is a 2009

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a subgenre of comedy and slice of life fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount most obstacles. In a typica ...

film released on June 12, 2009 at the Seattle True Independent Film Festival.

Production

Casting

The film stars Margaret Laney as Chloe and Alex Brown as Owen, lifelong best friends and current med school students. Rounding out their tight-knit group of friends are Anne Peterson as Allison, Jake Alexander as Jeff, Lynn Mancinelli as Shirley, Brendan Bradley as Brad and

Rooney Mara Patricia Rooney Mara ( ; born April 17, 1985) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, ...

as Tara.

Development

Taken off a script originally written by

Gorman Bechard Gorman Bechard (born March 15, 1959) is an American film director, screenwriter and novelist best known for his independent feature films ''Psychos in Love,'' ''Friends (With Benefits), Friends (with benefits),'' and ''You Are Alone''; his four r ...

in 1999, the film was shopped around that summer under the title ''Fuck Buddies'' to every major studio in Hollywood. Inevitably, the script was put on the back burner until Bechard started looking for a lighter follow-up to his extremely dark 2005 feature '' You Are Alone''. In 2006 Bechard teamed with writing partner Ashley McGarry and they began to rewrite the film, changing the title to ''Friends (with benefits)'' and casting Margaret Laney in the lead role.

Filming

Production began in April 2007. The film was shot over 18 days in New Haven, Connecticut.

Release

The film debuted at the Seattle True Independent Film Festival on June 12, 2009 and received their award for "Best Romantic Comedy". The film was released on DVD in the United States in August 2010.

References

External links

* * American coming-of-age films American independent films American sex comedy films 2009 films 2009 romantic comedy films Films directed by Gorman Bechard 2000s sex comedy films 2009 independent films 2000s English-language films 2000s American films {{2000s-romantic-comedy-film-stub