Lauren Miller

(On Cable TV, July 2013) Saying that a comedy doesn’t have a lot of laughs is usually a bad sign, but not always.  Sometimes, a “comedy” only qualifies as such because it features sympathetic characters doing amusing things in ways that result for a happy ending for everyone.  Such films don’t need to be constantly hilarious to be entertaining, and that’ s how we end up talking about For a Good Time, Call…, a gentle good-natured comedy in which two young women end up starting their own phone sex line in order to make ends meet.  It’s a low-budget film that doesn’t entirely feel like one, due to a good script, competent direction and cameo appearances from well-known friends/family of writer/star Lauren Miller.  (The cast list features Justin Long and Nia Vardalos, as well as cameos from Seth Rogen and Kevin “Welcome to New Jersey!” Smith… and a small but remarkable performance by Stephanie Beard)  Still, this is truly Ari Graynor’s film, as she brings life to a tricky character and manages considerable chemistry with her co-star Miller, which becomes increasingly important as the two characters develop a platonic womance.  The subject matter including phone sex, adult toys and straight-up sex, it goes without saying that film does contain a bit of raunch.  Still, the film is far sweeter than crass (subject matter aside, there’s little here to warrant more than a PG-13 rating) and leaves viewers with a smile.  Which is all it needed to do.