Wendy Wasserstein's new film, The Object of My Affection, opens nationally April 17. It includes many names that will be familiar to theatregoers, and explores themes that will be familiar to Wasserstein fans.

Wassterstein, winner of the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for The Heidi Chronicles, is back on Heidi territory once again with this movie about a young woman who decides to raise her out-of-wedlock baby with her best friend -- a gay man. Among many other things, Heidi showed a woman who is unable to find an appropriate man for a relationship (her best friend is gay), and thus decides to raise her baby alone.

Object is directed by Nicholas Hytner (Carousel), and stars Paul Rudd (Last Night of Ballyhoo), Alan Alda (Art), Nigel Hawthorne (The Madness of King George III), along with TV's Jennifer Aniston.

Wasserstein's plays include Isn't It Romantic, The Sisters Rosensweig and An American Daughter. Her children's book, "Pamela's First Musical," is being filmed by Disney with music by Cy Coleman.

Hytner has been tapped to direct the film version of Chicago. -- By Robert Viagas