1 star:
Where do I start with this gigantic mess? I have been a fan of Tina Fey since she and Jimmy Fallon did the Weekend Update together on “Saturday Night Live.” I liked Weekend Update even better when Amy Poehler replaced Jimmy Fallon. The Fey/Poehler news team was hilarious. “Mean Girls,” the witty take on teenage life, was another one of Fey’s creations, and you have to admit, it is at least a “watchable” movie. Then there is “30 Rock,” one of the best shows on television, not to mention Fey’s more recent portrayal of John McCain’s running mate Sarah Palin on SNL.
How could this movie possibly suck, especially with Steve Martin, Greg Kinnear, Maura Tierney and Dax Shepard rounding out the cast? I’ll tell you how. Tina Fey didn’t write or direct this. I can only assume that Fey and Poehler did this movie as a favor for somebody.
Tina Fey plays a 37-year-old career woman who has been told by her doctors that there is a one in a million chance that she can get pregnant. Adoption is difficult for a single woman, so she goes with a surrogate mother. Amy Poehler plays the surrogate mother much like Adam Sandler played “Little Nicky.” She’s over the top, lacking any real humor. There’s just no material for anybody to work with.
What is good?
Honestly, I don’t know. I suppose there are people out there that will enjoy this far fetched, somewhat harmless, feel-good movie. In order to enjoy this movie, you have to be able to get over having your intelligence insulted.
There is one bit that I think could work. Sigourney Weaver plays a 58-year-old director of the surrogate mother agency. When Fey goes to meet with her, Weaver brings in her newborn to comfort Fey. Fey immediately thinks this child was from a surrogate mother, but Weaver is quick to let her know that she conceived and delivered the child. When we meet up with Weaver later on, she’s pregnant with twins. Had the rest of this movie worked, I think that bit would have worked.
What is bad?
The story.
The conflict in the movie is too far fetched that I don’t buy that Dax Sheppard and Amy Poehler’s characters could pull that off, especially the way they pull it off. If they had steered this movie away from the conflict and went with Judd Apatow type humor like “Knocked Up” or “40 Year Old Virgin,” I think this movie would have worked. Come to think of it, I would love to see Fey and Apatow working together.
The poor use of talent? Steve Martin plays Fey’s hippy boss. He has a long silver ponytail. You want to laugh, because it is Steve Martin and he’s hilarious, but his character is just so dumb that Steve Martin can’t even save it.
Overall this movie should be avoided, unless of course you’re interested in catching a glimpse of Tina Fey in prostitute-like garb as Poehler’s character convinces her to experience the life of clubbing. Actually, not even that is worth wasting your time.
BYLINE:
Bob Zerull is a frequent movie and concert goer who talks about his ventures to arenas and theaters more than any person should be allowed to do. Now, he puts them down on paper.
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