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Baby Mama
Posted: Apr 23, 2008 in Movies
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In "Baby Mama," Kate Holbrook (Tina Fey of "Saturday Night Live" and "30 Rock") hears her biological clock ticking, but she isn't ready for the realities of bearing a child. Kate's single and pushing 40, and she wants a baby, but her deformed uterus offers little hope of conceiving.
Desperate and exasperated, Kate hires a service to find a surrogate to have her baby for her. She gets Angie (Amy Poehler of "Blades of Glory"), a trashy, unkempt simpleton with a talent for making babies.
That the plot is pure formula scarcely matters. This film lives and dies on the actors' timing and the situations' ingenuity. Straitlaced control-freak Kate clashes with uneducated bumpkin Angie in typical odd-couple fashion.
At times, it works very well. But the in-between moments, such as when a promotion makes Kate the right hand to a pseudo-earthy entrepreneur (Steve Martin), are less successful.
The strong supporting cast produces mixed results. Sigourney Weaver and Martin try nobly to amp up the comedy, but are mired by poorly written characters and dialogue. Greg Kinnear is likable but dull as Kate's love interest.
Romany Malco ("The 40 Year-Old Virgin," TV's "Weeds") is a scene-stealer as Kate's doorman. The talented actor breaks out of the "acerbic black sidekick" stereotype, creating memorable characters from roles that other actors might have made boring and cookie-cutter.
"Baby Mama" feels like a feature-length "Saturday Night Live" special, perhaps because it was written and directed by Michael McCullers, a former SNL writer who also was a contributor to the first and third "Austin Powers" films.
But this is Fey's schtick, too, and her polite-yet-inappropriate nice-girl antics push the envelope in a land where swear words are still taboo. Yet, in a film era where producers such as Judd Apatow ("Knocked Up," "Forgetting Sarah Marshall") regularly discuss male masturbatory habits, Fey seems like small potatoes.
And that's a shame, especially in a film that features the line, "I think she wants me to rub olive oil on your taint."
There are some terrific moments in "Baby Mama" that deserve to be remembered, and in a better film they would be considered classics. Instead, they're stuck in a relatively forgettable film, doomed to an eternity in Wal-Mart's $5 DVD bin.
Aw, too bad. I was really hoping this would be much better.
Man Joe, this doesn't sound very good at all...bummer.
for some reason, i dont think this will be $5 at wal-mart. but who knows....
I saw this movie on Saturday ( 26th). It was an alright movie. There were hilarious moments but towards the second half the movie got boring. Amy Poehler has done an excellent job. Also, the doorman guy was funny.
Wait for it to come out on DVD.
I've come to expect more from Tina Fey's work on 30 Rock so this was a bit disappointing. Still it was entertaining and Amy Poehler was good.
I've come to expect more from Tina Fey's work on 30 Rock so this was ...
It struck me watching this movie that the general story of this film would have made an outstanding arc on "30 Rock," having Liz hook up with a surrogate mother for her child.
I've come to expect more from Tina Fey's work on 30 Rock so this was ...
I've never been impressed with Tina Fey, she wasn't good enough to act in any skits on SNL so they stuck her on the news, and now all the sudden she's an actress and on her own tv show? I know she's a funny writer and all, but maybe that's where it should end. I saw her guest star on SNL the other night, and I know why they kept her off of skits...she has like one emotion.
It still pi55es me off that 30 Rock is still around and Studio 60 got canned....America hates quality television.
I've never been impressed with Tina Fey, she wasn't good enough to act in any ...
30 Rock and The Office are the two best comedies on TV. Sorry. You are right that she's not a great actress, but in her niche she's very good (and both this film and 30 Rock are in her wheelhouse). She is one of those people who can have a great career if she sticks to the right kind of roles.
I really liked Studio 60 as well. I wish both shows could have survived, though I certainly don't think S60's demise had anything to do with 30 Rock.
30 Rock and The Office are the two best comedies on TV. Sorry. You are ...
Correction...It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The Office are the best two comedies on TV. Sorry.
They were two shows based on the same idea, behind the scenes on an SNL style show. S60 was more drama than comedy, but really well written, quite witty and superb acting. 30 Rock just isn't that great whenever I watch it, Tracy Morgan is it's only saving grace for me.
Correction...It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and The Office are the best two comedies on TV. ...
We'll agree to disagree...and to agree, I suppose. Tracy Morgan is great, but Fey and Alec Baldwin are awesome regularly as well.
I love how they used a real-life incident with the NBA referee, Tim Donaghy, that got in trouble for gambling, and they let Baldwin's character Jack Donaghy refer to his "brother Tim" who "fixes basketball games." Total throwaway line, but utterly brilliant.
My favorite thing about Tracy Morgan is when they talk about his movies. Among them are "Who Dat Ninja" and "Fat Bitch."
I'm with Joe on this one. 30 Rock and The Office are great. Throw in Earl, Scrubs, HIMYM, and 2 1/2 Men, and I'm pretty happy with network sit coms these days.