Author: Anthony Ostland and Henry Meier
In his directorial debut, Michael McCullers has created a likeable comedy about the travails of a female corporate executive, Kate Holbrook (Tina Fey), who is unable to conceive. High-school dropout Angie Ostrowiski (Amy Poehler) becomes the surrogate mother of Kate’s baby after the two are matched through a surrogacy agency run by Chaffee Bicknell (Sigourney Weaver). While the plot is nothing special, McCullers does a fantastic job putting his cast in situations where they are able to use their comedic strengths. Laughs are abundant as both Fey and Poehler reprise the chemistry that made them so funny on Saturday Night Live. The plot follows Kate and Angie as they progress through the process of surrogacy. The usual pregnancy jokes are plentiful, but they are well executed by Fey, Poehler and the rest of the cast. Fey willingly accepts her role of setup woman, as Poehler delivers punchline after punchline.
McCullers, who’s written several SNL cast-member vehicles (Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Austin Powers in Goldmember) came up with a perfect scenario for Fey and Poehler, a true comedy team who honed their chemistry over multiple seasons’ worth of “Weekend Updates.” Even though some of the relationships in the film are predictable (i.e. Fey’s love interest, played by Greg Kinnear), it’s the relationship between Kate and Angie that becomes the film’s central story, making this comedy sweeter than one might otherwise expect.
The supporting cast is also exceptional, each character playing their roles perfectly. Steve Martin is especially hilarious as Kate’s boss Barry, the owner of a mega-healthstore chain who exudes yuppie guru wisdom. He doesn’t try to commandeer scenes, yet you somehow leave the theater with a distinct impression of his character. Romany Malco (of 40-Year-Old Virgin fame) is also brilliant as Kate’s doorman Oscar. His snappy dialogue gives us some of the movie’s best one-liners.
In the end, Baby Mama is better than an extended Saturday Night Live episode, but not hilarious or emotional enough to count as a total movie. It is a comedy that remains on the right side of funny simply by not doing anything too wrong. It’s a safe assortment of cute scenes that are elevated by good comedic timing.
LESSON LEARNED
1) Fey and Poehler are better comedians than actors, but their appealing rapport bumps the movie up from “just fine” to “good enough,” even if both are good enough to do something that’s more than fine.
LAST WORDS
Henry: In the weeks leading up to the film’s release, much was being made of the female duo that headlines the movie and whether or not they could carry a movie on their own. I think, without a doubt, the fears of critics have been assuaged. No Will Ferrell or Vince Vaughn is needed to create laughs in this movie; Fey and Poehler more than hold their own.
Anthony: Baby Mama isn’t going to win any awards, nor does it have the power to stand out amongst the elite comedies (Juno, Knocked Up, or Anthony Punching Henry in the Back of the Head), but it does what it set out to do well. The film is safely structured with the right people put in charge of delivering the funny. Tina Fey is regarded more for her writing (Mean Girls, 30 Rock); still, she is no slouch on the big screen. Amy Poehler is a comedic genius. The film is worth seeing for this fact alone.
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