Cool News
What Is BABY MAMA, And What Are Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Steve Martin And Greg Kinnear Doing In It?!
Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here.
A friend of mine sent me an invite to this test screening earlier in the week. I was sort of amazed when I saw the cast. I hadn’t heard anything about this film that I can remember, so I’m curious to read this reader’s reaction to the screening that just happened:
Hey Harry! I’m a long time reader of AICN but never had the chance to contribute anything until I moved to LA recently. Well, I was just part of the “first-ever so-important” screening for a new flick called “Baby Mama” at the AMC 16 in Burbank. I figured I’d get the word out on how it went!
I went in without knowing anything about the film aside from the cast, which is pretty impressive, to say the least. It includes Tina Fey, Steve Martin, Greg Kinnear, Amy Poehler, and even a spot for Sigourney Weaver! The pass flyer had a pretty decent synopsis of what happens in the film, but I was a little put off by the name. Basically, an aging and high-class business woman named Kate (Fey) is desperate for a child. However, due to a problem with her ovaries and age, she only has a million-in-one chance of actually having one. After having issues with adoption, she decides to try a surrogate mother company owned by Chaffee Bicknell (Weaver). Through this program, she meets the future mother of her child, Angie (Poehler). It turns out, though, that Angie isn’t exactly what Kate had in mind for the mother of her baby and wacky hijinks ensue. Along the way, we meet several characters that affect Kate’s life, including juice-shop owner Rob (Kinnear) and Kate’s boss, Barry (Martin). Obviously, I can’t go into too many details about the film specifics, but that’s pretty much the summary.
With a synopsis like that, combined with a title like “Baby Mama,” I was worried that this would be another wacky and zany comedy filled with slapstick and cheap laughs. However, I was pleasantly surprised, in large part due to the wonderful casting and slick writing. The film as a whole was a wonderful mix of sight gags and just generally out-there characters along with more subtle, high-brow jokes. Myself and the rest of the audience was laughing throughout most of the film with only a few sections of downtime dispersed throughout. Every actor was at the top of their game, and I really think fans of Tina Fey/30 Rock will enjoy how she handled her role. I should also note that Steve Martin was not in an incredibly large role but absolutely stole the screen whenever he appeared as Kate’s New Age boss and corporation owner. I heard several of those around me marking him down on the “Favorite Characters” section during the review afterwards, as I also did.
The film is not perfect, however, and it does suffer from the same pacing problems that similar comedies have. The beginning is wonderful and funny, but the middle section saw a downturn of laughs as conflict and such start to enter the picture a little more. The overall outcome is predictable once the twists were thrown out, and a few of the characters, while funny, didn’t really seem completely necessary to the whole of the film. They could easily cut out around 15-20 minutes of the film without trouble. The version we saw without credits and the like was roughly 2 hours, which was bearable for sure, but could be a bit shorter.
In the end, I was really glad I went. Having just watched Knocked Up, I got much of the same vibe as far as the style of comedy, though this film had a slightly more “zany” vibe to it. The “lessons learned” and such may not be as profound, but I think fans of the former would enjoy this one quite a bit, large because of Tina Fey’s attachment to it. The writing’s slick, funny, and smart, especially considering how easily it would have been to turn the premise into just another generic “pregnancy is funny” comedy. I’ll definitely call up the parents and take them to see it whenever it’s released.
If you use this, call me Serphius.
-
+ Expand All
-
An all too rare occurance these days. He normally spends his time sucking satans cockend for cash.
-
always wondered about that.
-
Just ridiculous. And now clearly overused. The film - despite the title - sounds interesting, though.
-
And so was Eddie Murphy's. I wish they would be funny again. The same goes for Frank Oz. Anyway...I hope this is good...
-
Never been done. Should be a laugh-a-minute. The potential for hijinks is unlimited.
-
Dogbite or car accident. No one is sure.http://tinyurl.com/2mn3lq
-
On Howard Stern. Fucking hilarious. Dumb cunt hosted SNL and Tina Fey DESTROYED her on air. Funny shit.
-
I disagree that Bowfinger was his last good film. Shopgirl was. In my opinion, Steve Martin should, for the most part, only do movies that he writes. Personally, I still think that L.A. Story is one of the '90s best films.
-
Tina's character on 30 Rock is the "I'm an aging professional woman without a man and a baby" character. They should just turn this into 30 Rock the movie.
-
I'm surprised, usuall talkbackers are all over this.
"I *heard* several of those around me marking him down on the “Favorite Characters” section during the review afterwards, as I also did."..... ??
-
Holy crap do I want to make out with her.
-
If you lived in a flower garden. Come on, comparing it to "Knocked Up" and then saying he'll take the parents to it? Come on, you can't have your roses and eat them too...
PLANT! -
Everyone's at the "top of their game", the only problems are the ones that "other similar comedies have", "if you liked 'Knocked Up' you'll like this". Definitely a plant...or a shitty review.
-
I agree that LA Story is one of the 90s best films. I have yet to see Shopgirl though, but you're the second person in the past week to say it's good, so I'll have to check it out.
-
that was def the vibe I got as wellShopgirl is good, the novella, of course is better
-
I work at Vitamin World for Christ's sake. So, I guess I DEAL with plants, but if I had the insides to the movie industry to be a plant, I wouldn't spend it writing reviews.
-
I agree. The "Pointy Birds poem" reference alone in LA Story makes it better than all of the Farrelly Brothers movies combined.
-
colourdes?
I'd call you a douche but then I'd be assuming you actually came within a 3 foot range of a vagina.
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 273 total posts 271 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 92 total posts 92 posts
- AVENGERS enemy revealed as pink boardgame pieces... You might suffer some form of elation... SPOILERS!!! -- 160 total posts 69 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 151 total posts 63 posts
- Does ‘SNL’ Rhyme With ‘Deschanel’?? Learn Which SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Vet Hosts After Sexy Zooey!! -- 67 total posts 59 posts
- HANNA's Saoirse Ronan to boss around seven little people -- 60 total posts 57 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 484 total posts 49 posts
- Here's The Red Band Trailer For Drafthouse Films' THE FP! -- 69 total posts 42 posts
- Friday Brings SWEEPS DAY NINE!! Gab Here About Tonight’s FRINGE!! Plus Einstein on TIM, Wiig On PORTLANDIA, MAHER, CLONE, GIFTED, GRIMM, SPARTACUS, SUPERNATURAL, GOLD RUSH And More!! -- 120 total posts 32 posts
- SPACE 2099!! -- 183 total posts 24 posts