Saturday Night Live” vets Tina Fey and Amy Poehler defy traditional box office pairings as they team up for the new comedy “Baby Mama.”
Kate Holbrook (Fey) is a 37-year-old who desperately wants a baby despite her single status and “T-shaped uterus,” which is deemed incapable of reproduction by her doctors. Kate considers the obvious first choice of adoption but there is a five-year waiting list for single women, thus surrogacy becomes the likely route, in spite of the $100,000 price tag.
Chaffee Bicknell (Sigourney Weaver) heads the surrogate agency and concludes that Angie (Poehler), a loud, junk food eating, unproductive woman who is the extreme opposite of Kate, who lives a structured and accomplished life, would make a good match for Kate-after all, she did pass a background and credit check.
Fey and Poehler have been friends for years as they traveled the states after meeting in a Chicago based comedy troupe and most notably their hilarious work on the “SNL,” and the movie “Mean Girls.”
The two made history back in 2004 when “SNL’s” Weekend Update had its first female co-anchors. Fey is also known for being “SNL’s” first female lead writer and her role as the creator and star in “30 Rock.”
A funny moment of the film occurred as the in vitro fertilization process took place with “Endless Love” by Lionel Richie and Diana Ross playing in the background, while Kate and Angie held hands and gazed into each others’ eyes.
Kate’s mother Rose (Holland Taylor), who is the cause of Kate’s reproduction problem, was comical in her scenes, especially when she refers to Kate’s lack of a mate as an “alternative lifestyle,” or when she tells Kate not to adopt a black baby just because all the celebrities are doing it.
Certain parts of the movies seemed rushed.
Half way through the movie Kate suddenly finds herself dating Rob (Greg Kinnear), a smoothie store owner. After one date they become attached at the hip and became a couple without formally letting the audience know.
The film’s supporting actors make significant contributions. Steve Martin who plays Kate’s grey pony-tailed boss who is a little too in touch with the earth. Other supporting actors include her doorman Oscar (Romany Malco) and Dax Sheppard as Angie’s trashy “common-law husband” Carl.
The movie takes a sensitive topic like the inability to reproduce and the alternative methods that are available through technology today and gives it a comical spin. This could potentially to cause some to look at this at times controversial issue in a new light.
The movie’s major flaw lies in first-time director Michael McCullers and his lack of creativity during filming. McCullers’ strength stems in his writing ability on “SNL” and the Austin Powers movies.
Although the film does not live up to the duos’ comic strengths that they are known for, it isn’t a bad movie. The film has a slight twist in plot but all in all it turns out well.
