Baby Mama
BY Ryan LaMarca / 2008-12-26
Tina Fey is one funny lady. She was great during her tenure on "Saturday Night Live," and her show "30 Rock" is one of the finest comedies on television right now. In "Baby Mama," Fey once again teams up with "SNL" star Amy Poehler to hilarious results. More recently the duo have been seen on "Saturday Night Live" during the 2008 election cycle with Poehler playing Senator Hillary Clinton and Fey doing Governor Sarah Palin. The two of them worked wonders on the show and especially in the movie. It's actually very challenging to find a movie that succeeds as a good comedy, as I can only think of two other excellent comedies this year. Although Tina Fey did not write the movie herself as she has done with previous projects, her charm as an actress as well as her chemistry with Poehler and the strong script help to make "Baby Mama" a great comedy.
Successful businesswoman Kate Holbrook (Tina Fey) has always told herself that she didn't want a child and after years of accelerating her career and working hard, she decides it's now or never to have one. The only problem is that she's infertile, and even drastic techniques such as in-vitro fertilization have failed. Because she cannot conceive and because adoption is denied to her, Kate turns to the immature working girl Angie Ostrowiski (Amy Poehler) to be her surrogate mother. However, sparks begin to fly as personalities collide and Kate becomes obsessive and overprotective of her unborn baby.
Why is it that "Baby Mama" succeeds when so many other comedies fall flat? "Baby Mama" is a smart comedy and has some of the strongest writing for a comedy movie in a long time. It relies more on the wit and the charm of the two leads to carry it through rather than lowering itself to fart and poop jokes. I was actually surprised to learn that Fey herself did not write the movie's script as it seems similar to the writing on her other work. However, the movie was written and directed by Michael McCullers, a former "SNL" writer back in the 1997-1998 season, a time when Fey was also writing for the show. McCullers also co-wrote the three "Austin Powers" movies, so he does have a somewhat decent track record.
If anything at all, "Baby Mama" shows that Tina Fey can carry the weight of a full film on her shoulders. Even though the top billing is divided equally between her and Poehler, it's Fey's film. She plays her typical character: a smart, successful businesswoman who's a bit socially awkward. And when Poehler comes in as her surrogate mother, it becomes the tried and true tale of two opposites teaching each other what the other was lacking and eventually becoming friends. But never does "Baby Mama" feel tired because of it. It's always fresh, always delightful, and always funny, and that's because of the actors. The two of them just feel so natural together and it's so enjoyable to set them loose on each other.
Additionally, aside from the great talents of Fey and Poehler, we also get the likes of Greg Kinnear, Sigourney Weaver, Dax Shepard, Romany Malco, and best of all, Steve Martin, who as usual, steals the show. Martin plays Fey's boss, the offbeat Barry who's into all kinds of spiritual and meditative practices. When Fey gets a promotion and is put in charge of a project, Barry locks foreheads with her for congratulations. In another scene, he has to stare at her for five minutes straight in order to give her thanks. Steve Martin is great at playing these kinds of characters, so it's a welcome addition to "Baby Mama." Sigourney Weaver is the lady in charge of the surrogate mother company and gets poked fun of at a lot with a running joke regarding her continual pregnancies and her age.
With so many bad comedies coming out every year, it's a rare occasion that you can find a gem like "Baby Mama," truly one of the year's best comedy films. Anyone who has enjoyed Tina Fey's great work on projects like "30 Rock" and even her feature film "Mean Girls" can find much to enjoy with "Baby Mama." The chemistry between Fey and Amy Poehler is just dynamite for the screen and the smart, witty writing is sure to spark loads of laughter.
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