Universal Pictures and Relativity Media present a PG-13 rated, 96 minute comedy directed by Michael McCullers and starring Tina Fey (Kate Holbrook), Amy Poehler (Angie Ostrowski), Greg Kinnear (Rob), Dax Shepard (Carl), Romany Malco (Oscar), Sigourney Weaver (Chaffee Bicknell), Steve Martin (Barry), Maura Tierney (Caroline) with Stephen Mailer (Dan), Holland Taylor (Rose), James Rebhorn (Judge), Denis O'Hare (Dr. Manheim), Kevin Collins (Rick), Will Forte (Scott) and Fred Armisen (Stroller Salesman).
When a successful 37 year old woman, Vice-President of the new flagship organic market in Philadelphia for Round Earth, decides to get pregnant she discovers she can't. So what does a control freak, single woman out to have a child and a career do? She considers her options, dating, too scary for the man especially while on the first date, adoption, takes too long, the infamous sperm bank, she can pee on the stick for an eternity but still get a bouncing baby, no! Bingo, we have a winner, she soon visits Chaffee Bicknell, not only the owner of a surrogate finder company but also a member. She helps Kate seek out the so-called perfect woman to carry her fertilized egg all for the hefty nest egg of $100,000. Soon she discovers that the woman, Angie, who will carry her child for 9 months is a stupid white trash want to be clothes designer with a unemployed crooked husband, Carl.
What was already a bad situation gets worst for Carl and Angie in their own home life. Angie moves on up to a deluxe apartment, home to Kate. Of course, Kate takes her in since she is carrying her child or so she thinks! Months pass, white lies flourish, emotions run rampant and Kate and Angie's life turns into a melodramatic score from "Endless Love". Albeit when prim, proper and educated meets potty mouth, under-achieved, white trash all hell is about to break loose in their world. Like Oscar and Felix, Tom and Jerry, these two have their moments of friendship but also their fits of clean and dirty, naughty and nice, cat and mouse.
Angie sits at home doing all the wrong things while singing to her "American Idol" video game, which looks like fun by the way! While Kate goes to work for Barry, an eccentric, far out from another world, organic eating guru that uses is mind to communicate more than his lips. Even though I love Steve Martin, his character in this story would not have been missed. His talents definitely could have been better utilized, maybe as Kate's father!
A surprise to the plot comes into play working for a smoothie shop called "Super Fruity". Rob, a father himself, played by Kinnear, always a breath of fresh air on the big screen, was a delight to watch as he sweeps Kate off her feet in this girl meets boy scenario. As the story continues, both women discover that they like a little bit of each others ways and learn a thing or two about life on both sides of the trailer park. But lies have a way of surfacing like a white head on ones forehead. Unlike a squirrel that forgets 50% of the time where it buried its nuts, a pregnant woman knows exactly where her baby is located during gestation. The rain of truth falls hard at Kate and Angie's shower literally tearing apart friendships and relationships. Overall, in the end the dam breaks causing the vaginal flood gates to flow adding yet another generation to this "Tom & Jerry" world we all live in.
I enjoyed the fact that the story took place in Pennsylvania, referencing common stomping grounds of my personal past, University of Scranton and Penn State University, my alumni, go Nittany Lions! The film is a total chick flick that will definitely support a large audience of women that are watching their own ticking clock like the hands of time, waiting for their own child to arrive someday. The story plays out like an SNL skit with longevity and reality to the preparations leading up to child birth. I expected a bit more slap-stick and over-the-top humor but instead got more of a well written and thought out story about not just one but two women and their related journey towards motherhood.
Fey was a dramatic delight to watch as the leading lady but it is the immature child-like antics of Poehler that really steal the comedic tone of this well scored film. Weaver, although not a major player was superb, playing her dark and somewhat chilling character out to make money in the baby market. Tierney, also a small role but once again a good support to Fey's character. Shepard, was that true train wreak that mama always warned her daughter to stay away from in school but of course she never listened. Ultimately, this film was not as funny as I thought it was going to be but was still filled with some well executed one liners and scenes sure to give it a good word of mouth amongst the female demographics. Not to worry guys, at 96 minutes long, this story moves well enough, thanks to the characters, it does not feel like a life time.
Reporting for Talkin' Pets, I'm Jon Patch.