Baby Mama (2008)

Number Rolled: 71

Movie Name/Year: Baby Mama (2008)

Tagline: Would you put your eggs in this basket?

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Length: 98 minutes

Rating: PG-13

Production Companies: Broadway Video, Michaels-Goldwyn, Relativity Media

Producer: Kay Cannon, Erin David, John Goldwyn, Ryan Kavanaugh, Jill Sobel Messick, Lorne Michaels, Louise Rosner

Director: Michael McCullers

Writer: Michael McCullers

Actors: Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Greg Kinnear, Dax Shepard, Romany Malco, Sigourney Weaver, Steve Martin, Maura Tierney, Stephen Mailer, Holland Taylor, James Rebhorn, Denis O’Hare, Kevin Collins, Will Forte

Blurb from Netflix: When straightlaced Kate learns she’s infertile, she hires immature Angie to be her surrogate, inviting hilarity as both women prepare for motherhood.

Selina’s Point of View:

I wasn’t really a fan of this film. There was nothing all that wrong about it, but there wasn’t much right, either.

I am a Tina Fey (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, 30 Rock, Muppets Most Wanted) fan. Maybe if she had more of a hand in the writing of Baby Mama, it might have a difference.

Everything was just so basic. From the jump, I knew exactly how it would end and the exact road we would travel to get there. Michael McCullers (Enough About Me, The Boss Baby, Austin Powers in Goldmember), the writer/director, seemed to try to subvert expectations in a few scenes, but those attempts didn’t work.

I found myself bored. I don’t think I’ve ever been bored in a Tina Fey comedy. It sucks.

This film really isn’t for me, but it might serve as some brainless watching for someone that enjoys the kind of cringey comedy utilized.

Cat’s Point of View:

Baby Mama was definitely a refreshing change of pace. I had needed a little comedy today, and I was very glad that this one lived up to its genre definition. I had watched a movie earlier that was actually from Netflix’s comedies category. It was supposed to be a comedic horror. The only thing I could say was humorous was the laughable quality of the film overall. I digress. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case here.

All told, this movie took a rather sensitive topic and gave it both a comedic and respectful treatment. Of course, not everyone will agree on the latter – but people just get offended too easily these days. I actually know someone who quit saying ‘bless you’ when someone sneezes because they don’t want to be seen as feeding into the whole superstitious origin of that practice. I’m digressing again.

Seriously, though, this movie had an outstanding cast full of comedy star power from both the ‘old guard’ and new. When you put Steve Martin (The Pink Panther, Love the Coopers, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk), Tina Fey (Date Night, Megamind, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot), and Amy Poehler (Arrietty, Inside Out, The House) together;  it apparently adds up to magic. I was also really excited to see Sigourney Weaver (Chappie, Ghostbusters, A Monster Calls) involved with this film. While she may be a sci-fi badass, I’ve really enjoyed her comedy work.

I felt that the story here was entertaining. Don’t get me wrong, though. When I mentioned the film was ‘respectful,’ I meant that only in the sense of treating the topic of infertility. The humor here is a bit on the crass side in places. While it may appeal to the lowest common denominator, it was still worth some good laughs and was a welcome stress reliever. After all the rush and hoopla surrounding the holidays, it’s great to just turn off your brain on occasion and giggle at the toilet humor.

While the movie wasn’t entirely unpredictable, and a little on the groany side in places; it was still enjoyable enough to get a recommendation. 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 64%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 55%

Metascore – 55/100

Metacritic User Score – 7.7/10

IMDB Score – 6.0/10

Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 2/5

Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 3/5

Movie Trailer: