Admission
Now that Tina Fey is done with her beloved sitcom, “30 Rock,” it’s time that she started writing some of the movies she was in. The last time she did was 2004’s terrific “Mean Girls,” which was the best film Lindsey Lohan’s ever been involved in, and which Fey had a supporting role.
I’ll admit, I like Paul Weitz’s “Admission” a lot more than the Fey-starring “Baby Mama,” and it’s definitely a stronger narrative than her 2010 hit, “Date Night” (although that film was definitely funnier than this surprisingly dramatic movie). However, the film’s screenplay, based on a novel by Jean Hanff Korelitz, relies too much on Fey and co-star Paul Rudd to elevate it beyond standard comedic fare, and even though both do so, they can’t elevate it enough for the film to rate with their best work.
Fey stars as Portia Nathan, an Admissions officer at Princeton who is in a long-term relationship with an English professor (the ridiculous Michael Sheen), and has a fairly ordinary life, even with the unconventional upbringing she had by her mother (the crazy-brilliant Lily Tomlin). One day, she goes to an independent learning institution where the teacher in charge (John Pressman, played by Paul Rudd) has a child prodigy (Jeremiah, played affectingly by Nat Wolff) whom he thinks would be a perfect candidate. Portia is impressed, as well, but John has a potential bombshell for her…Jeremiah might be the son Portia gave up in college 18 years ago, leaving her in a potentially awkward ethical position in her career, and a crossroads in her life.
Just by writing out the last part of that plot summary, it’s easy to see how “Admission” feels less like a straight-forward romantic comedy, and more like an exploration of characters in unlikely life situations, along the lines of the great 2002 film Paul made with his brother, “About a Boy.” Unfortunately, this film lacks the smart, emotional backbone that story had, even though it has terrific work in front of the camera by Fey, Rudd, Wolff, and pretty much everyone else with a major role in the film. As a result, “Admission” is more engaging and enjoyable than it would be with a lesser cast, but not quite as good as this cast deserves.
