Movie Review: Baby Mama (2008)

The movie stars Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Steve Martin, Sigourney Weaver, Greg Kinnear, Dax Shepard and Romany Malco.

This film, which my wife and I first watched when she was pregnant with our youngest daughter, is on her list of all-time favorites. So, when I discovered it was on Netflix yesterday, I decided to watch it with her last night as a treat.

Even though this movie is one I would list in the romantic comedy category and is obviously geared more toward women as a result, I do have to admit, I have enjoyed watching this film with her every time we've seen it. In fact, I think it is actually one of the better comedies I've seen recently.

One thing I found I really like about this movie is it isn't quite as predictable as I would expect a film like this to be. Yes, there are some parts of the plot that feel a little too similar to dozens of other films in this genre. However, once we learn Angie (Poehler) is trying to con Kate, the various little twists and turns that follow do leave you guessing about how the film is going to end (well, at least until the very end, when the final "surprise twist" wasn't really that surprising).

Also, while the Odd-Couple-like efforts of Fey and Poehler were the obvious selling point for this movie (my wife especially likes the scene involving the gum), I think the thing that really helps this film are the various extra characters that kind of take on a life of their own. This includes Kate's eccentric boss (Martin), her doorman (Malco) and the always-pregnant surrogate broker (Weaver). The movie does a good job of showing these characters just enough to make them memorable while, at the same time, keeping the screen time short enough to keep the focus on the two stars.

If I have any complaints about this movie, it had to be the way it tied things up a little too nicely at the end. I could almost buy Kate and Angie becoming friends. But, Kate's boyfriend (Kinnear) seemed like kind of an ass, to be honest, and I kind of wish, despite the surprise twist I mentioned before, the movie would have taken that into consideration a little more. In other words, considering some of the things he says to her in the movie, she was a little too quick to forgive him.

I kind of wish the ending would have a little less predictable and a little less "neat." However, I have enjoyed this movie whenever I've watched it with my wife and would recommend it.

My Grade: B