Review of Baby Mama (2008) by Jason R — 31 Aug 2011

I did not want to see this movie. Not being a fan of Amy Poehler, the previews made this look like the stereotypical small town hick meets high-class lady and all hell breaks out from the pairing. Well, I had a free rental so decided to give it a try, and I was extremely and pleasantly surprised! I thought that it would be a water-downed, overlong SNL skit that stopped being funny 30 seconds into it.

Now this movie was not laugh-out-loud funny, but it was enjoyable. Excellent secondary cast here, especially Martin and Weaver. I loved when Martin âgets madâ? in his oh-so-soothing vocal pattern. Shepard is also a scene stealer and is hilarious as the white trash boyfriend. There so much going on with this plot, but it all makes sense and never got jumbled up. And there were heartwarming moments along with big surprises. Its not just an odd couple rip off, itâ(TM)s a movie about determination, trust, and doing whatâ(TM)s right. Its about the many layers and motivations of a person and exploring those layers to ultimately be the best person who can for those you care about.

Fey again shows her acting depth in this movie. She portrays the woman who âhas it allâ? except a family. As she works to find a way to have a baby, she must let herself go to the fact that things will not always go as directed. There will be square pegs to her perfectly circle holes. And families aren't always biological but occasionally formed through friendship as well. While her character shows little growth, itâ(TM)s the emotional struggle for her that keeps your attention.

The ending falters a bit after the courtroom scene in its efforts to give everyone a happy and thus consequently predictable solution, but overall I thought it was a good movie. Nothing in the story over-achieves, but it is done well. Its not a cut-and-dry plot. It kept my attention. It went beyond a simple comedy with corny contrived âtouchingâ? moments and gave you something unexpected that is cute and funny.