Baby Mama is a comedy (and box office) smash

By Amber Drea
Published: May 13th, 2008 | 3:30pm

Despite some minor flaws, Baby Mama is a fresh take on the old biological-clock story that's often relegated to Lifetime’s movie of the week.

Starring the dynamic duo of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, Baby Mama follows in the footsteps of pregnancy-centered hits like Knocked Up and Juno, though unlike those movies, its storyline can be a little clichéd at times. While the first half of the film manages to avoid predictability, the second half falls into the traps of your average romantic/feel-good comedy, including the heartfelt moment during which everyone learns something and the happy ending in which everyone gets exactly what they want.

Kate — a more neurotic, OCD version of Fey’s 30 Rock character, Liz Lemon — is the VP of a major organic grocery store chain and decides it’s time to start a family, sans spouse. But after nine failed artificial inseminations and an adoption rejection, she turns to surrogacy and gets paired up with Angie (Poehler), a fashion-savvy hillbilly with a penchant for Dr. Pepper. The hilarity begins when Angie leaves her jerk-off “common-law husband” (played by Dax Shepherd) and moves in with Kate, creating an endless stream of silly situations. The fun comes to a screeching halt when Angie is forced to tell Kate the truth about the bun in her oven.

With a clever script by writer-director Michael McCullers (Austin Powers in Goldmember, Saturday Night Live), Fey and Poehler’s dead-on delivery and comedic chemistry carry the film. From Poehler squatting on the bathroom sink to Fey dancing in a nightclub, these ladies prove they deserve to be at the top of the list alongside legendary comedy teams like Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley (Ab Fab) or Laurel and Hardy.

Many of the supporting cast members were also vital to making this movie unforgettable, such as Steve Martin’s New Age guru, Sigourney Weaver’s supernaturally fertile middle-aged matron, and the underrated Romany Malco (Weeds, 40 Year Old Virgin) as Kate’s doorman. And with a gross of $17.4 million ranking it No. 1 at the box office opening weekend, this female-led film is not only critically successful, but financially viable as well.

Visit Baby Mama's official Web site.