Baby Mama

Baby Mama
April 25, 2008
Universal etc.
Comedy, Romance
DVD
B

In some ways, this is sort of the flip-side of Juno, although Amy Poehler is the working-class surrogate mother for the baby that single yuppie Tina Fey hopes to have, rather than an accidentally pregnant teen.  There are more stereotypes here, not just with Poehler's character but also with Romany Malco as Oscar the African-American doorman.  I do feel that the performances and the witty screenplay humanize and expand on these stereotypes, but I can see how some might object.  Similarly, the whole "ticking biological clock" thing can be seen as both '80s dated and anti-feminist, but Fey and the others manage to tweak this.  Similarly, the movie plays with rom-com tropes (most obviously in the "Endless Love" sequence) and applies them to two straight women who become unlikely best friends.  The two leads, friends in real life, play off of each other well, and are ably supported by (among others) Steve Martin as Fey's New-Agey boss, Sigourney Weaver as the 50-something but incredibly fertile manager of the surrogacy agency, the eternal Holland Taylor as Fey's mother, and Greg Kinnear as Fey's love interest, one of the more realistic characters, although not without humor.

Siobhan Fallon Hogan, who plays the Birthing Teacher, was (minus the speech impediment) Stanley's Mother in Holes.  Mark A. Keeton was Sloane's Dinner Companion in Music and Lyrics and is Denim Suit Guy here.  Fred Armisen, the Stroller Saleman here, would be the Pastor in Easy A.

As Good as It Gets

As Good as It Gets
December 25, 1997
TriStar
Drama, Comedy, Romance
VHS
B-

Although this won critical acclaim and I remember it as being pretty well liked, including by my almost 30-year-old self, it has, in a different way than Spice World, not aged well.  Not that it's embarrassingly '90s or anything, but I just think the whole idea that a man whose obsessive-compulsiveness is the least of his problems can be cured by love and friendship is a bit much.  I could sort of buy him turning human under the influence of one of the all-time cutest movie dogs (a Brussels Griffon), and I could even believe that he would be changed by getting to know a single mom waitress and his gay artist neighbor.  But when he starts playing Santa Claus and winds up with the girl, plausibility is stretched to breaking point.  And that's ignoring the facts that the "hero" is not only about 25 years older than the girl, but an incredible bigot.

That said, the performances remain strong, not just by the three leads-- Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt, and Greg Kinnear-- but by such supporting players as Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Yeardley Smith as Kinnear's friends, and Shirley Knight as Hunt's mother.  And, yes, the three dogs playing little Verdell are incredibly expressive.

Frank Slaten had been a henchman in Johnny Dangerously and is Miffed Partygoer here.  Alba Albanese is a New Yorker here and would be Woman in Central Park in The Object of My Affection.  Oriana Nicole Tavoularis is uncredited as a Restaurant Patron here and would be uncredited as Rocker Girl in 200 Cigarettes.  Maya Rudolph who has a very small role as a Policewoman here would have a major role in Bridesmaids, as Lillian.  One of the other waitresses in the cafe is played by 25-year-old Missi Pyle, who would go on to be the one and only Alexandra Cabot in Josie and the Pussycats.

Harold Ramis has a small but pivotal role as Dr. Bettes, while Brian Doyle-Murray is a Handyman here.

Is this as good as it gets?