A woman’s biological clock ticking has been comic fodder for sitcom and rom-com eons. Apparently many find it hilarious to see a woman approach middle-age and suddenly be seized by an almost-psychotic desire to reproduce. The cliche often paints these mommy-come-lately’s as uber-executives who selfishly put off motherhood for a corner office and a cushy salary. Candice Bergen famously portrayed a middle-aged single mother on television’s Murphy Brown; Diane Keaton “inherited” a baby in the yuppie 1980s comedy, Baby Boom; in both cases, the heroines were terribly efficient in their workplaces, but woefully inadequate at motherhood (that is, until the obligatory bonding scene).Two films out in theaters now deal with women’s latent desire for children: John Smith’s Baby Mama and Helen Hunt’s Then She Found Me. Both films take a comic look at the struggle for motherhood (though the humor differs markedly in both cases). Smith’s vision is a knee-slapping farce, akin to the Judd Apetow comedies; Hunt’s would be best described as “serio-comic.”
Baby Mama tells the story of Kate (Tina Fey), an executive at Round Earth – a too-obvious Whole Foods Market knock off, who is abruptly hit with motherhood pangs. They’re unexplained, but the audience is treated to scenes of Kate being confronted by babies everywhere, all of whom she gazes at longingly. Having a uterus that her gynecologist describes as “unlikable,” she takes matters into her hands and consults a surrogancy agency, headed by a miraculously fecundant Sigourney Weaver (a good sport, who takes the 'old lady' jokes on the chin like a pro). Kate gets partnered with Angie (Amy Poehler), an impulsive woman-child, who is painted in broad “white trash” brush strokes.
The film is best described as confused. At times, it looks to be a satire (never sharp enough, despite the gold mine of material our Mommy Culture provides), gooey feel-good movie, and, at times, adolescent gross-out comedy. The cast is definitely the film’s strongest asset, starting with our leading ladies (former Saturday Night Live players) who shine in their spottily-written roles.
Fey is developing nicely as an actress, and plays to her strengths in the straight-man role. Poehler has an easier time, being able to play the role as broadly as she can; she complies with a no-holds barred performance, mugging furiously for the camera (it helps that she has a perenially crazed gleam in her eyes). In a stronger, more realistic film, such a performance would be unglued and grating, but Baby Mama is essentially a feature-length Saturday Night Live skit (albeit a pretty funny one). The two share a great chemistry, carrying over from their nights on SNL – like a sexier update of Abbott and Costello. The director is in love with his stars, and we get ample views of Fey’s nerdy sexiness (lots of shots of her great set of gams).
But ultimately, the movie ends up being flacid and suprisingly haphazard. The writing is little more than just a series of one-liners and quips, though the cast delivers them gamely, and the direction is pretty faulty. The first act is remarkably rushed and amateurish. When the two women are paired together, an Odd Couple-like hilarity ensures. The film sort of finds its footing, only to peter out in the drippy, sacharine ending.
Fey, a screenwriter herself, penned the arch and funny Mean Girls. One can’t help wonder what kind of film she would’ve written on the subject. Though this is an extremely shallow and fluffy vehicle for her and Poehler, it’s still an entertaining and servicable one. If anything, it makes audiences want more of Fey and Poehler, and hopefully they’ll be offered scripts that match their talents.
Helen Hunt’s Then She Found Me - which Hunt directed, starred, and co-wrote - is a rather self-consciously, feature-length “indie film”, and much more ambitous than Baby Mama. Unlike Baby Mama, this film tries to tell more than one story and is presented as a sensitive character study. While still a comedy, it has dark moments and is more gratifying.
Hunt stars as April, a kindergarten teacher who is best described as having an annus horriblus: her late marriage to an emotionally stunted man-child (a milquetoast Matthew Broderick) disolves into shambles; her adoptive mother (an engaging Lynn Cohen, who appears in the film far too briefly); she wants a child but doesn’t seem to be able to succeed; and if that wasn’t enough, Bernice, her birth mother (Bette Midler), comes in the form of a pushy local celebrity chat show host, who has no respect for boundaries. While all this is happening, April’s also entering a relationship with a devastatingly depressed single father (Colin Firth).
So how does Hunt’s stab at auteurship stand up? Surprisingly well. She’s crafted a solid story that hits all the emotional marks, but is expertly leavened by much-needed comic relief. The multi-Emmy, Oscar-winning actress is predictably excellent as the bruised April. This is a fantastically brave performance, free from vanity. While very beautiful, she’s not afraid to look unglamorous, eschewing Hollywood makeup and high-end salon hair.
It’s Hunt’s skills as an actress that bring out the best in her excellent cast. Midler is particularly wonderful. She strips away her patented brassiness, instead offering a low-key and subtle performance. Midler and Hunt share a great and believable chemistry. Hunt also gets great work from Firth, who in another film, manages to excorcize the looming shadow of Mr. Darcy.
Then She Found Me isn’t a perfect film, but it’s a very good one. There’s too much going on, and with so many stories running together, some get short-shifted (April’s relationship with her younger brother is handled as an after-thought). Still unlike Baby Mama, Hunt’s film presents a complicated story, that’s prickly and hard to stomach sometimes.
Review by Peter Piatkowski
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