Movie Review: Admission

Portia (Tina Fey) is an admissions officer for Princeton, meaning that she spends half her time talking to high school kids about why they should apply (so they can keep up those super-high application rates) and half her time determining which of those kids are not Princeton material (so they can keep up those super-high denial rates). The fun reality of Ivy League education!

Anyway, Portia's whole life is her job - she is neck and neck with a coworker to replace their soon-to-retiring boss (Wallace Shawn), she is dating the head of Princeton's English department and that's about it. One day, she gets a call from John (Paul Rudd), who kinda remembers her from their time at Dartmouth and who runs an alternative charter school. You know, the kind where they teach the kids how to build their own sustainable farms and contribute to the world around them. She visits on her tour and John introduces her to Jeremiah, the only kid who seems to be interested in what she's talking about.

This is where Portia's life gets all turned around. John theorizes that Jeremiah is the baby she gave up for adoption when she was in college. Her mom (Lily Tomlin) is really losing it. And her boyfriend left her for an entirely unpleasant woman. Now she's kind of building a relationship with Jeremiah and with John and with John's adopted son while also trying to cling to her job.

I went into this movie with pretty low expectations. I love Fey and Rudd and will find them adorable and charming in pretty much anything, and since this wasn't penned by Fey or Judd Apatow, I figured it would be the type of popcorn rom-com we all love to have as brain candy once in awhile. I wasn't disappointed. It was cute, there were some funny parts, there were some people that stole the show (Tomlin as Portia's mother, Sonya Walger aka Penny from Lost as Portia's ex's new fiancee). I also appreciated how the ending was not entirely what you'd expect, which is always a nice surprise.

In all, I'd say I was entertained and I'm glad I saw it, but I don't think it will turn into one of those must-watch-every-time-they-run-it-on-TBS kinda movies.