Credited with writing contributions to twenty episodes of “Saturday Night Live” in 1997-1998, “Austin Powers” screenwriter and first-time director Michael McCullers and SNL producer Lorne Michaels bring Tina Fey (“30 Rock,” “Mean Girls”) and Amy Poehler (“Mean Girls”) to the big screen. Fey and Poehler play well together, but the timing of many scenes seems off. You almost miss the studio laughter or commercial breaks to punctuate bits. Fey is a 37-year-old VP at Round Earth Organic Market in Philadelphia. “Some women got pregnant and I got promotions,” her Kate narrates. She contracts the Chaffee Bicknell Surrogacy Center, headed by Sigourney Weaver, to plant Kate’s fertilized eggs in Angie Ostrowiski (Amy Poehler), “Ignorant white trash,” as Kate calls her. “I discontinued high school,” cops Angie. The class jokes struggle. The plot fixes Kate’s infertility and singlehood. And Angie heads off to fashion school. Babies ensue unexpectedly. With Greg Kinnear, Dax Shepard, Romany Malco, Maura Tierney, Holland Taylor. 99m. (Bill Stamets)
Heart: A Review of Soul The real world is soulful, too, in Pixar's bountiful life of the mind.
Seeing The Elephant: A Review Of Babylon The boisterous, brawling yet melancholy "Babylon," is a variation on film history, but more drawing for drama. It's gaudy and mean, celebratory and sorrowful.
Fine Line: A Review Of Shortcomings It's a season for the comeuppance of a curmudgeon in Randall Park's smart, biting "Shortcomings," adapted by Adrian Tomine from his graphic novel of the same name.
