Admission Review

Admission

1.5 stars out of 4

By Brett Takeshita

When you have Tina Fey and Paul Rudd starring in a romantic comedy, you expect fireworks. After all, they are amongst the finest comedic actors working today. But instead, we get Admission, one of the most deceptive -- and confused -- "comedies" of the year. That is, if you can even call it a comedy.

Portia (Tina Fey) is an admissions officer at Princeton University. She spends her busy and lonely days going through essays, portfolios, resumes, and the works. One day, Portia discovers that she could be promoted to the highest position of Dean of Admissions if she continues to work hard and surpass her co-workers and rival competitors. This propels her to visit a plethora of high schools and give Princeton talks, as she hopes to impress her boss. Then, on one eventful day, Portia receives a wake-up call that might threaten her promotion. High school teacher John (Paul Rudd), Portia's former classmate and central love interest, believes that one of his brilliantly gifted students, Jeremiah (Nat Wolff), is the son that Portia secretly gave up for adoption years ago. Portia doesn't believe it, but she can't help but feel drawn towards both John and Jeremiah. Is Portia willing to endanger her career if it means that she'll have love in return? That is the looming question of Admission.

Based on the novel by Jean Hanff Korelitz, Admission had the potential to be an interesting and somewhat unconventional romantic comedy. After all, the premise is pretty fresh -- at least as far as romantic comedies are concerned. However, Admission is quite disastrous. Karen Croner's screenplay is a mess. This should've been a nice and funny comedy, but Croner doesn't inject any humor into the film. I didn't laugh once. Maybe it's part of the deceptive marketing scheme, but I expected a solid comedy. Admission is way more drama than it is comedy. So if you're expecting laughs, you should look elsewhere. But even viewing Admission as a drama proves to be troublesome. Portia is a completely unlikable protagonist who is neither sympathetic nor interesting. There's nothing to her. And if you expect her character to change over the course of the film (like most protagonists do), you're in for a shocker. Even with a love interest and a potential son, Portia does not undergo transformation. There is no full arc. She simply continues to live her sad and pathetic life, even in the presence of people who love and/or care for her. Talk about a disappointment. If you are making a romantic comedy with a bogus protagonist who isn't going to be transformed by love, then what's the point?

In addition to the awful script is flawed direction from Paul Weitz. I assumed that the director of successful films like American Pie, About a Boy, and Little Fockers would excel with this sort of material. I guess I was wrong. Admission lacks bite. The film is shot in a drab and lifeless sort of way. Even the physical bits of humor lack any vitality because of the bland shots and editing. Weitz didn't capture the correct tone because this movie is way heavier than it should've been. And what is perhaps most disappointing is that it seems that he didn't let his actors improv. When you have Tina Fey and Paul Rudd in a movie, you should allow them to improv. They are hilarious people -- much funnier than most written material anywhere. But Fey and Rudd seem to deliver each and every line that was given to them in a straight, conventional fashion. What a bummer. If Weitz had trusted his actors to go off-script every once in a while, Admission would have been a much funnier (and ultimately much stronger) film.

Tina Fey is a brilliant actress, but not even she could save this film. I'm still in shock with the fact that Fey's character is so unlikable, even though Fey is such an appealing and likable comic. However, Fey does a solid job with her role. She's mostly convincing, even during the film's heavy and dramatic scenes. She does what she's supposed to do, and I guess that's all you can ask for in a film like this.

Paul Rudd is the saving grace of the film and the only redeeming component of Admission. As always, Rudd proves to be such a charming actor. When he comes on screen with his wide grin, you immediately feel happy. At least I did. (Side note: Throughout the film, I often wondered why his character would be attracted to Portia when he is so upbeat, and she's such a dead fish). Rudd often elevates his material and tries his best to make the most of his character. It's too bad that his tremendous efforts prove to be nearly futile, for he, too, cannot save this movie. Rudd deserves much better than a film like Admission.

Admission is one of the year's biggest disappointments. It's neither funny enough to be a comedy nor compelling enough to be a drama. The writing is unbelievably poor, and thus, the direction suffers. If it weren't for Rudd, I would've completely trashed this film. I suggest you avoid Admission at all costs. It's really not worth your time, for you will not be seeing the light and funny movie that you were expecting.