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Plot Summary
Tina Fey and Paul Rudd star in this hilarious and heartwarming comedy about the unexpected detours we encounter on the road to happiness. Year in and year out, Princeton admissions officer Portia Nathan (Fey) has lived her life by the book. But during her annual recruiting trip, she finds herself reconnecting with a former college classmate, free-spirited teacher John Pressman (Rudd). As she bends the entrance rules for one of his very unconventional students, Portia puts at risk the future she thought she always wanted, and finds her way to a surprising and exhilarating life she never dreamed of having. From director Paul Weitz (In Good Company), and co-starring Michael Sheen and Lily Tomlin, it’s the feel-good movie critics call “funny and fresh!” (Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies)
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Screenwriter
Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews
TOMATOMETER
38%- Reviews Counted: 147
- Fresh: 56
- Rotten: 91
- Average Rating: 5.5/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Rotten: Admission settles for skin deep.
Rotten: The many strands of this amiable yet overstuffed romantic comedy don't hang together, though each, on its own, has a modest charm.
Rotten: Everybody in "Admission" is funny - Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Lily Tomlin, Wallace Shawn - but they're not funny in "Admission."
Fresh: In their central roles, Rudd and Fey have a natural, unforced chemistry. John and Portia are cute as buttons, but they're also goofy, confused and flawed people.
Customer Reviews
A CHARMING BUT CONTRIVED ROM-COM
With a romantic comedy starring two incredibly likable leads in the form of Tina Fey and Paul Rudd, you're practically guaranteed to have a surefire hit on your hands, right? Well, not exactly. Don't get me wrong. "Admission" isn't an all-around bad film. I'd actually even say it's a considerable step above most other Hollywood rom-coms we've been subjected to over the past few years, and that's mostly thanks to the well-rounded comedic cast and their surprisingly smart balance of humor and drama. But despite its undeniably talented actors, the flick never really seems to be able to pull it together like it should. It's a frustrating drawback that ends up considerably dragging this picture down in the long run. The story follows a Princeton University admissions officer named Portia Nathan (Fey) who is caught off-guard when she makes a recruiting visit to an eccentric and "alternative" high school overseen by her former college classmate, John Pressman (Rudd). John has come to the conclusion that Jeremiah (Nat Wolff), a gifted yet unconventional student of his, may very well be the son that Portia gave up for adoption years ago. Soon, she finds herself bending many of the rules for Jeremiah, putting at risk the one job she always thought she wanted - while finding an unexpected romance with John in the process. It's a very straightforward and simple structure to follow, but the problem with it is that it lacks enough substance to keep us all involved in the characters' dilemmas. None of them are very interesting, particularly the "Portia finding out if Jeremiah really is her son" subplot, which only leads to a dismally bland payoff. Lily Tomlin, who plays Portia's estranged mother, has a few funny scenes, but she hardly ever gets the screen time her character truly deserves. And while Fey and Rudd are initially terrific as the film's chemistry-strong couple, even their scenes together eventually start to wear thin. I don't know if it was the easily forgettable jokes or the lackluster storytelling or both, but there were a number of things that just didn't make this flick as strong as it should've been. But like I said before, it's not all bad. When the punch lines work, they really do work, and there's no one in the entire cast who comes across as unlikable. I guess I just expected a bit more from a flick starring Fey and Rudd, and in a lot of ways, it failed to deliver. So overall, "Admission" is a decently funny but mostly mediocre rom-com that ultimately does benefit from the charming performances of its cast. Aside from a few great comedic moments, I wouldn't say there's anything particularly memorable about it, but if you're a big fan of Fey and Rudd, it's worth checking out at least only once. Otherwise, "Admission" is probably best left on the waiting list.
Actually a great movie
So I don't get the review that says "A charming but contrived rom-com"--maybe they don't know what one of those words means or something--but this movie is simply a great movie. It deals with some life issues that are tough, but it's well-written, well-acted, and yes, there are some incredibly funny parts. But for people that saw the names Tina Fey and Paul Rudd and assumed it was going to be some crazy slapstick movie or something, it's not like that. It's just a great movie.
Hey, I got a secret!
Want to know why this movie is $15 in HD???? Because its horrible but it's new!! HA HA HA!! Otherwise, it would have been, like, $3.
Even the movie poster is horrible. Like, what the hell?
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