ADMISSION (D+)

Bottom Line: Let the buyer beware: this thin-hearted, dull and not-nearly-as-funny-as-it-needs-to-be semi-romantic morality tale is not the bouncy rom/com they’re selling it as on TV.  It’s a movie that chooses to squander the talents of two of America’s most beloved goofball actors and deliver an almost laugh-free, shoulder shrug of a movie that practically begs you not to care a bit for any of its characters.  It’s flat, uninspired and, simply put, remarkably unremarkable.  The only way to take this one in is at home on your sofa (where admission is free) watching cable in two months (where ADMISSION will be free).

 

Starring: Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Michael Sheen, Wallace Shawn and Lily Tomlin

Directed by: Paul Weitz (AMERICAN PIE, ABOUT A BOY and IN GOOD COMPANY)

Rated: R

Running time: 107 minutes

Story: Tina Fey (30 Rock) and Paul Rudd (This is 40) are paired for the first time on-screen in Admission, the new comedy/drama directed by Academy Award nominee Paul Weitz (About a Boy, In Good Company), about the surprising detours we encounter on the road to happiness. Every spring, high school seniors anxiously await letters of college admission that will affirm and encourage their potential. At Princeton University, admissions officer Portia Nathan (Tina Fey) is a gatekeeper evaluating thousands of applicants. Year in and year out, Portia has lived her life by the book, at work as well as at the home she shares with Princeton professor Mark (Michael Sheen). When Clarence (Wallace Shawn), the Dean of Admissions, announces his impending retirement, the likeliest candidates to succeed him are Portia and her office rival Corinne (Gloria Reuben). For Portia, however, it's business as usual as she hits the road on her annual recruiting trip. (c) Focus

 

Trailer: www.focusfeatures.com/admission