Admission is an incredibly charming film. Admission is also proof that just because a film is very charming doesn't mean it can't also be very dull. As two of my favorite comic actors---Tina Fey and Paul Rudd deliver the goods. That's why it's too bad that the script by Karen Croner (based upon the novel by Jean Hanff Korelitz) doesn't deliver on its behalf. While you do maintain a rooting interest for the characters of both Fey and Rudd...the script is so bland and typical. In other words---it feels like any other romantic comedy you are likely to have seen or ever see again.
In the film, Fey plays Portia---a college admissions officer who looks at her job at much less cynical than it is portrayed. Her boss (Wallace Shawn) is about to retire so Portia goes up against co-worker Corinne (Gloria Reuben) for the top spot. All the while---a teacher at a new, alternative education school named John Pressman (Rudd) tells Portia that a gifted student with an unconventional way of learning named Jeremiah (Nat Wolff) may be her son.
While Fey and Rudd are both very good in their roles and do their best...Wolff all but steals the film. You may remember Wolff as being on the Nickelodeon show "The Naked Brothers Band." Who knew he was going to grow up to be such a good young actor? From last year's hippie commune comedy Peace, Love and Misunderstanding in which Wolff played the video camera obsessed son and now with this film---the guy has proven that he's just a good actor. He makes the character of Jeremiah both sweet and vulnerable and also makes him somebody you really want to root for. As well---Lily Tomlin shows up as Portia's mother, Susannah and was surprisingly very funny in her own right.
All these performances are the reason why I was so disappointed to see how conventional the film was. The audience knows everything that's going to happen and exactly when it's going to happen. There are no real surprises in the film except that this cast could make such a poor film even if they themselves are excellent. Don't get me wrong---I would be fine with no surprises in the film if there was something else there to keep it afloat such as cleverly written or even funny lines. However, none of those are present either. The film also feature much too many scenes in which a character says or does something that feels out of the blue and out of place. I am disappointed to report that the script is not only nothing to write home about but nothing to recommend to someone two feet away from you, either.
Directed by Paul Weitz who has done some of my favorite films (About A Boy, In Good Company and American Pie)---he proves yet again that he just doesn't have what it takes anymore. His last few films include the mediocre films Little Fockers and Being Flynn and now Admission. Being Flynn was the best out of these three and I only gave 3 out of 5 stars to it (a mild recommendation on a good day.) Weitz obviously knows how to make a good---and even great film so I hope that someday soon he will get back on his feet.
(2 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated PG-13 for language and some sexual material)
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