This seriocomic movie somewhat confounded me. Like many others, I suspect, I expected an uproarious laugh-a-minute satire of the capricious college admissions process, somewhat in the vein of "Back of School", especially with the supremely talented Tina Fey in the lead. Instead, "Admissions" is a lower-key, Woody Allenesque observation of frustrated, unfulfilled lives and misplaced good intentions. Mind you, the movie has its incisive, accurate humor (especially about college decision dynamics) and an agreeable if turbulent relationship between Fey's and Paul Rudd's characters, and I generally enjoyed it, but it feels just a little bit ephemeral and insubstantial.
Then again, Fey's character Portia Nathan (who reminded me of Diane Keaton, especially in "Baby Boom") is a bit insubstantial and tentative. Portia has a job suited to her personality - one of Princeton's admissions officers. Even though being an admissions officer is not your conventional prestigious position, it is nevertheless an influential one because it can affect the academic and professional futures of so many college applicants. The job is an ideal combination of safe, respectable and empowering, apparently perfect for Portia, since she's been doing it for 16 years. Besides a comfortable job, she also has a comfortable relationship with a literature (I think) professor Mark (Michael Sheen). Of course, comfort zones like this seldom last long in the movies.
During one of her college recruitment jaunts in New Hampshire (part of the Northeastern territory), Portia locates a very remote experimental farm-like, self-sustaining, rural high school run by the affable, down-to-earth, and globally-minded John Pressman (Paul Rudd) who may be a potential love interest. At the school, she also meets lanky, soft-spoken, but talented auto-didact (self-tutored) Jeremiah Balakian (Nat Wolff). Naturally, at first, Portia doesn't notice anything particularly special about either one of them. But when John produces a birth certificate suggesting Jeremiah may be the son Portia gave up for adoption years ago, it seems to awaken a dormant maternal instinct within Portia. Jeremiah rises in her estimation, especially when she learns that despite an undistinguished school record, Jeremiah has aced his SATs and Achievement Tests without any test preparation classes. John begins to look better to her, too, since he has helped nurture Jeremiah's future. Furthermore, the patronizing Mark has dumped Portia for some dismissive East European. Portia thinks she has found a way to enhance her status at Princeton, her social life, AND her family life in one fell swoop. She'll do it by fighting tooth and nail to achieve Jeremiah's dream of getting into Princeton AND maybe even impressing the available John in the process. She'll make Jeremiah and John as well as herself happy and fulfilled. But, in this case, Portia (and perhaps others) may have cared not wisely but too well. You know what good intentions pave.....
Again, "Admissions" is an enjoyable, if low-profile comedy that does manage to examine the meaning of "admissions" in both an academic AND life sense. For me, the movie did a better job with the academic admissions angle, by exposing the imposing, intricate, agonizing, and seemingly arbitrary college student admissions process. I especially liked the trite but still funny fantasy visualization of what happened to students who were denied admission. I also liked seeing the office blackboard filled with colorful responses from parents who called Princeton to demand why their kid did not get in. I think the movie got it right there, and I wish "Admissions" had devoted more time to it. As for the personal admissions angle, I found it murky, uncertain but still interesting because it showed, in Portia's case, that admitting the truth may make you miserable, but it will set you free to start anew.
P.S.: For the record, Lily Tomlin plays Portia's assertive, free-spirited mother Susannah, who also has admissions to make. Wallace Shawn ("My Dinner with Andre", "The Princess Bride") plays the officious, publicity-conscious Clarence, Princeton Dean of Admissions. Finally, Travaris Spears plays the superfluous but vibrant and independent-minded Nelson, John's adopted son. One other thought, I commend the movie, and "Princeton", for its courage in showcasing the matriculation process of a real school, as opposed to the fabricated universities we see too often in the movies.
Then again, Fey's character Portia Nathan (who reminded me of Diane Keaton, especially in "Baby Boom") is a bit insubstantial and tentative. Portia has a job suited to her personality - one of Princeton's admissions officers. Even though being an admissions officer is not your conventional prestigious position, it is nevertheless an influential one because it can affect the academic and professional futures of so many college applicants. The job is an ideal combination of safe, respectable and empowering, apparently perfect for Portia, since she's been doing it for 16 years. Besides a comfortable job, she also has a comfortable relationship with a literature (I think) professor Mark (Michael Sheen). Of course, comfort zones like this seldom last long in the movies.
During one of her college recruitment jaunts in New Hampshire (part of the Northeastern territory), Portia locates a very remote experimental farm-like, self-sustaining, rural high school run by the affable, down-to-earth, and globally-minded John Pressman (Paul Rudd) who may be a potential love interest. At the school, she also meets lanky, soft-spoken, but talented auto-didact (self-tutored) Jeremiah Balakian (Nat Wolff). Naturally, at first, Portia doesn't notice anything particularly special about either one of them. But when John produces a birth certificate suggesting Jeremiah may be the son Portia gave up for adoption years ago, it seems to awaken a dormant maternal instinct within Portia. Jeremiah rises in her estimation, especially when she learns that despite an undistinguished school record, Jeremiah has aced his SATs and Achievement Tests without any test preparation classes. John begins to look better to her, too, since he has helped nurture Jeremiah's future. Furthermore, the patronizing Mark has dumped Portia for some dismissive East European. Portia thinks she has found a way to enhance her status at Princeton, her social life, AND her family life in one fell swoop. She'll do it by fighting tooth and nail to achieve Jeremiah's dream of getting into Princeton AND maybe even impressing the available John in the process. She'll make Jeremiah and John as well as herself happy and fulfilled. But, in this case, Portia (and perhaps others) may have cared not wisely but too well. You know what good intentions pave.....
Again, "Admissions" is an enjoyable, if low-profile comedy that does manage to examine the meaning of "admissions" in both an academic AND life sense. For me, the movie did a better job with the academic admissions angle, by exposing the imposing, intricate, agonizing, and seemingly arbitrary college student admissions process. I especially liked the trite but still funny fantasy visualization of what happened to students who were denied admission. I also liked seeing the office blackboard filled with colorful responses from parents who called Princeton to demand why their kid did not get in. I think the movie got it right there, and I wish "Admissions" had devoted more time to it. As for the personal admissions angle, I found it murky, uncertain but still interesting because it showed, in Portia's case, that admitting the truth may make you miserable, but it will set you free to start anew.
P.S.: For the record, Lily Tomlin plays Portia's assertive, free-spirited mother Susannah, who also has admissions to make. Wallace Shawn ("My Dinner with Andre", "The Princess Bride") plays the officious, publicity-conscious Clarence, Princeton Dean of Admissions. Finally, Travaris Spears plays the superfluous but vibrant and independent-minded Nelson, John's adopted son. One other thought, I commend the movie, and "Princeton", for its courage in showcasing the matriculation process of a real school, as opposed to the fabricated universities we see too often in the movies.