Admission (2013) User Reviews

Likable actors attempt to overcome the lack of jokes

[napierslogs · 6/10 · 22 March 2013]

"Admission" was billed as a comedy, too bad it's not. Even when we're introduced to Portia (Tina Fey), I still couldn't figure out what type of comedy they were going for. There just doesn't seem to be any inherent comedy in the university admission process. But when Portia accidentally kisses high school director John (Paul Rudd), it finally becomes clear that this is in fact a romantic comedy, a dramatic romantic comedy.

The actors were definitely in their element. Tina Fey's Portia was the professionally-minded business woman who only kind of wanted it all. She wanted a promotion at work and to read poetry in bed with her British boyfriend Mark (Michael Sheen). I know what you're thinking, the perfect 30 Rock reunion. But, no. Mark is not Wesley Snipes, and their relationship isn't hilariously bad, just sad. But then Paul Rudd enters the picture incorporating the best of a country bumpkin and a privileged rich kid. He was irresistibly charming with that dimpled smile and those sparkling green eyes.

There is a plot. John introduces Portia to her son whom she put up for adoption and who now wants to attend Princeton. Portia has to figure out if she's ready to be a mother and if Jeremiah (Nat Wolff) should be accepted into Princeton. It's not a bad story, just not a particularly funny one. The characters are all good characters so they hold our interest despite the lack of substance to the movie.

The laughs are hard to come by, but if you're thinking in terms of a dramatic romantic comedy, then that shouldn't be too surprising. The lack of laughs is a detriment to the comedy this supposedly is. But as I said, the characters and actors are good. And if you really connect to Portia's predicament, then we have a nice little mid-life crisis turned coming-of-age flick. But that's going to be a small audience. The actors luckily have fans, and deservedly so, they have arguably never been better on the big screen. Depending on your love for Rudd and Fey, "Admission" is probably best left on the wait list.

Admission — Light comedy about one's options in life

[AvidClimber · 6/10 · 16 April 2013]

Admission will make any Tina Fey fan very happy. She's at her best, displaying her very unique style of comedy so well, that you'd think she wrote the script. Paul Rudd might not be at his greatest but he definitively plays his role well. Wallace Shawn is excellent as the dean of admission with just the right tone. Lily Tomlin is also very good, as a very unique mother.

Nice humor, nice pace, good ideas, and just a little silly.

The main drawback is that at time, it feels a bit light. Some of the plot items could have been delved a little more to get a better perspective.

Overall, it's nice entertainment.

a pretty decent comedy/drama

[googooji · 7/10 · 13 July 2013]

i actually do think that the film was more of a drama than a comedy. it was surely not the type of the film i expected before i watched it. Since it had Tina Fey and Paul Rudd, i surely expected the film to be either similar to Date Night or This is 40. But the film was quite different from those two in a good way. it was such a joy to see both of Fey and Rudd acting in a more drama- like comedy without all of the exaggerating acting. Although for me it did seem that Tina Fey's performance was a bit constrained it was still quite nice to see her portray a role which was just a normal person which we encounter every day around us. Paul Rudd also gave a quite lovely and warm performance in portraying his character. The film was not a crazy comedy full of jokes, but rather it was a decent more drama-like film which encouraged people to start taking responsibility for what they do and have done.

I admit I liked Admission.

[JohnDeSando · 21 March 2013]

The amusing Admission is the first successful comedy of the year and a reasonable look at the admission process for an elite college--Princeton. Tina Fey as Portia and Paul Rudd as John turn in pleasant performances as an admissions executive and a progressive school teacher respectively. Rudd is amiable here and usually successful in his film career, while Fey's efforts up to now have been mediocre (Date Night, Baby Mama).

As an Alumni Admissions interviewer for over 30 years at Georgetown University, I find much of the story ringing true from the overachieving candidates nurtured by ambitious parents to the underachieving but brilliant and risky individualists. Portia must struggle with the boxed-in role of continuing the Princeton tradition (read stereotypes) or breaking away to push for a student who calls himself an "autodidact" with low grades but perfect scores on achievement tests for courses he never took.

Amid the plot's fierce applicant battle for a slot, Portia and John dance to the usual romantic formula of disliking each other to . . . Well, you know the drill. However, it's their reactions to the admission process that provide the authentic tension as he has developed students with independent minds, and she is used to the cookie-cutter candidates who lack the passion of those independents.

Director Paul Weitz knows something about family dynamics and children with his About a Boy, In Good Company, and Little Fockers among the more obvious examples. Signing up Lily Tomlin to play Portia's feminist mom was inspired; like the ubiquitous aging Alan Arkin, Tomlin should now have plenty of work.

Admission requires no small amount of sympathy for the messy business of growing up and getting ahead—Weitz navigates the vagaries of family ambition well. If the double-meaning of the title seems too precious to you, don't worry, the rest of the story is almost unambiguous.

Although Admission is mostly about applicants to an upper-tier college, it also poses the unethical means some might employ to gain entrance. Even Portia is not blameless, a touch I found in the film's favor while it deals with the unreal segment of our population smart enough to be considered for admission.

A movie that is worth watching & has a lot of heart but isn't as funny as I was expecting from a Fey/Rudd pairing. I say B.

[cosmo_tiger · 6/10 · 7 July 2013]

"You may have built schools in third world countries and cleaned contaminated water from villages but you have never tried to get a kid into Princeton." Portia Nathan (Fey) is an admission counselor for Princeton who is in line for a huge promotion. Everything is going her way until she travels to a new school to check out an applicant. While there she meets John Pressman (Rudd) with some interesting news about who she has come to see. Going in I was expecting nothing but hilariousness. Tiny Fey & Paul Rudd together how can you go wrong I thought. While I do have to say that I enjoyed the movie this was not nearly as funny as I was expecting. The movie had the feel of some of the new Judd Apatow movies, lot of heart but not as laugh-out-loud funny as I was going for. I'm not saying this isn't good, it is worth watching but don't go in like I did and expect nothing but wall to wall funny. Overall, a movie that I did like but wasn't as funny as I was thinking it was going to be. I give it a B.

Not a comedy, but Tina Fey can do drama!

[db-beurylaw · 6/10 · 23 March 2013]

Why does Hollywood insist on advertising dramas as being comedies? This is false advertising. How do they get away with that?

Spoiler Alert: Tina Fey plays an admissions officer at prestigious Princeton University. She has held that job for 16 years. Apparently it is the second toughest school to get into in the Country. Applicants will do practically anything to get into that school and Fey and her co-workers are charged with selecting the very few who get the privilege of attending that school. Given that situation, you would think that Fey's character would be wise to watch out for a scam.

Paul Rudd plays a guidance counselor from a new age high school who has discovered a vulnerability of Fey: when she was young she had gotten pregnant and gave birth to a boy and gave him up for adoption. Rudd convinces Fey that the boy is actually her son and that she should bend and then ultimately break the rules. After she sacrifices everything she worked for for 16 years, she finds out that Rudd had lied, the boy was not her son after all. (This is a comedy?)

(Note I can identify with this. MY mother secretly gave birth to a son and gave him up for adoption. Then when she was 70, she was confronted by her long lost son. I broke the tension by telling her, "Now that I have a new brother, can she work on a little sister?")

Anyway, what saves the movie is Fey's acting. Oh sure you knew she could do comedy from SNL, 30 Rock and her earlier films, but I thought she was awesome in a dramatic role. When she makes a pitch for her son to be admitted to Princeton, I got choked up. She will likely forgotten by the time the Oscar nominations are handed out next year, but a very impressive performance.

Good actors

[kosmasp · 5/10 · 23 May 2014]

I love Tina Fey and Paul Rudd never gets old either (literally and metaphorically). The movie itself has quite a few flaws though. Never sure if it is a comedy or a drama. Walking that line was never going to be easy and it stumbles more than a few times. Tina and Paul do their best to keep it on tracks.

The kid actors are pretty decent, but don't have much to go through in their arks. Of course the movie is about lost love and about family in general. But even those things are not mixed in the right mixture. There is either too much of something or too little of another thing. A shame that the talent and the massive effort on Tinas part does not really get the movie it would deserve.

Only the best may enter

[stebird · 7/10 · 11 January 2018]

Good film that could've been majorly better, "Admission" is a sweet little rom-com with all the typical rom-com tropes, nothing surprised me with the story, it was very predictable and lacked any real twists, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing and doesn't make it poor or boring in any way.

Tina Fey has always been an actress I've admired ever since she started in the film business, granted she's no Meryl Streep or Audrey Hepburn, but there's a lot of untapped talent there, she deserves the chance at bigger roles like her co-star Paul Rudd did starring as the titular character in Ant Man. Rudd is a good actor and seems to thrive in these kind of films, Ant Man was probably punching above his weight somewhat, but throw him into a cheesy rom-com or general comedy film and he excels.

The one great annoyance I had with "Admission" was the ending, yes it was predictable but still had the potential to be so much better; personally I would have kept Jeremiah as her son, and along with John and young Nelson, they could've started a loving family together, that would've been so much sweeter and pretty much give the audience what they were begging for, sometimes the most obvious ending is the best option, as in this case.

I scored "Admission" quite high because I generally enjoyed it, it was a quaint little film that didn't ask too much from the audience, just sit back, switch your mind off and enjoy, maybe it didn't deserve being scored so high, it's actual score of 5.7 seemed appropriate, but I'm feeling generous and at least it put a smile on my face.

Painfully Unfunny

[alex830 · 1/10 · 29 March 2013]

I went to see this abomination in the theatre today and got exactly what I expected: a predictable romantic comedy without the comedy. The only reason I saw it is because one of my friends absolutely ADORES Tina Fey so she HAD to see this movie. Unfortunately, I was the victim she dragged along to witness it. There are very few, if any, redeeming values here.

The plot is thin, boring, and worst of all predictable. Not a single thing happens that the audience couldn't have figured out beforehand. Tina Fey plays the world's worst admissions officer who is being heckled by a teacher, played by Paul Rudd, to admit one of his "prodigy" students into Princeton. Conveniently, they're both single and he's got an adopted son. I'm not spoiling anything by saying they end up in each others arms by the time the credits roll. Oh, and the kid ends up getting admitted. Amazing. Never saw that coming.

The acting isn't too awful but the dialogue is absolutely repulsive. The script mostly has characters uttering one-liners instead of giving them anything meaningful to say. As a result, we are forced to watch cardboard cutouts making unfunny jokes for 2 hours. Most of the jokes fall flat completely, inducing more groans than laughs. I can't tell you how many times I cringed while watching this garbage. Ugh.

The manner in which this movie was edited made me wonder whether the director is suffering from ADD. Random scenes are slapped together with seemingly no effort to maintain a coherent storyline. This achieves nothing but to annoy the audience.

All in all, a crummy movie. Tina Fey should definitely stick to SNL as movies are clearly not her thing.

1 out of 10 stars

If you're expecting something like 'ABOUT A BOY' or 'IN GOOD COMPANY' you're sure to be disappointed.

[Hellmant · 6/10 · 24 April 2013]

'ADMISSION': Three Stars (Out of Five)

Director Paul Weitz's new film is yet another comedy-drama, this one is starring Tina Fey and Paul Rudd. It's about a Princeton admissions officer who think she's met her teenage son, she gave up for adoption as a baby, and risks her beloved career to secure his future happiness. It was written by Karen Croner and based on the book of the same name by Jean Hanff Korelitz. It's not nearly as good as Weitz's other films ('ABOUT A BOY', 'IN GOOD COMPANY', 'AMERICAN PIE' or even 'LITTLE FOCKERS') and doesn't live up to Fey and Rudd's potential but it is very touching at times and has a few decent laughs.

Fey plays Portia Nathan, a Princeton admissions officer who's obsessed with her career and never made time for anything else. She had a long but distant relationship with Mark (Michael Sheen), who recently left her for another woman (Sonya Walger, of 'LOST' fame). Her boss (Wallace Shawn) recently announced he's retiring soon and is looking for a replacement but another admissions officer (Gloria Reuben, of 'ER' fame) will do just about anything to get that promotion as well. Just as Portia's thrown everything she has left into her work an old classmate, John Pressman (Rudd), calls and asks her to come by the new alternative high school he's running and speak to some promising young students there. Once there she meets Jeremiah (Nat Wolff), a gifted but challenged student who John thinks is the son Portia gave up for adoption as a baby. Portia suddenly finds herself very concerned with what happens to the boy and is willing to put her job at risk (for the first time) in order to make sure things turn out for him (like getting him in to Princeton). She also has a troubled and distant relationship with her own mother (Lily Tomlin), she's still dealing with.

The movie's not nearly as funny as you'd expect, given it's stars and director, but it does have a few good laughs here and there. Where it does really work is in the drama department. Like Weitz's other films it's really heartfelt and moving and you really learn to care for it's characters. That's not until the third act though and given how light on laughs it is it's kind of boring building up to then. Fey and Rudd, and the rest of the supporting cast, do as much as they can with their underwritten characters but it's not quite enough to turn this into a winner. If you're expecting something like 'ABOUT A BOY' or 'IN GOOD COMPANY' you're sure to be disappointed.

Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJM6S54llsE

Bland Dramatic Rom-Com

[ferguson-6 · 5/10 · 24 March 2013]

Greetings again from the darkness. Though it's billed as a comedy, you would be best prepared walking in if you expect a dramatic rom-com. The mere presence of Tina Fey and Paul Rudd would elevate most any script and movie. They are inherently likable and talented, and that's a lucky thing for director Paul Weitz (About a Boy).

The movie plays like a coming-of-age flick ... not for the gaggle of high school students ... but rather for Tina Fey's character. She plays a Princeton admissions officer named Portia Nathan, and it's her job to weed through the files of thousands of over-achieving 18 year olds who are dreaming of attending the prestigious Ivy League school. Her serious approach to her work is complicated by a competition with her inner-office rival (Gloria Reuben) and by a going-nowhere relationship with Michael Sheen.

All of that sounds pretty straight-forward, so it takes a left turn when Portia makes a campus visit to the Quest School, an experimental campus run by ultimate good guy John Pressman (Paul Rudd). Pressman is the guy who rebels against his privileged childhood and bounces from world-changing missions to life-altering experiences. His current stop as an administrator for a school filled with off-beat genius kids is focused on Jeremiah (Nat Wolff). Jeremiah is an autodidact (reads everything) who was never understood by mainstream schools, but has his particular intelligence recognized at Quest.

So Paul Rudd approached Tina Fey in hopes that she will take an interest in Jeremiah's passion for learning and overlook his lack of satisfactory resume. There are also side-plots featuring a possible genetic link and a couple of strained maternal relationships from both Rudd and Fey, the latter's mom played with zeal by Lily Tomlin.

There are no real surprises here, but the movie benefits from Fey, Rudd, Tomlin and the always fun Wallace Shawn. The whole elitist college admissions process is fascinating, but really impacts only a very small segment of society. Because of that, and the limited laughs offered by the script, it's difficult to imagine the film gathering any real following.

Very Likable Comedy!

[g-bodyl · 8/10 · 17 June 2014]

Admission is the latest Tina Fey vehicle and the end result turns out to be a charming and rather likable comedy. Granted, some parts are rather bland and contrived which you can thank the screenplay for, but the charming actors, subtle direction, and an interesting story is able to elevate this movie to be the charming movie it is.

Paul Weitz directs a film about an overworked Princeton admissions officer named Portia Nathan who on her recruitment trips, meets the highly intellectual Jeremiah takes to the help of an old college classmate named John. Against all odds, she decides to do what she can to get Jeremiah enrolled in Princeton despite his high school mediocrity.

As mentioned before, this film has very likable actors and the chemistry fluidly bounces off with each other. Tina Fey is great and she reminds me of her role as Liz in 30 Rock. Paul Rudd is the perfect man for her because of his charm and he was excellent. Nat Wolff as Jeremiah is very sweet and has come a long way since his Nickelodion series. Finally, I loved Lily Tomlin's character as Tina's mother because she was a hoot!

Overall, Admission was destined to be a so-so movie, but it wasn't so in my eyes. It's not a laugh-out-loud comedy but it's not meant to be despite a few moments when I chuckled. There is a fair amount of drama and romance here to be effective. It's a small movie, but I had a good time with it. I rate this film 8/10.

not a comedy, not a drama, but both.

[witster18 · 6/10 · 6 August 2013]

The film was funnier than the reviews led me to believe, and while some of the subplots aren't played-out perfectly, they're brought to life by good performances from a strong cast.

Perhaps the best characteristic of "Admission" is that it is a departure from the conventional rom-com. Rudd and Fey(who are both great by the way) spend less time exchanging words and bodily fluids, and more time with other cast members.

There are some nice, underlying morals packed in here.

I recommend "Admission". It probably wouldn't appeal to too young of a demographic, but there's plenty here for the adults to associate with..

Nice to see Lily Tomlin as well. Just another believable character in this unconventional entry into the genre.

74/100

Defines routine and mediocre perfectly

[secondtake · 5/10 · 6 January 2014]

Admission (2013)

The title is built around a pun which is the turning point of the movie—an admission, or at least a revelation, about a long lost child. The leading woman is the wonderful Tina Fey who I wish I could say was wonderful here. She plays an admissions official at Princeton, and lots of Ivy League clichés and would-be jokes parade by.

And that's the overview—a pre-packaged kind of routine film, not very imaginative to start with and never pushed or pulled the way a comedy, or a romance—or both!—ought to be.

Fey, it seems, wants to be a serious romantic leading actress, and she's chipper and cute and she could, with a much better script, pull off a kind of sympathetic Meg Ryan type. That's at least what I smell here. Her romantic partner, the sometimes very funny Paul Rudd, is again weighted down by having little to really make funny.

I'm not sure how a director like Paul Weitz keeps getting work. He has a whole series of disappointing movies, even a hand-me-down like "The Little Fokkers," and I'm sure some have made some money, but they would have been better (and made even more money) in better hands. The proof is in all this pudding.

On the surface you might think there are funny paths to take in "Admission," and maybe even some hilarious pratfalls (Fey's mom is more happily over the top and has some moments), but it's just a mildly enjoyable fizzle all the way. You won't walk away angry, just a little flat.

Not a Whole Lot of Laughs

[cattjones · 23 March 2013]

For those of you who are thinking that this film is a comedy, you would be wrong. It is more of a drama with some funny moments thrown in (although I never laughed out loud; not even once). As a matter of fact, by the time the film was over I was actually feeling a little sad. The story centers on an admissions officer for Princeton University, Portia Nathan (Tina Fey) who is responsible for combing through thousands of submission requests and evaluating who should be allowed to attend this prestigious school. On top of that, the current dean of admissions is retiring and Portia and her rival Corinne (Gloria Reuben) are both up for the job. Gearing up for her annual recruiting trip, Portia is contacted by John Pressman (Paul Rudd) to come and check out his somewhat fundamental and "earthy" school. Upon arrival John tells Portia that he thinks that one of the kids in his school is actually the child that she gave up for adoption when she was in college. Jeremiah (Nat Wolff) has been a slacker most of his life, but it turns out that he is a natural genius and was just bored in school most of the time. He gets very interested in attending Princeton and so the story begins. The film started out mildly comical, but as the story went along it became more and more serious. The two characters that did add a little light-heartedness to the film were Susannah (Lily Tomlin) who is Portia's mother and an eccentric soul. She is not much into relationships of any kind whether it is a mother/daughter or a romantic relationship. The other character that I really liked was Nelson (Travaris Meeks-Spear) who is John's adopted son who is just looking to be normal and to not go gallivanting around the globe all the time with his father. I think the cast as a whole did a really good job and the story was not boring, but I think that billing it as a comedy was the wrong way to go. The story was a lot more serious than I expected it to be, so I think that as word gets out, this film may not do as well as expected. It was not a bad film, but I am not sure that it is worth the price of a ticket. I am giving this film an amber light.

Didn't anyone notice?

[nielsfischer-570-473232 · 6/10 · 25 July 2013]

Excuse me, am I crazy or what?

When I watched the last part of the movie I thought: "Well, obviously John Pressman (Paul Rudd) made that all up!! He faked some crazy birth certificate, and then talked Portia Nathan (Tina Fey) into this 'O my God, you are his mother!'-craze, so she would break all the rules and boundaries at Princton to get Jeremiah admitted!" That whole 1 pm/ 11 pm thing - that's just a detail to me.

John just invented that whole story to get Jeremiah through Portia into Princton.

Why didn't Portia get mad about that? Instead she makes love to him... I did not understand that last part AT ALL!

Anyone else?

Portia has a couple of "Admission"s to Make

[japamo · 6/10 · 26 March 2013]

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.

No laughs thin story line.

[dogonu-215-965738 · 1/10 · 23 June 2013]

No laughs thin story line. This has to Tina Fey's worst performance. The story is thin, and there is no laughs in it. If it was called a drama it would not be as bad, but still not a good film. Complete waste of time and money.

A story about a woman who is obsessed with being a snob in a snob college and a live of condescension, is not funny. But even then someone could have written something funny. But no, I did not laugh once.

Some from Princeton my find it mildly amusing with Buffy and Biff, but other than that its flat as last weeks beer.

Simple but charming

[aheaven2005 · 7/10 · 2 February 2022]

A pretty straightforward but charming comedy with good performances from Tina Fey and Paul Rudd. The subject of school admission is not something we see often as the core of a movie. But really anyway this one is about trust, love and believing in someone's potential.

This is a lame, pathetic, manipulative, attempt for a movie! I lost respect for Tina Fey!

[alshwenbear1 · 1/10 · 14 July 2013]

I had more fun with a youtube video, of a kid who screwed up so badly in 12 minutes and half (How to make a iPhone/ipod screen projector, (by Livethings24. in case you are interested). My point is: that's how bad this movie is, almost two hours of narcissistic, self-righteous, pricks with hidden agendas and a lack of honesty-hypocrisy at its best! This movie has no value whatsoever. Among my questions: did the writers sit in brainstorm sessions and cross out lines and ideas till they were so tired that they ended up choosing the worst of them? I like Tina Fey, a lot, but this is (hopefully) rock bottom for her. She should go back to what she does best, being funny and uplifting people's minds with comedy, I could go on and on, but I'd prefer to end with: the decision of Admission as a movie? DENY!

Worthy Admission Without Much Process

[cultfilmfreaksdotcom · 6/10 · 24 March 2013]

A "Quirky Comedy" will usually have either one of two types of characters: a normal person thrown into a bizarre situation or an oddball in a conventional, mundane routine who, because of their unpredictable nature, provides the quirkiness therein. ADMISSION would fit in the latter category, with an antagonist so neurotic you might wonder how she got her stuffy job – an admissions officer at Princeton University – in the first place.

Tina Fey's Portia Nathan is so frustrated and frantic… stuck in a dead-end relationship with a boring professor… she's subconsciously dying for a love interest to spark up her life. Enter Paul Rudd, who, as super nice guy John Pressman, runs an alternative school where they milk cows and meet in a barn for more practical life applications.

Turns out John isn't the important male protagonist, at least not as the plot's concerned. He has a gifted yet troubled student named Jeremiah (a mellowed version of GOOD WILL HUNTING) , who loves philosophy and is more deserving than anyone else up for the coveted (and very limited) spot at Princeton University.

Well that's Portia's opinion; especially after learning Jeremiah's her estranged son. Sticking her neck out to make his dream come true, much of the film centers on Portia awkwardly shadowing Jeremiah, on and off campus, while constantly reevaluating her priorities. And after a while you'll forget all about Rudd, more of an angel on her shoulder than significant other despite a predictable roll in the hay.

Creative elements, like spoken-of characters appearing who aren't really there – especially during the final admissions process where Portia strategically tries getting Jeremiah in the door – add to the indie flavor of a film misleadingly promoted as a romantic comedy.

Of the side cast, Paul Rudd's relationship with his adopted black child is sweet but ultimately pointless, while Lily Tomlin, as Portia's stubborn mother, who, like Glenn Close in THE WORLD ACCORDING TO GARP, years earlier wrote a book on feminism and found a random "sperm donor" to create her child, tries hard to steal scenes, but Tina Fey does a good enough job carrying a simple story that, for better or worse, she owns entirely.

disappointing - don't waste your time

[danaheather50 · 2/10 · 14 December 2013]

I work in a grad school admissions office, so I was really interested in seeing this movie. Boy was I disappointed. This movie was so incredibly bad. It may have been one of the worst movies I have ever seen! SPOILERS - What she did at the end of the movie was pathetic. I'm glad she was fired. Would anyone really risk their job for that? I know it is "just a movie," but I found it to be incredibly annoying. Then she confronts the kid at the party at the end. Really?! So awkward and cringe worthy. Also, love how she drives to Keene, NH from Princeton, NJ like its 10 minutes away.

Lily Tomlin was great in the movie. The two stars are for her.

Do not watch this movie!

Very underrated movie, in my opinion

[aandrewdorst74 · 9/10 · 4 July 2013]

I was really surprised at the review ratings for this movie.At first I considered not watching it because of the average rating, but when flipping through it it appeared like a movie to consider watching, after all some ratings, for me, have been way off. I am not into really bad slap stick comedy or bad acting, or in mediocre been done before scripts. I began watching the movie and almost regretted it, after a slow start, and after a few over acted comedy parts, but upon finishing it, I was glad I stuck it out. The overly comic parts were far and few between, and turned out to be a little of the comic relief that balanced the emotional and some what unique script. The acting by Tina,Ben,Paul,and Travaris was actually good (they gave Tina a bit much of the overly comic parts, but what can you do). Overall, I was impressed with the movie and its "differentness".

I would recommend this movie to those who aren't overly critical on every detail and aspect of a movie, to those who like sensitive movies that overcome pasts and trials and fight for people and ideals, and to those who can weigh the value of people who are not perfect or who do things perfectly, but who change and grow and fight to do better.

Barely a passing grade

[john32935 · 6/10 · 20 January 2015]

How do you not like a movie with the always likable Tina Fey and Paul Rudd cast as the leads? Well, Admission gives us plenty of reason to try.

The plot is contrived and the dramatic tension just does not exist. However, because of the solid effort by the leads, good performances by supporting cast (even though Lily Tomlin is a little too over the top), and nicely shot scenes, you probably will leave the movie with a slightly favorable impression although you also probably wish they had done more with all that this movie had going for it.

So if you need an OK movie (not bad, not great), and a little harmless attempt at romance, and humorous situations without any laugh-out-loud moments, this would be your choice.

No one will be fighting over being admitted to this film

[estebangonzalez10 · 4/10 · 2 October 2013]

"You all want to know the secret formula for getting in. Of course everyone thinks we're sadists, that we like saying no. We are in this job for one reason, to say yes."

Paul Weitz became a household name in Hollywood after his successful 1999 comedy, American Pie, but everything he has directed since has been a bit of a let down for me. I haven't seen all of his films, but the ones I got to see were not actually good. I had higher expectations for Admission considering it had two of today's most successful comedy actors: Tina Fey and Paul Rudd. Tina is just so smart and hilarious, while Paul Rudd has great comedic timing and the pair usually choose their roles wisely. I guess this was one of those movies where the comedy worked more on paper, because on screen it really didn't. One may argue this wasn't actually supposed to be a comedy, but I didn't feel it worked well as a drama or a romantic film either. The characters weren't developed very well and I don't know why Tina Fey didn't just butt in and re write the entire script which would've helped this movie a lot. Tina Fey is such a great writer, I would simply let her write the entire dialogues for me. Admission is actually based on a novel written by Jean Hanff Korelitz and it was adapted for the screen by Karen Croner (who hadn't written a screenplay since 1998, One True Thing). It is a shame that the potential of these actors was put to waste here with such an awkward and weak script. Stay away from Admission, this is one film you won't want to be enrolling in.

Portia Nathan (Tina Fey) has spent the last 16 years of her life working at the admissions department for Princeton University. Her boss, Clarence (Wallace Shawn), is getting ready for his retirement so Portia is really looking forward to the promotion. The position could be hers or Corinne's (Gloria Reuben) since they both are the main admissions officers. Princeton has always ranked as the number one University students want to apply for, but this year they are number two. All Clarence wants before retiring is to leave on top so everyone is working overtime. Portia begins visiting several schools around the nation to look for the perfect candidates for Princeton. She receives a call from a former college classmate who is now overseeing an alternative school. John Pressman (Paul Rudd) wants her to come visit his school because there is a special kid named Jeremiah (Nat Wolff) who he wants her to meet. Portia visits the school but doesn't think much of its students. The real reason why John invited her is because he believes that Jeremiah is Portia's son who she gave up in adoption during their college years. He asks Portia to get to know the kid without having to commit to anything because he hasn't mentioned anything to Jeremiah about her. When Jeremiah shows interest in wanting to go to Princeton, Portia will try to do her best to help him. Some complications and funny situations ensue as Portia's life begins to unravel when the man she's been living with for seven years (played by the talented Michael Sheen) bails on her for another woman.

The characters in this film are all pretty much stereotypes we've seen before. I think these stereotypes usually work in comedies, but this film was a little more serious. You have the classic elements were two co-workers begin competing for a same position, a man abandons his companion for another woman, and a romance ensues between two distinct characters with opposite personalities. Rudd and Fey are great actors but I really never believed the chemistry between them here despite their natural likability. The film doesn't work at any level really, not as a comedy and not as a romantic story. There are some funny moments but they are too few and too scattered through. The film is predictable although there are a few surprises here and there that you might not see coming, but they are just smaller details in an otherwise formulaic film. This isn't your typical slapstick college comedy, but it is rather predictable on the romantic side. There are a few witty and cultural jokes thrown in here and there, but it simply wasn't enough. Despite some interesting subjects tackled in the film, Weitz really doesn't take any risks and the film felt bland.