Admission
3 out of 5 Stars
Director • Paul Weitz
Starring • Tina Fey, Paul Rudd, Nat Wolff
Rated • PG-13
Recommended to • Tina Fey and Paul Rudd fans that don’t mind watching talented actors underachieve in a mediocre romantic drama.

Portia Nathan (Tina Fey) is a Princeton University admissions officer who during her annual tour of various high school campuses visits the alternative high school run by John Pressman (Paul Rudd). While there she meets Jeremiah (Nat Wolff), a brilliant but troubled student that Pressman believes is her son.

The combination of Tina Fey and Paul Rudd, two of Hollywood’s most likeable actors, seems like a surefire way to make a movie. Unfortunately “Admission” is an underachiever that proves that without a solid script to back it up charm will only get you so far. It feels overly superficial and contrived rather than heartfelt and honest. I haven’t read Jean Hanff Korelitz’s novel so I don’t know if something was lost in Karen Croner’s adaptation or if the flaws are inherent in the original text. I do know that with the talent involved “Admission” should have been better than it is.

-Ryan Michael Painter