Baby Mama (2008)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Michael McCullers

Writer (WGA):

Michael McCullers (written by)

Release Date:

25 April 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Would you put your eggs...in this basket?

Plot:

A successful, single businesswoman who dreams of having a baby discovers she is infertile and hires a working class woman to be her unlikely surrogate.

Plot Keywords:

Baby | Surrogate | Book | Corporation | Male With Long Hair

Awards:

4 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Wed. July 15	6:50 PM	MAX
Tue. July 21	5:10 PM	MAX

Cast

Amy Poehler	...	Angie Ostrowiski
Tina Fey	...	Kate Holbrook
Greg Kinnear	...	Rob Ackerman
Dax Shepard	...	Carl Loomis
Romany Malco	...	Oscar
Sigourney Weaver	...	Chaffee Bicknell
Steve Martin	...	Barry
Maura Tierney	...	Caroline
Stephen Mailer	...	Dan
Holland Taylor	...	Rose Holbrook
James Rebhorn	...	Judge
Denis O'Hare	...	Dr. Manheim
Kevin Collins	...	Architect / Rick
Will Forte	...	Scott
Fred Armisen	...	Stroller Salesman
John Hodgman	...	Fertility Specialist
Siobhan Fallon	...	Birthing Teacher (as Siobhan Fallon Hogan)
Thomas McCarthy	...	Kate's Date (as Tom McCarthy)
Jason Mantzoukas	...	Gay Couple
Dave Finkel	...	Gay Couple
Brian Stack	...	Dave
Felicity Stiverson	...	Ashley - Wiccan
Anne L. Nathan	...	Bookstore Clerk
Jay Phillips	...	Boo-Boo Buster
Kathy Searle	...	Cool Mom
Almeria Campbell	...	Maternity Nurse
Alice Kremelberg	...	Rob's Daughter
Catherine Rose	...	Caroline's 4-Year-Old
Ian Colletti	...	Caroline's 7-Year-Old
Eric Zuckerman	...	Community Member #1
Frank Rodriguez	...	Community Member #2
Diane Chen	...	Community Member #3
Andra Eggleston	...	Waitress
Andrew Hillmedo Jr.	...	Dante
Jon Glaser	...	Vegan Waiter
Erica Berg	...	Yoga Mom
Curt Carlson	...	Bailiff
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Drea Castro	...	Chaffee's Nanny (uncredited)
Kimberly Dorsey	...	Neighbor with Toy Poodle (uncredited)
Antwoin Hagood	...	Clubber (uncredited)
Torrance Harvey	...	Lamaze Dad (uncredited)
Mark A. Keeton	...	Denim Suit Guy (uncredited)
Arnold Y. Kim	...	Zen Master (uncredited)
Tina King	...	Community Member (uncredited)
RJ Konner	...	Man on the Street (uncredited)
Kordelia	...	Waitress (uncredited)
Kimberly Magness	...	Lead Hip Hop Dancer (uncredited)
Lana May	...	Hot club dancer (uncredited)
Adam S. Phillips	...	Store Patron (uncredited)
Annie Rohling	...	Patron at Restaurant (uncredited)
Jesus A. Del Rosario Jr.	...	Concirege / Doorman (uncredited)
Giovanni Roselli	...	The Club Guido (uncredited)

Directed by
Michael McCullers

Writing credits (WGA)
Michael McCullers		(written by)

Produced by
John Goldwyn	....	producer
Jill Sobel Messick	....	executive producer
Lorne Michaels	....	producer
Louise Rosner	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Jeff Richmond

Cinematography by
Daryn Okada

Film Editing by
Bruce Green
Debra Neil-Fisher

Casting by
Avy Kaufman

Production Design by
Jess Gonchor

Art Direction by
David Swayze

Set Decoration by
Susan Bode		(as Susan Bode-Tyson)
Jennifer Alex Nickason		(as Jennifer H. Alex)

Costume Design by
Renee Ehrlich Kalfus

Makeup Department
Richard Dean	....	makeup department head
Donna Marie Fischetto	....	hair co-department head
Michelle Johnson	....	hair co-department head
Todd Kleitsch	....	special makeup effects artist
Jenn 'Jorge' Nelson	....	co-head makeup department
Stephanie Pasicov	....	on-set special makeup effects artist
Anita Roganovic	....	key hair stylist (as Anita Lausevic)
Julie Teel	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
David Bausch	....	production supervisor
Lisa Rodgers	....	post-production supervisor
Louise Rosner	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Noreen R. Cheleden	....	second assistant director (as Noreen Cheleden)
Stephen Lee Davis	....	first assistant director
Bellamy Forrest	....	second second assistant director (as Bellamy Truman Forrest)
Michael Pitt	....	first assistant director: additional photography
Michael Pitt	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Glen Aldous	....	scenic
Laura Ballinger	....	assistant art director
Steve Brennan	....	key on-set dresser
Jen Day	....	art department assistant: reshoots
Jerry DeRogatis	....	set dresser
Frank Didio	....	co-construction coordinator
Steven Glazman	....	storyboard artist
Apache Gonzalez	....	set dresser
Alex Gorodetsky	....	charge scenic artist
Bruce Lee Gross	....	leadman
Jay Hendrickx	....	camera scenic artist
Gina Herold	....	art department coordinator
Gregory Hill	....	assistant art director
Mark Hurtado	....	storyboard artist
Heather Danielle Kane	....	property master
Robin McAllister	....	assistant property master
Victor Morales	....	scenic
Quang Nguyen	....	scenic foreperson
Jennifer Alex Nickason	....	assistant set decorator
Eric Pastore	....	set dresser
Ron Petagna	....	construction coordinator
Ronnie Petagna	....	shop foreman
Daniel Rosenfeld	....	scenic shopman
Amy Safhay	....	lead greensperson
Jennifer Santucci	....	set dresser
Marcia C. Suter	....	scenic artist
Omar Vaid	....	set dresser
Greg Voth	....	graphic artist: props
Christopher Weiser	....	scenic artist
James Whelan	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Robert Althoff	....	sound re-recordist
Paul Aulicino	....	sound effects editor
Allan Byer	....	sound mixer
Marc Deschaine	....	first assistant sound editor
Marc Fishman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Nerses Gezalyan	....	sound mixer
Mike Howells	....	adr recordist
Bobby Johanson	....	adr mixer
Tony Lamberti	....	sound re-recording mixer
Steve Nelson	....	sound effects editor (as Steven F. Nelson)
Beauxregard Neylon	....	adr mixer
Michelle Pazer	....	dialog editor
Paul Pouthier	....	second boom operator
Stephen P. Robinson	....	sound effects editor (as Stephen Robinson)
Becky Sullivan	....	supervising sound editor
David Williams	....	dialogue editor

Special Effects by
Mark Bero	....	special effects technician
Steven Kirshoff	....	special effects supervisor
Robert J. Scupp	....	special effects technician (as Robert Scupp)

Visual Effects by
Akemi Abe	....	compositor
Akemi Abe	....	digital artist
Ryan Beadle	....	digital I/O
Sam Dabbs	....	end title animator
Sarah Grieshammer	....	digital compositor
Shaina Holmes	....	digital compositor
Sean Kennedy	....	digital effects artist: Pacific Vision Productions
Paulina Kuszta	....	visual effects coordinator
Erin L. Nelson	....	digital restoration
Wilson Tang	....	digital restoration

Stunts
G.A. Aguilar	....	stunt coordinator (as George Aguilar)
Jill Brown	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Jill Brown	....	stunts
Blaise Corrigan	....	stunt coordinator
Joe Mancini	....	precision driver

Camera and Electrical Department
K.C. Bailey	....	still photographer
Kelly Britt	....	lighting technician
Stephen Consentino	....	Steadicam operator: b-camera operator
Jonathan A. Davidson	....	grip
Andy Day	....	gaffer
Jamie Gallagher	....	daily generator operator
Dennis Green	....	24 frame video operator
James Heerdegen	....	grip
Joel Holland	....	digital video assist operator
Michael A. Leo	....	rigging best boy
Chris Lombardozzi	....	generator operator
Bruce MacCallum	....	lead camera operator
William MacGhee	....	electrician
Bobby Mancuso	....	first assistant camera
Charlie Marroquin	....	key grip
Lance Mayer	....	libra head technician
Ed Nessen	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Heather Norton	....	first assistant camera
Leon Sanginiti	....	second assistant camera: aerial unit
Gerard Sava	....	camera operator: additional photography
Mark Schmidt	....	camera operator: "a" camera: Philadelphia
Craig Striano	....	technocrane operator
Andrew Sweeney	....	dolly grip
David J. Thompson	....	camera operator: "b" camera, Philadelphia
Craig Vaccaro	....	key rigging grip
Mark Walpole	....	first assistant camera: aerial unit
Yueni Zander	....	camera loader

Casting Department
Elizabeth Dionne	....	casting manager
Lois J. Drabkin	....	casting associate
Barbara McNamara	....	extras casting director
Leeba Zakharov	....	casting assistant
John Girod	....	extras casting associate (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Susan Bakula	....	costume shop supervisor
Trenee Clayton	....	set costumer
Barbara Hause	....	wardrobe supervisor
Bryan Mathison	....	set costumer
Alethea McElroy	....	set costumer
Brianna Patterson	....	costume production assistant
Jennifer Rogien	....	assistant costume designer
Elizabeth Shelton	....	associate costume designer
Adam Watt	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
David S. Clark	....	first assistant editor (as Dave Clark)
Ally Garrett	....	first assistant editor
Esther Lee	....	digital intermediate producer
Christian Miglio	....	first assistant editor
Carrie Puchkoff	....	assistant editor: New York
Richie Roefaro	....	colorist assistant
Mary Beth Smith	....	negative cutter
Jeff Smithwick	....	digital film colorist
Lora Sorrentino	....	editorial production assistant
Laura Steiger	....	first assistant editor (as Laura Yanovich)
Lee Wimer	....	color timer
Jenny Caceres	....	post-production assistant (uncredited)
Mark Sahagun	....	digital intermediate editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Julian Bratolyubov	....	music preparation
Andrew Dorfman	....	music editor
Bruce Fowler	....	orchestrator
Steven Fowler	....	orchestrator (as Steve Fowler)
Walt Fowler	....	orchestrator
Rick Giovinazzo	....	orchestrator
Jim Harrison	....	digital orchestral timing
Yvonne S. Moriarty	....	orchestrator (as Yvonne Moriarty)
Kathy Nelson	....	music supervisor
Jason Poss	....	orchestrator
Jason Poss	....	score supervisor
Tim Rodier	....	music preparation
Erik Swanson	....	scoring digital recordist
Fred Vogler	....	score recordist
Fred Vogler	....	scoring mixer
Giancarlo Vulcano	....	score producer
Gina Zimmitti	....	orchestra contractor

Transportation Department
James Fanning	....	transportation captain
Amber R. Kirsch	....	transportation

Other crew
Billy Arrowood	....	location manager: Philadelphia
Pamela Bertini	....	assistant production coordinator
Patrick Bevilacqua	....	additional production assistant
Thomas Bianco	....	production accountant
Thomas 'Doc' Boguski	....	production coordinator: Philadelphia
Nick Bommer	....	asset manager
Emily Brownell	....	stand-in
Sarah Cappetta	....	office production assistant
Al Cerullo	....	helicopter pilot
Wendy Cohen	....	clearances
Wendy Cohen	....	product placement
Greg Connolly	....	stand-in: male lead
Angela Cutrone	....	production assistant
Lolly Daskal	....	location scout
Logan Wolfe Edler	....	production assistant
Ryan Ferguson	....	location assistant
Scott Ferlisi	....	location assistant: New York
Ramon Flowers	....	stand-in
Sarah Follett	....	location scout assistant
Lowell Freedman	....	set production assistant
John Galloway	....	location assistant
Niko Godfrey	....	accounting clerk
Eric Gurian	....	assistant: Tina Fey
Brian Hershkowitz	....	production assistant
James Hinton	....	assistant accountant
Cohl Klop	....	adr voice (as Cohl Kenneth Klop)
Julie Kuehndorf	....	unit publicist
Harry Lapham	....	key set production assistant
Jessica Lichtner	....	script supervisor
Melanie Lopes Lumelleau	....	second assistant accountant
Kristyn Macready	....	set production assistant
Talia Mayer	....	production assistant
Jason A. McCauley	....	location scout: Philadelphia
Andrew McGovern	....	office production assistant
Michael L. Mizrahi	....	location assistant
Kyle O'Brien	....	production accountant: New York
Dana Palmer	....	assistant: John Goldwyn
Joseph S. Patire	....	shop craftsmen
Monica Perez Gelbman	....	post-production accountant
Meredith Petty	....	assistant to executive producer
Patricia Porter	....	payroll accountant
Justin Reid	....	location scout
Allison Robin	....	clearances
Allison Robin	....	product placement
Dawn Rosado	....	location assistant
Yorgo Stathopoulos	....	assistant location manager
Anita Sum	....	production coordinator
Wendy Taylor	....	location coordinator
Melissa Tomjanovich	....	assistant: M. McCullers
Gayle Vangrofsky	....	location manager
Jamie Vermilye	....	locations unit production assistant
Denise Violante	....	production assistant
Celia Allen	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Laura Lynn Berrios	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Faya Madrid	....	crew: second unit (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Broadway Video
• Relativity Media (in association with)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2009) (Italy) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2008) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Continental Film (2008) (Croatia) (DVD)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2008) (Argentina) (all media)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2009) (Japan) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• fX Network (2010) (USA) (TV)

Special Effects

• Custom Film Effects
• Pacific Vision Productions (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Corbis  stock photographs
• Footage Bank  footage courtesy of (as FootageBank HD)
• Getty Images  stock footage provided by
• Gotham Sound  walkies provided by
• Henson Recording Studios  score recorded and mixed at
• Panavision  cameras and lenses
• Picture Mill, The  main titles
• Pivotal Post  Avid editing equipment provided by
• Post Factory NY  post-production facilities
• Right Lobe Design Group  end titles
• Rockbottom Rentals  cell phone rentals
• Soundtrack  ADR Facility
• Technicolor Digital Intermediates  digital intermediate
• That Cat Camera Support  Chapman camera cranes

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual humor, language and a drug reference.

Runtime:

Argentina:99 min | USA:99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

SDDS | DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

UK:12A | Canada:G (Québec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Ireland:12A | USA:PG-13 (certificate #44286) | Singapore:PG | South Korea:12 | New Zealand:M | Argentina:13 | Netherlands:AL | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

114 East 71st St, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Broadway Video

Goofs:

Continuity: When Rob is talking to Kate outside of the courthouse, the collar of his jacket changes positions between shots.

Quotes:

Oscar: If you listen to DMX, the baby comes out goin 'Ennngghhh!

Movie Connections:

References Fainaru fantajî VII (1997) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Hey Ladies

My avatar is dressed like a whore…Baby Mama

Say what you will about the marketing machine, but I truly think the people behind promoting Baby Mama did a bang up job…even if I believe they did so without trying. They make expectations so low in the trailer that you almost have to enjoy the film. Was it a great comedy? No. However, it was much better than I ever could have hoped as Michael McCullers takes us places you never would expect going in. I thought that it would be a water-downed, overlong SNL skit with one woman asking another to carry her baby, leading to a generic odd couple pairing with hijinks and gags piling on top of each other, collapsing under its own weight. Instead we are treated to a pretty sentimental and touching portrait of two women learning to grow and evolve with help from the other, a person, in both regards, that they never would have thought could teach them anything. Even the pregnancy aspect takes a ton of twists and turns never becoming the straight shot gimmick just bringing everyone together. The surrogate mother here must make some tough decisions as she continues along on her journey, lending a side to the tale that actually brings it to a level of intrigue that no Lorne Michaels film has done in recent memory.

I don't want to ruin the plot points of Angie Ostrowiski's pregnancy, but let's just say it isn't cut and dry. Her motives aren't genuine, something that is obvious from the start, just not quite in the way you anticipate. There are surprises for her and secrets hidden from the other characters as she wrestles within herself. A "white-trash" loser, attached to a man that believes waiting on the phone to be the 132.7 caller is a job, Angie learns a lot while with mom-to-be Kate Holbrook. Kate, being the professional VP of an organic food market, is a very detail orientated woman who is by the books and unafraid to tell others what they should do. It is an oil and water connection, but—like all good relationships of this kind—breeds some real funny and touching moments. Who thought watching Karaoke on the Playstation could be so much fun? Sure many instances feel like skits written separately and plugged in later, (the clubbing while pregnant, the press conference ambush, and the surrogate therapy session—probably the funniest scene without question), but they are surprisingly strung together to make a pretty coherent whole.

The other thing that the trailer hides is the inclusion of two great male roles. Did anyone know that Greg Kinnear and Steve Martin were in this thing? I for one was completely surprised by both, almost chuckling that they would have a small cameo until I realized that both were key roles to the whole. In the best turn of the film, Steve Martin is crazy, hippie genius. His earthy style of living, complete with long ponytail and soft speech, even when angered, is classic, as is everything uttered from his mouth. He is so good that I would be thrilled to have him offer me 5 uninterrupted minutes of staring into his eyes as a reward for a job well done. For Kinnear's part, he plays the usual love interest that is commonplace in films of this ilk. It's not flashy and it's not very original, but Greg is a stalwart and pulls off the good guy persona, even including a little bit of physical humor at the end.

Overall, though, this film is pretty standard fare. It goes into very broad comedy at times and very sappy/overly-sentimental drivel at others. There are some good jokes sprinkled throughout and for the most part keep it fun for the duration. Definitely feeling longer than it is, I never quite felt bored and I did begin to get invested in the story to see how it all would turn out. A lot of that can be credited to the chemistry between Tina Fey and Amy Pohler as Kate and Angie respectively. Both these women do a great job with their roles, fleshing out the psychotic relationship to perfection. One of the successful dynamics is how Fey becomes a mother figure to her surrogate. Even going so far as having temper tantrums and rubber-faced reactions, Pohler is a child.

It's also nice to see some fun moments from the supporting cast, but again nothing really sticks out to vault anything into must see territory. Sigourney Weaver is actually kinda scary in a very weird role; Romany Malco has plenty of great one-liners and facial expressions; and John Hodgeman is a bit odd in a small bit, with laughs coming more from the recognition of his Mac commercials than anything he does in the film. In the end, while nothing over-achieves, it all adds up to a pretty solid comedy worth a view. Is it necessary to see on the big screen? Probably not, but if you were worried that it might be a train-wreck, just know that it never takes any chances to risk derailing, and that's not a bad thing.