Baby Mama (2008)

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 | Book | Divorce | Doorman | Amniotic Fluid

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Amy Poehler	...	Angie
Tina Fey	...	Kate
Greg Kinnear	...	Rob
Dax Shepard	...	Carl
Romany Malco	...	Oscar
Sigourney Weaver	...	Chaffee Bicknell
Steve Martin	...	Barry
Maura Tierney	...	Caroline
Stephen Mailer	...	Dan
Holland Taylor	...	Rose
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	...	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
Frank Rodriguez	...	Community Member
Diane Cheng	...	Community Member
Andra Eggleston	...	Waitress
Andrew Hillmedo Jr.	...	Dante (as Andrew Hilmedo)
Jon Glaser	...	Vegan Waiter
Erica Fae	...	Yoga Mom (as Erica Berg)
Curt Carlson	...	Bailiff
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Drea Castro	...	Chaffee's Nanny (uncredited)
Shalon Delgado	...	Pedestrian (uncredited)
Kimberly Dorsey	...	Neighbor with Toy Poodle (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)
Ethan Kruger	...	Astrophysicist (uncredited)
Kimberly Magness	...	Lead Hip Hop Dancer (uncredited)
Lana May	...	Hot Club Dancer (uncredited)
Lynne McGhee	...	Restaurant Patron (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
Kay Cannon	....	co-producer
Erin David	....	co-producer
John Goldwyn	....	producer
Ryan Kavanaugh	....	executive producer
Jill Sobel Messick	....	executive producer (as Jill Messick)
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 stylist department head
Michelle Johnson	....	hair stylist department head
Todd Kleitsch	....	special makeup effects artist
Jenn 'Jorge' Nelson	....	key makeup artist (as Jenn Nelson)
Stephanie Pasicov	....	special makeup effects artist
Anita Roganovic	....	hair stylist (as Anita Lausevic)
Peggy Schierholz	....	hair stylist: Ms. Weaver (as Peg Schierholz)
Julie Teel	....	additional makeup artist (as Julie M. Teel)

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
Robert Antalocy	....	carpenter
Laura Ballinger	....	assistant art director
Steve Brennan	....	key on-set dresser
Garf Brown	....	scenic artist
Jason 'Jay' Brown	....	second set dresser (as Jason Brown)
Jen Day	....	art department assistant: reshoots
Jerry DeRogatis	....	set dresser
Frank Didio	....	co-construction coordinator
Amy Fritz	....	art department 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
Gay Howard	....	additional art department coordinator
Mark Hurtado	....	storyboard artist
Heather Danielle Kane	....	property master
Robin McAllister	....	assistant property master
Jeffrey D. McDonald	....	assistant art director
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
John Ralbovsky	....	scenic
Daniel Rosenfeld	....	scenic shopman
Andrew Rossig	....	carpenter
Amy Safhay	....	lead greensperson
Jennifer Santucci	....	set dresser
Zach Selter	....	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
Samuel M. 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
Joseph Abbatecola	....	best boy grip
K.C. Bailey	....	still photographer
Kelly Britt	....	lighting technician
Stephen Consentino	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Stephen Consentino	....	steadicam operator
Jonathan A. Davidson	....	grip
Andy Day	....	gaffer
Jamie Gallagher	....	daily generator operator
Dennis Green	....	24 frame video operator
Charlie Grubbs	....	rigging gaffer
Nick Haines-Stiles	....	grip
James Heerdegen	....	grip
Joel Holland	....	digital video assist operator
Michael A. Leo	....	rigging best boy
Chris Lombardozzi	....	generator operator
Bruce MacCallum	....	camera operator: "a" camera
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
Jesse Pelikan	....	rigging grip
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
John Woods	....	stage rigging gaffer
Yueni Zander	....	camera loader

Casting Department
Elizabeth Dean	....	casting manager (as Elizabeth Dionne)
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
Josh Olive	....	colorist: dailies
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
George Doering	....	musician
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
James Thatcher	....	musician: french horn
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
Brian Lieberz	....	driver: cast

Other crew
Stacy Adamski	....	assistant: Mr. McCullers
Billy Arrowood	....	location manager: Philadelphia
Laura Lynn Berrios	....	stand-in: Tina Fey
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: Ms. Fey
Alana Harrison	....	assistant: Ms. Poehler
Brian Hershkowitz	....	production assistant
James Hinton	....	assistant accountant
Corri Hopkins	....	office production assistant
Jeff Joslin	....	stand in: Steve Martin
Cohl Kenneth Klop	....	adr voice
Julie Kuehndorf	....	unit publicist
Harry Lapham	....	key set production assistant
Grace Lee	....	assistant: Mr. Goldwyn
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
Melissa Mugavero	....	production assistant
Julia Muggia	....	epk producer
Kyle O'Brien	....	production accountant: New York
Dana Palmer	....	assistant: Mr. Goldwyn
Joseph S. Patire	....	shop craftsmen
Monica Perez Gelbman	....	post-production accountant
Meredith Petty	....	assistant: Ms. Messick
Flo Phillips	....	assistant: Mr. Michaels
Patricia Porter	....	payroll accountant
Justin Reid	....	location scout
Allison Robin	....	clearances
Allison Robin	....	product placement
Dawn Rosado	....	location assistant
Jake Seidler	....	assistant: Ms. Messick
Yorgo Stathopoulos	....	assistant location manager
Anita Sum	....	production coordinator
Wendy Taylor	....	location coordinator
Melissa Tomjanovich	....	assistant: Mr. McCullers
Gayle Vangrofsky	....	location manager
Jamie Vermilye	....	locations unit production assistant
Denise Violante	....	production assistant
Celia Allen	....	stand-in (uncredited)
Faya Madrid	....	crew: second unit (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Michaels-Goldwyn
• Relativity Media (in association with)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2008) (Singapore) (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 Studios Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (2009) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (2009) (Japan) (DVD)
• fX Network (2010) (USA) (TV)
• Universal Pictures International (UPI) (2008) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• ION Television (2012) (USA) (TV)

Special Effects

• Pacific Vision Productions (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Atlantic Cine Equipment  GyronFS aerial system
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  camera dollies
• Corbis  stock photographs
• David Haddad  transportation equipment
• Footage Bank  footage courtesy of (as FootageBank HD)
• Getty Images  stock footage provided by
• Gotham Sound and Communications  walkies provided by (as Gotham Sound)
• Haddad's  transportation equipment
• Henson Recording Studios  score recorded and mixed at
• Intelligent Media  international monitoring agency
• 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
• Soundelux  post-production sound services
• Soundtrack  ADR Facility
• Technicolor Digital Intermediates  digital intermediate
• Technicolor  release printing
• That Cat Camera Support  Chapman camera cranes
• Tomkats Catering  catering

Also Known As:

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 | Brazil:12 | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | Sweden:Btl | Singapore:PG13 (re-rating)

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Michaels-Goldwyn

Trivia:

Richard Gere was the first choice to play Tina Fey's boss, but he turned the role down.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Angie cannot open the door to Kate's "space car," an Audi A6, because it is locked, despite pulling the door handle several times. If an Audi door is locked, the first pull on the handle from inside unlocks the door, and the second pull opens it.

Quotes:

Scott:Oh, it's great! We just bought a house in Bucks county. I'm still doing stuff for Doctors Without Borders. Recently we took in some hurricane Katrina dogs. Oh, and I was in a bicycle accident that made my penis bigger.

Movie Connections:

References Armageddon (1998)

Soundtrack:

Happy Birthday To You

Predictable Farce Driven by a Deafening Biological Clock and a Familiar "Odd Couple" Set-Up

There is a smattering of smart laughs in this 2008 comedy, but first-time director Michael McCullers really plods his own coincidence-driven script along with little sense of style or dramatic resonance. At times, it feels no better than a formulaic romantic comedy from the 1960's usually starring small-screen celebrities trying to break into the big time. Sure enough, this time, we are offered Tina Fey (currently of NBC's "30 Rock") and Amy Poehler, former "Saturday Night Live" Weekend Update co-anchors and definitely the cream of the current funny lady crop. The problem is that McCullers, a one-time SNL staff writer who also co-wrote the Austin Powers movies with Mike Myers, doesn't elevate the screenplay much beyond the limited dimensions of an extended comedy sketch. That puts most of the pressure on the two women to make this farce work as a distaff version of "The Odd Couple" with a pregnancy angle, and they often - you should pardon the expression - deliver.

Ideally cast with her smart, bespectacled looks, Fey plays 37-year-old Kate Holbrook, single and professionally successful as the VP of an upscale organic supermarket chain much like Whole Foods. She hears her biological clock ticking and is taking every step possible to have a baby. Her last straw is to pay an agency $100,000 to find a surrogate. Naturally, her polar opposite shows up as the ideal candidate - a junk-food-eating, Red Bull-swilling piece of white trash named Angie Ostrowski who comes with her money-drubbing boyfriend Carl. Kate is so desperate she is practically begging Angie to carry her egg, so Angie willingly accepts. Somehow, the women end up living together during the pregnancy and inevitably get on each other's nerves, more Angie on Kate's nerves since a few revelations threaten to upend the deal. Convenience appears to trump logic in tying up the plot's loose ends, of which there are many. However, McCullers' alternately sauntering and piercing Judd Apatow-like approach helps compensate for the bigger lapses.

A game cast also helps. Although fairly limited as an actress, Fey is sharp and likable as the often dour Kate and has the ability to bring the implausibility of her character's situation into more human focus. Even though she is entirely too old for her role, Poehler is a more natural comic presence as Angie, terrifically manic but surprisingly poignant during key moments. It's obvious their joint casting has more to do with their proved rapport than dramatic credibility. In a turn worthy of Jeff Foxworthy, Dax Shepard credibly makes Carl a mercenary sheep. Romany Malco (memorable as Andy's horned-up co-worker in "The 40-Year-Old Virgin") is given little to do as the streetwise doorman, the same fate of Maura Tierney bland as Kate's supportive sister. Greg Kinnear must be getting awfully tired playing the same type of romantic foil over and over again, but he does do it well even though his scenes also seem strangely truncated. Two veterans threaten to steal the picture in acts of petty larceny - a pony-tailed Steve Martin very funny as Kate's Zen-seeking boss whose idea of a reward is allowing her to stare at him for five minutes, and Sigourney Weaver as the overtly self-satisfied and all-too-fertile head of the agency. SNL regulars Will Forte and Fred Armisen show up in cameos. A fitfully funny farce.