May 17, 2012 in GENRES
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING
RYAN: I’m so excited to introduce and welcome Carrie Baker to review with me.
CARRIE: It’s a pleasure to be here.
RYAN: We just saw What to Expect When You’re Expecting, yet another self help book adapted for the big screen. But unlike all the dating advice ones to date, this is for the preggers set.
CARRIE: It was really great. New and expectant parents would love it for sure.
RYAN: It’s also just a cute romantic comedy. What makes it fresh for the genre is it all hinders on the pregnant.
CARRIE: It’s the new stage in a couple’s life. It was comedic but also emotional. I found myself with tears in my eyes a couple times.
RYAN: The best rom coms do include a layer of melancholy and realism. Bridesmaids and The Five-Year Engagement both balance the comedy with a dose of sadness. This spans different kinds of pregnancies at all different stages.
CARRIE: I really liked how they represented Jennifer Lopez’s character and her storyline with adoption. That is a reality for a lot of people but it’s not talked about as much as traditional pregnancy. It was great how this movie shed some light on it.
RYAN: J.Lo was good and especially great in the more dramatic moments but her comedy played a little safe and self-aware. This is not her best performance. Cameron Diaz and Elizabeth Banks were better.
CARRIE: Cameron Diaz did an amazing job. She was wonderful and I am a J.Lo fan, so…
RYAN: About Cameron D though, and I pointed it out to you about halfway through, I was distracted during her performance because they literally digitally enhanced her face in this movie – her cheeks and forehead looked preternaturally smooth. And in her scenes with Matthew Morrison, cutting between their close-ups, you can see his pores and then her eyes and nose are totally in focus but the rest of her face looks all gauzy and crazy.
CARRIE: That is crazy. I never would have noticed but you have, like, eagle eyes and you pointed it out. And then I couldn’t stop looking at it. Her face had an entirely different complexion than anyone else in the movie.
RYAN: Future movies need to no longer do close-ups of her or just hire a better makeup artist. I mean, come on. What that must it have cost to do special effects on her face!
CARRIE: Seriously.
RYAN: I loved Glee‘s Matthew Morrison on the big screen. He gave a very subtle performance opposite Cam.
CARRIE: He did a really good job. They gave him a realistic part. He played the guy in the relationship from a very real place.
RYAN: And I love Lizzie Banks. I enjoy her in any genre but I do love her best in comedy and I laughed more at her in this film than anyone else.
CARRIE: I loved her storyline and I loved Ben Falcone as her husband. He’s Melissa McCarthy’s real-life husband and costar from Bridesmaids.
RYAN: And how random that Tootie from TV’s The Facts of Life pops up in this.
CARRIE: I didn’t even recognize her! I also loved Rebel Wilson. She was also in Bridesmaids.
RYAN: Yes. The best performance in the film was done by Anna Kendrick. She had some of the juicier scenes and also plays the part that the younger generation will relate to.
CARRIE: She really had the serious role.
RYAN: She was also the one non-married character.
CARRIE: It’s a good movie but I think for a limited audience. The people that are going to want to see this are having kids or recently had kids. My 25-year-old self would never be interested in a movie like this.
RYAN: Meanwhile you’re recently engaged. Congratulations.
CARRIE: Thank you!
RYAN: This movie is ‘on the horizon’ for you as a bride to be. How did you relate to it at this stage?
CARRIE: A lot of my girlfriends are having babies so I relate to it that way. And of course, I want to start a family someday so I looked to this movie as a little bit aspirational. My fiance would never in a million years want to see this film but it would be good for him to see what it’s like possibly.
RYAN: I’m single and childless but really enjoyed the comedy and romance and casting. It’s a hardcore chick flick but you don’t have to be able to relate to this to enjoy it.
— BOTTOM LINE —
CARRIE: I really enjoyed it but I think it would be just as good curled up on the couch at home as in the theater.
RYAN: It reminds me of Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve – big ensemble casts and a little bit cutty between the chapters. It is a fun movie but with the other movies out right now which really warrant seeing on the big screen – this one is more of a rental.
— RATING —
