Across the country, thousands of high school students are receiving their college admissions decisions, so it’s only fitting for a film to be released about the admission process right around this time of year. Starring Tina Fey and Paul Rudd, Admission is a light-hearted romantic comedy about making tough decisions when confronted with your past and your future.
Before going to see it, I expected nothing more than a straightforward romantic comedy, and that’s exactly what I got. The film’s good, but not great, as it follows a fairly predictable plot with predictable characters. Why Tina Fey? Why?
Directed by Paul Weitz, Admission centers around Princeton admission officer Portia Nathan (Fey). Portia evaluates thousands of applications and travels to various high schools to tell prospective students “the secret to getting in” — spoiler alert: there is none. The movie contrasts the uptight Princeton admissions officer with John Pressman (Rudd), the director of an alternative New Hampshire high school. He’s a save-the-world kind of guy that measures student achievement not in grades, but in character.
In the film, Portia’s stable life crumbles when John thinks one of his students, Jeremiah (Nat Wolff), is the child she gave up for adoption years earlier. Intelligent but lost, Jeremiah dreams of going to Princeton and John helps him along the way, encouraging Portia to see more in Jeremiah’s potential than his resume. The movie focuses on the blossoming romance between Portia and John, but the most important relationship of the film is unsurprisingly between her and Jeremiah.
Although the film sticks firmly to its generic romantic comedy plot, the actors, thankfully, do not fall as short. Rudd continues to take on the role of the likable guy that guides others through tough situations. He and Fey work well together to balance their opposing characters with clever dialogue and good chemistry.
Even the supporting characters manage to shine through in this slightly mediocre plot. Wallace Shawn, best known for his role as the chief outlaw in The Princess Bride, plays the Princeton Dean of Admissions. His genuine personality makes him enjoyable to watch throughout the film.
Admission is nothing special; it’s not a masterpiece and the actors won’t be remembered for their roles in the film. Perhaps its one success is hinted at in the title — the film’s depiction of the complicated, disappointing and difficult process of college admissions is both realistic and amusing.
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