Baby MamaMovie Reviews

So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 55 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
14 Iffy for 14+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 75
    Philadelphia Inquirer | Carrie Rickey

    Best when skewering New Age entrepreneurs for what might be called Compassionate Capitalism. Steve Martin is sublime as Kate's boss, Barry, purveyor of organic food and Zen koans. Read full review

  • 75
    TV Guide | Ken Fox

    Even though Kinnear is meant to be obvious love interest, it's the relationship between Kate and Angie that becomes the film's central story, making this comedy sweeter -- and more honest in its depiction of class difference -- than one might otherwise expect. Read full review

  • 75
    Charlotte Observer | Lawrence Toppman

    It's the chemistry between the stars that makes the film stand out in a drab spring. Read full review

  • 75
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    Although the big picture itself gets mushy, the small moments, especially involving Fey, are sharp. Read full review

  • 75
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    Though the competition hasn't exactly been stiff, Fey and Poehler may well be the best female comedy duo since Lucy and Ethel. Read full review

  • 75
    Boston Globe | Wesley Morris

    In this era of Apatow and Ferrell and Rogen and Wilson, of men monopolizing movie comedy, Baby Mama feels absurdly momentous, and even political. Fey and Poehler aren't just taking back control of their bodies. They're taking back control of their profession. Read full review

  • 60
    The Hollywood Reporter | Michael Rechtshaffen

    Baby Boom serves up plenty of smart, knowing laughs early on, but by the time it hits the third act (or would that be trimester?), it barely crawls to the finish line. Read full review

  • 60
    New York Daily News | Joe Neumaier

    In a pleasing contrast to Fey's sharpness, Poehler keeps her performance unpredictable and fuzzy. In this just-add-water comedy, a very funny movie star is born. Read full review

  • 50
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle

    You could blast for it, and you still won't find 30 uninterrupted seconds of truth in Baby Mama. The characters are lies. Their emotional workings are lies. The jokes are based on lies about human behavior. Read full review

  • 50
    Wall Street Journal | Joe Morgenstern

    The show is redeemed by its co-stars, up to a point. They struggle womanfully, and sometimes successfully, to find truth in the script's silly symphony of false notes. Read full review

View more reviews for Baby Mama on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 14+ SNL gals deliver hilarious comedy for teens+.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this comedy is both irreverent and candid in dealing with the topics of infertility, pregnancy, and surrogacy (none of which are probably at the top of teens' "funny subjects" list, so there's a chance they won't be interested, despite the presence of Saturday Night Live veterans Tina Fey and Amy Poehler). Characters make fun of a woman's inability to get pregnant, and one treats pregnancy as a big pain. There's some "white trash" stereotyping involved with Poehler's character, but Angie ultimately proves to be a decent soul. Expect some drinking, references to drug use, and a fair amount of swearing (nothing stronger than "s--t") and product placement mixed in with the plentiful laughs.
  • Families can talk about who this movie's target audience is. Is it teens? Older women with children? How can you tell? How is the movie different from most comedies aimed at women? Families can also discuss surrogacy. Why does it seem like such a controversial subject? How were the filmmakers able to mine it for humor? Also, do you think the movie is making any specific points about the "class war"? What do Kate and Angie have in common? How are they different?
The good stuff
  • message true0 Positive messages: All of the characters are flawed, though most of them have good intentions at heart. Kate frequently comes across as judgmental and a little bit snobby, while Angie's irresponsible "white trash" background is played up for laughs -- though, to the movie's credit, she has more depth than similar characters in other films. Characters deceive each other, attempt blackmail, and more. A subplot involves a big corporation coming into a small neighborhood and possibly hurting local business. New age philosophies are mocked (mostly gently). All but one of the central cast members are Caucasian.
What to watch for
  • violence false0 Violence: Two women hurl insults at each other during a massive screaming argument. A little bit of slapstick physical comedy.
  • sex false3 Sexy stuff: No nudity, and not much beyond kissing is shown. But there are some crass references to baby-making, including a shot in which Poehler's character spreads her legs for artificial insemination. Words like "horny" are used. A couple spends the night together after a first date.
  • language false3 Language: Language includes "damn," "a--hole," a handful of "s--t"s, and one "effin" as a stand-in for "f--k." Some name-calling.
  • consumerism false3 Consumerism: Product placements galore, including Luna Bars, Dr. Pepper, Tastykakes, Red Bull, Forbes Life, baby books, video games, and Jamba Juice. Kate works for a Whole Foods-like company called Round Earth.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Social drinking -- including one scene in which a woman who's purportedly pregnant sneaks a few swigs of hard liquor at a nightclub. Several jokes about recreational drug use.
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