Photos courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
Review by Ryan Wilson
Why is it that television comedy these days is so much better than movie comedy? Has it always been that way, or are we just presently lacking particularly funny movies? These might be a few questions audiences have if they're disappointed in the film Date Night, starring Steve Carell and Tina Fey.
Date Night isn't my typical choice of comedies, but I was excited to see it if only because Carell and Fey are currently working at the top of their games on TV. Both have carved out small screen characters that exaggerate what most of us recognize and fear in our everyday lives. Carell's Michael Scott in The Office is the boss who makes us cringe, but even more, he's a desperate man who craves authority and meaning in the meaningless corporate world. Fey's Liz Lemon from 30 Rock is a post-feminist neurotic, a woman who's talented enough to succeed only to find utter absurdity in her success. She's burnt out enough to desire nothing, and thus would rather spend a Friday night alone in her apartment eating a wheel of cheese.
Neither of these characters would be so noteworthy without the actors who play them. Both Second City alumni, Carell and Fey bring an edge to their characters, transcending what could be merely Dilbert and Cathy cartoons come to life.
I was hoping some of that edge would follow them to Date Night, where they play an average suburban couple, the Fosters, comfortable with their routine yet wary of the very routine that makes them comfortable. Reacting to the separation of another couple, they decide to take their weekly dinner date up a notch, which means journeying to the city, where they are immediately out of their element.
Though formulaic, I like this premise. It reminds me of the great comedy The Out of Towners, where Jack Lemmon plays an Ohio businessman interviewing for a better job in New York with his wife. (Please avoid the Steve Martin remake). Once they arrive, everything goes wrong.
Steve Carell reminds me a bit of Jack Lemmon. He has that Everyman quality, along with the ability to play sympathetic while acting the fool. He did this well in both The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Dan in Real Life. Tina Fey, meanwhile, reminds me of Mary Tyler Moore, an affable professional with the confidence to cut you down with one sharp remark.
All of the elements are there for Date Night, but rather than rely on its actors, the movie relies too heavily on its script. Dull plotting gets in the way of cutting humor when the Fosters are mistaken for blackmailers at a trendy restaurant. After this plot point, the film deteriorates into chase scenes with funny costumes. Gone are the opportunities for Fey and Carell to do their best work.
Yet it's surprising what they can do with so little. While being chased by men with guns, Fey quips that her kids might have to live with Carell's "terrible" mother. When they run into one of Fey's former clients, played by a half-naked Mark Whalberg, she can't hide her obvious attraction, while Carell repeatedly suggests he put on a shirt. These small moments remind us that the comedians are better than the material.
At its worst Date Night stops the jokes and its zany chase for the couple to talk about their marital woes. It's a terribly long moment in the middle of the film, and the entire movie comes grinding to a halt as a result. Think about it: we never want Michael Scott or Liz Lemon to turn introspective. That would ruin the fun.
After this break, the story limps along with needless action, bad prostitution jokes, and a scene in a strip club too long and painful to watch. We know all will be set right again, so there's little joy in the last forty minutes of finishing the exercise.
The best moments are early in the exposition when we see Fey and Carell limping through their suburban book club or playing a sarcastic game with each other over dinner. I never once worried about their marriage because these characters clearly enjoy each other's company while mocking those around them.
With that Second City edge comes a certain meanness or judgment to the comedy. It can be found in the best Saturday Night Live sketches (which Fey has written and stared in), and it can be seen in the brilliant British version of The Office starring Ricky Gervais, which Carell's version is based on. It's sad to see it lacking so much in Date Night. Not because I want to see suburbanites made fun of—that's been done to death—but because Fey and Carell are capable of being satirical and sweet at the same time. I want to like and learn from the Fosters, but instead I just mildly warm to them.
Perhaps television, unconstrained by time or a single plot, just gives a comedic actor more to play with. While the sitcom format is severely limited in its repetition, within that repetition an actor can expand and perfect his or her character week after week.
At the end of Date Night, the Fosters are just glad to be home again, so much so that they begin rolling around together on their lawn, their romance rekindled. I felt the same way coming home from the movie theater, grateful to see my television and anticipating next Thursday's episodes. I could have rolled around on my carpet.
Take 5 on Film is a production of Delta College's WUCX Q 90.1, airing every Saturday at 8:35 a.m. and again at 9:35 a.m. and produced by Jennifer Vande Zande. For more information, visit deltabroadcasting.org.
© Ryan Wilson, 2010