April 11, 2010: Date Night
Tina Fey and Steve Carell are two of NBC’s hottest sitcom stars right now, so it’s only natural that they would eventually turn up together in a movie. Date Night was a perfect example of a film which looked good in the trailers, but had great potential for disappointment.
Even several weeks later, I still find myself undecided on an overall opinion about Date Night. It was an enjoyable diversion with some inspired moments, and that generally rates a positive review from me, but I still can’t shake some vague disappointment because the film didn’t live up to the potential which could be expected from this calibre of talent. Fey and Carell play a boring New Jersey couple (a real estate agent and a tax lawyer) with kids, who decide to go into New York City for dinner to escape the predictability of their weekly date night. Not realizing that they should have made a reservation at the trendy new restaurant they go to, they are struck by a moment of spontaneity and steal someone else’s reservation. Little do they know that the unsuspecting couple is wrapped up in a scandal involving a mob boss and a corrupt politician, and after being approached at their table by two scary gentlemen, they find themselves chased through the city all night fighting for their lives.
The positive points? Believable chemistry and real comedic weight from the two leads add a lot to this film. The story is whimsical enough to be able to add all the juicy elements like car chases and gunplay, without being tied too closely to actual logic. The supporting performances are almost universally wonderful. Mark Wahlberg is a wealthy ex-client of Fey’s, Mark Ruffalo and Kristen Wiig are a couple on the rocks, and the show is stolen by James Franco and Mila Kunis as the bickering criminal couple who explain why they skipped out on their reservation.
But there are some negative points as well. Stand-up comedian Bill Burr is present and accounted for, but has virtually no lines and is totally underused, although it’s good to see him at least showing up in the movies. About half a dozen early setups are piled on (counting to three to make kids behave, trusting the other spouse to do something right, Carell’s plans always going wrong, etc), and they come to fruition later but the handling is way too obvious. The pacing was strange, with about 2/3 of the movie being good but with very little of that goodness found in the first 1/3 of the movie, so it really took its time to get moving. Most importantly and most damaging, Date Night is clearly pulling its punches, toning everything down to retain broad appeal for the middle American audiences who flock to the stars’ big TV shows every week. Seeing Fey and Carell with their wings clipped is disappointing. I don’t think this film should have been noticeably more profane or violent (it uses its single PG-13 f-word well), but it shouldn’t have been such a “middle of the road” effort.
I’m a fan of the US adaptation of The Office, and though it’s been weak over the past couple of years, it seems to be taking a turn for the better recently. Of course I enjoy the original UK version of the show as well. Carell brings his new interpretation to the US version and breathes a lot of life into his unsympathetic character, which is a very fine line to walk. I’ve never seen an episode of 30 Rock, but I’m kind of coveting it as another Arrested Development, where I will eventually sink my teeth into it, but almost don’t want to spoil the anticipation. I’ve seen some of Fey’s movies, and she’s well-respected for a reason – her writing and comedic timing are peerless.
So I’m left with Date Night as an overall disappointment, but only compared with what it should have been. It pushes the formula as much as it can within its constraints, but it’s hard to get past wondering why those constraints are there at all. I don’t think hard-R comedy is the solution, but it’s a tough balance to strike when such quirky comedians are strait-jacketed by less intelligent material.
This is not a comedy classic.
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