‘Admission,’ as the name implies, is about the awful admission process–in this case, into the prestigious Princeton University. Tina Fey plays Portia Nathan, an admission’s officer, who is passionate and dedicated to her job of 16 years.
Portia’s school tours are going about the same as always—she looks out into a sea of eager students, desperate to learn the secret of how to get into Princeton, hanging on to her every word, until she visits New Quest, an alternative high school, where the students are challenged to think outside the box. The Head of New Quest is John Pressman, played by Paul Rudd. An old peer of Portia’s, he requested she visit the school, particularly to meet one special student, Jeremiah Balakian. Jeremiah is a prodigy but was an unimpressive student until New Quest showed him how education could be. Portia becomes enamored with his intellect and is blindsided when John tells her he thinks Jeremiah may be her son. Her admiration for Jeremiah becomes an absolute obsession with getting him into Princeton. She will stop at nothing to get him admitted.
Not only is Portia dealing with the idea that she may be a mother but her live-in boyfriend of many years leaves her, which is not terribly disappointing to viewers, as he treated her more like a pet than a girlfriend. However, it is devastating to Portia.
The predictable and somewhat boring lifestyle Portia had led is now a whirlwind of emotions and spontaneous actions, with John in the middle.
John is an impulsive, worldly guy, who gets his kicks by traveling the world with his adopted son, Nelson, building new schools, water wells and doing other good Samaritan acts. He is charming and interesting, but not very interested in being committed to anything in his life—a woman, a job or even a place.
‘Admission’ is a multigenerational coming-of-age film. Not only does the film focus on Portia and John’s personal journey but there’s also Jeremiah, the young high school student trying to figure out where he belongs in regards to college and Portia’s mom, Susannah (played by the hilarious Lily Tomlin), an intellectual feminist, still searching for her role in the world as a never married mother, who puts up a wall so thick that sometimes her daughter can’t even get close to her. Who said coming-of-age stories had to always be about the twenty somethings?
Although a huge part of the plot is about whether or not Jeremiah will get into Princeton, the crux of the film is about Portia and John. They are simply two, very opposite people, trying to find their place in the world—Portia wants to break out of her predictable shell and John wants to settle without feeling settled.
Director, Paul Weitz, gets an A in direction for this film. As in his other films, like “About A Boy” and “In Good Company,” there are several somber moments. Although Fey is a very funny actress, this film showcases the softer side of her comedy. If you’re looking to roll on the floor laughing, like you might with other Fey or Rudd comedies, this isn’t your film. “Admission” takes a bit more of a serious note like many coming-of-age stories do. It is a thoughtful and intricate film, showcasing Fey and Rudd in a new light.
I think what makes this film good is that everyone knows a “Portia” or a “John.” ‘Admission’ is about the delicacy and randomness of life and it emphasizes that no matter what one’s age, we’re always trying to figure out our place and purpose in the world.
