By Ben Carlson

Staff Writer

History has shown that films released during the first few months after awards season tend to be less than impressive at the box office and widely unpopular with audiences.

It is no surprise to see a movie like “Admission,” released on March 22, that falls short of what it could have been, especially given the talented duo of Tina Fey and Paul Rudd.

The plot centers on Princeton admissions officer Portia, played by Fey, who is suddenly dumped by her English teaching boyfriend, played by Michael Sheen, for another woman carrying his child.

During her post-relationship depression Portia is contacted by John, played by Rudd, who claims to have a “gifted” student at his unconventional liberal school. To thicken the plot, John’s genius student surprisingly may be Portia’s son whom she gave up for adoption while in college.

That should have been enough material to work with for a potential hit comedy, but directors and brothers Chris and Paul Weitz, who also directed “About A Boy” and “American Pie,” rely too much on the story line and less on the abilities of the two lead actors.

Instead of slapstick humor and quirky sly Rudd remarks, we are treated to long segments concerning the delirium of the college application process and a discussion about the education system used by most high schools and universities. Noble as it may be, it’s just not fun to watch.

Fey and Rudd are both brilliant comedic actors with performances in  “Role Models” and “30 Rock”, but they’re both stuck in a movie that doesn’t allow them to be funny. Instead, they’re both reading lines in a film that would play better with any other dramatic actors who may occasionally earn a few laughs.

I grinned at the various set-ups throughout the film, especially when John asks Portia to assist him in helping a cow give birth, but the scene never fully delivered and neither did the movie. I give this movie 2.5 paw prints out of 5.