Dear Reader: Update, Movie Review Intelligence will
continue publishing this website through June (more...)
Search a Movie:
ADMISSION (2013)Movie Reviews
Comedy about a Princeton University admissions officer who learns she is up for a possible promotion as she hits the road for her annual recruiting trip. Cast:Paul Rudd, Tina Fey, Michael Sheen, Wallace Shawn, Sonya Walger, Lily Tomlin, Gloria Reuben, Nat Wolff, Tina Benko, Brian d'Arcy James, Kelly Southerland, Barbara Vincent, Ben Levin, Dan Levy, Alex HartmanDirector:Paul WeitzRelease Date:March 22, 2013DVD Release:July 9, 2013From:Focus FeaturesRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 57 min
Admission (2013) opened to moderate reviews. • Emanuel Levy wrote for Cinema 24/7, "...not funny or witty enough.... there is no good chemistry, no erotic charge, between Fey and Rudd, who seem better suited to play good friends than romantic lovers." More Reviews Below...
Alynda Wheat, People: MODERATE(cg) "The plot showed real potential... it's not funny... the film commits the rom-com sin of humbling a smart woman so she can get a man."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 104 words, 03/21/13
Mary Pols, Time: FAIR "Fey is so appealing that I didn't mind sitting through it... the movie strips a strong character of her agency and turns her into a caricature... dramatically inert."(See all of Mary Pols's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 989 words, 03/21/13
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: WEAK(cg) "...a major disappointment... Tina Fey and Paul Rudd can't find much that's new or fresh in these people, and as a result they have zero chemistry with each other."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 683 words, 03/21/13
Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "It's a testament to Tina Fey's warm and engaging screen presence that she can single-handedly elevate an underachieving outing."(See all of Mara Reinstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 134 words, 03/21/13
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "...smart... crackles with the sound of very clever people trying to outtalk each other -- an all too rare and happy thing to encounter in a Hollywood movie."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 732 words, 03/22/13
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: MODERATE(cg) "...so slight that a breeze could flatten it.... If you care about any of this, the film will pass the time pleasantly. I cared only about the admission process itself..."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 262 words, 03/22/13
Claudia Puig, USA Today: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...genial, predictable and ultimately forgettable.... Largely because of its engaging cast, this is an amiable, but only slightly-above-average, comic romp."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 529 words, 03/22/13
Glenn Kenny, MSN Movies: EXCELLENT(cg) "Unexpectedly smart and unexpectedly wise.... The movie's plot complications are as deftly handled as its witty dialogue is delivered. And there's plenty of witty dialogue."(See all of Glenn Kenny's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 718 words, 03/20/13
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...serviceable, sporadically entertaining.... A lot of what shows up on screen during the course of its nearly two hour running time feels stale and artificial."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 705 words, 03/21/13
S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "While not everything on the big screen needs to be refreshing, the fact that the leads are charming and funny isn't enough to make it stand out above the crowd.... Age 13."(See all of S. Jhoanna Robledo's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 657 words, 03/22/13
we have an app for when you're out and about
get our iPhone app... or get our mobile web app...
movie review intelligence
NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...warm and wacky... Ms. Fey and Mr. Rudd are fun to watch, though not as much fun as they might have been in a riskier, crazier movie."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 762 words, 03/22/13
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: POOR(cg) "...phoned-in, phony, padded... a lazy, rote, vaguely classist space-filler.... The film doesn't ever challenge anyone, especially the audience, to apply themselves."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 446 words, 03/22/13
Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times/Chicago Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...tips between gentle satire of the admissions process and heartfelt pathos, and while the two aren't incompatible on paper, on screen it's a tussle."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 678 words, 03/22/13
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Fey is so good that -- up to a point -- you can ignore Paul Weitz' erratic direction and a patchy script... there's zero chemistry between Fey and Paul Rudd..."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 574 words, 03/22/13
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: WEAK "It's depressing to watch performers who've carved out their own distinctive niches try to broaden their appeal by doing the same damn thing as everyone else."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 707 words, 03/18/13
Stephanie Zacharek, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "...it doesn't have the courage to suggest that a childless woman who's doing work she loves just may have it all.... Fey's Portia is both maddening and deeply sympathetic..."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 263 words, 03/20/13
Linda Barnard, Toronto Star: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a romantic comedy that doesn't live up to its serious ambitions to reach outside the genre for some deeper meaning beyond screwball antics and kissy-kissy."(See all of Linda Barnard's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 712 words, 03/22/13
Rick Groen, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...there's delight to be had in a romcom where romantic love is the least of things and the easiest to obtain.... it's filial love, fickle too..."(See all of Rick Groen's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 816 words, 03/22/13
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...begins as a Tina Fey romantic comedy.... tries to straddle the broad demands of the rom-com and the weightier themes of Jean Hanff Korelitz's novel."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 235 words, 03/21/13
KEY CITIES (11 Reviews)
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a movie with a good head on its shoulders and a sweet heart, but with an inconsistent report card.... a serious film about life, relationships and growing up..."(See all of Michael O'Sullivan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 586 words, 03/22/13
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Displaying its smarts and its schmaltz in practically the same breath, it never really succeeds in meshing these sundry elements. But the film tries."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 480 words, 03/22/13
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "Fey is well cast.... The laughs here are mostly honest, rarely forced, and triggered by our identification with misguided folks..."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 523 words, 03/22/13
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: MODERATE(cg) "Tomlin fares best.... Fey, surprisingly, doesn't seem all that comfortable.... it's pleasant enough.... But it's still a disappointment."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 608 words, 03/22/13
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The movie has an interestingly crusty surface and a center that's soft and formulaic... cheerful, skittish entertainment that never takes its subject seriously enough."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 712 words, 03/22/13
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a smart light comedy.... less about acknowledging a bad decision, than learning and moving on from one.... fun and grown-up."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 502 words, 03/22/13
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "...alive only in spurts... if any feeling at all comes through it, it's one of vague sadness or ennui. It feels, looks and radiates drabness, and its tone is jarring."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 601 words, 03/22/13
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...often pleasant, faintly comedic... too often struggles to find its tone.... There is a lot of plot sandwiched into the movie in a way that doesn't always make much sense."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 476 words, 03/22/13
Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...despite a talented cast and a few amusing distractions, the film suffers from an overall flatness that's surprising and disappointing.... Lily Tomlin gives it a boost..."(See all of Marc Mohan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 347 words, 03/22/13
Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: MODERATE(cg) "Fey just doesn't have the acting chops to pull off a character as complex as Portia.... Rudd, who was great in 'Our Idiot Brother,' seems to be going through the motions."(See all of Calvin Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 298 words, 03/22/13
Tom Long, Detroit News: VERY GOOD(cg) "...even though it has the usual gaggle of amusing characters and a rom-com connection between Rudd and Fey, it also has some moral queasiness."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 295 words, 03/22/13
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (7 Reviews)
Stephanie Zacharek, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "...it doesn't have the courage to suggest that a childless woman who's doing work she loves just may have it all.... Fey's Portia is both maddening and deeply sympathetic..."(See all of Stephanie Zacharek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 263 words, 03/20/13
Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: VERY GOOD(cg) "...amiable and genuinely enjoyable... careens sometimes wildly from broad humor to rougher-edged realism, but it's always got a rock-solid core to return to..."(See all of Katey Rich's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 659 words, 03/20/13
Nathan Rabin, AV Club: VERY GOOD(cg) "...benefits from fine lead performances, deft characterization, and a solid grasp on a very specific cultural milieu.... the film falls apart in a ramshackle, lumbering final act..."(See all of Nathan Rabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 488 words, 03/21/13
Cynthia Fuchs, Pop Matters: POOR(cg) "Portia's story isn't precisely common, but it acts like it's 'universal,' at least in the sense that finding or creating a family unit is a 'universal' ambition."(See all of Cynthia Fuchs's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 777 words, 03/22/13
R. Kurt Osenlund, Slant: WEAK(cg) "The estrogenic elements prove widely ineffectual... an overlong, overloaded misfire... the director clearly struggled to balance this story's precarious heap of plot points..."(See all of R. Kurt Osenlund's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 674 words, 03/11/13
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...begins as a Tina Fey romantic comedy.... tries to straddle the broad demands of the rom-com and the weightier themes of Jean Hanff Korelitz's novel."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 235 words, 03/21/13
HIGHBROW PRESS (6 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: POOR "The comedy component misfires from the start, while the synthetic drama makes needless demands on Tina Fey.... it can be foolish, surreal, unpleasant..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 288 words, 03/22/13
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...warm and wacky... Ms. Fey and Mr. Rudd are fun to watch, though not as much fun as they might have been in a riskier, crazier movie."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 762 words, 03/22/13
Ella Taylor, NPR: MODERATE "...settles for skin deep.... I wish that Karen Croner hadn't felt obliged to build yet another Eve Arden mutant for whom the childless life feels like a glass half empty."(See all of Ella Taylor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 710 words, 03/21/13
Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...tips between gentle satire of the admissions process and heartfelt pathos, and while the two aren't incompatible on paper, on screen it's a tussle."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 678 words, 03/22/13
Dana Stevens, Slate: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "I found myself curiously willing to overlook the movie's weaknesses, or even to reinterpret them as strengths.... it's mildly snarky, but resolutely uncynical."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,088 words, 03/22/13
Peter Debruge, Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...smarter than your average dramedy.... The comedy feels forced as Fey works overtime to insert unnecessary zingers at the tail of every scene."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 667 words, 03/06/13
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: MODERATE "...knowing... Weitz betrays an erratic grip on the comic tone, and the misguided central characters emerge, in the end, as less likeable than they ought to be."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 852 words, 03/06/13
Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...tips between gentle satire of the admissions process and heartfelt pathos, and while the two aren't incompatible on paper, on screen it's a tussle."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 678 words, 03/22/13
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: MODERATE(cg) "...not funny or witty enough.... there is no good chemistry, no erotic charge, between Fey and Rudd, who seem better suited to play good friends than romantic lovers."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 628 words, 03/16/13
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...warm and wacky... Ms. Fey and Mr. Rudd are fun to watch, though not as much fun as they might have been in a riskier, crazier movie."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 762 words, 03/22/13
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: POOR "The comedy component misfires from the start, while the synthetic drama makes needless demands on Tina Fey.... it can be foolish, surreal, unpleasant..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 288 words, 03/22/13
15.6 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Admission (2013)'s reviews are separated by an average 15.6 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
Admission (2013) (45 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Admission (2013)'s reviews cover 93.3% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 26,183 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 582 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 21.2 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Admission (2013)'s reviews on average broke 21.2 hours before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is Admission (2013)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Admission (2013) (45 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
Mobile Web App version 1.2 shows a list of all current movies and review information. You can click through to the cast, director, synopsis, release date and rating on page two, plus individual reviews on page three. The information is updated on a live/real-time basis. You can also search our database of films. Designed for when you're on the move and want the latest info, this app will work on any mobile web browser. From your mobile device -- only from a mobile device -- open our Mobile Web App here...
