jtindahouse
When I saw that Will Ferrell and Kristin Wiig had made a TV movie I was excited because I figured they must have found an amazing script to get them both to sign on. So I was a little bit disappointed when I got around to actually watching 'A Deadly Adoption' only to find a slightly above average movie by TV standards. What went on behind the scenes to get them both on board I'm not sure, but it certainly wasn't the script alone as I had hoped. Seeing Ferrell playing a serious role took me quite off guard at first. I hadn't actually seen any of the previous serious work he's done and only knew him for his comedic roles which he is the best in the business at. I wouldn't call his performance overly natural, he seemed like he had a slightly tough time adjusting to not just saying whatever hilarious line popped into his head. Wiig on the other hand I did find very natural. Her role wasn't written overly well and didn't give her a lot to do, however the scenes she did have she handled well and overshadowed Ferrell in the acting sense I'd have to say.There's a lot of "by the book" writing involved and the clichés are a little bit overbearing at times (ie. the gay best friend). For a TV movie though it's very watchable and the short runtime passes by quick enough. Often comedic actors like to delve into the world of serious films, with mixed results. Apparently Ferrell falls into that category as well. I hope he doesn't spend too much time trying it out though, because he would truly be a tremendous loss to the world of comedy if he did so. Worth a look but don't expect anything too special.
juneebuggy
I'm not sure what this a was trying to be, I think like most people with Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig attached I went into this expecting a parody of Lifetime movies. The problem is the parody is missing so all this is, is a Lifetime movie.Yes every cliché is used and emphasized just a little bit more (slow motion tragedy scenes, overbearing mood music, bright happy outdoor scenes, the gay best friend etc) and I did laugh a couple of times (Robert's little indiscretion while drunk off his ass during his book tour, "based on a true story" tagged on at the end) but this is not funny ha, ha like you'd be expecting. Wiig and Ferrell play it straight up until and for the most part including the final super HEA musical scene.I guess really the only parody thing this has going for it is how predictable it is; story, music situations. Lifetime movies are all a degree of bad so for this to work it had to be super bad or at least OTT, as it was it was just average. I'm left wondering what was the point? Ferrell plays Robert Benson a successful (bearded) author, wearer of bad khaki pants and husband to Sarah of organic food fame, Together they have a daughter 'Sully' and are expecting another when tragedy strikes (in slow motion) and Sarah loses the baby. 5 years later Robert is getting over a drinking binge and is overprotective of his precocious diabetic daughter. They are hoping to adopt when their agency introduces them to Bridgette, a beautiful and mysterious pregnant woman who the Bensons soon take into their home. All is not as it seems though and their dreams of adopting her unborn child soon go awry. 7/27/15
HEStL
I missed the April 1 announcement of this film. If I had seen it, I might have taken the TV guide seriously when it labeled this movie a comedy. (I thought that was a mistake.) I got through 3/4 of this movie thinking it was a worse-than-normal LifeTime movie.However, when Will Ferrell is kneeling over his unconscious wife and the cheesy music kicks in and he looks up and stares, it hit me. From there on out, it was obvious that this was intended to be a comedy from the jump and I had missed the joke until it was too late. Now I have to watch it again so I can laugh at the parts that I thought were just bad the first time around.
copo26
Anticipated this movie. Very disappointed. If this was intended to be a spoof of Lifetime's melodramas, it failed abysmally. Waaaay too subtle for me.Script - Stunk. Could have been written by a team of 12 year olds, stupified by PopTarts and Dr Pepper. Generic dialogue and plot. A 'thriller' with no thrills. Predictable. Included every stereotype and cliché. All, I assume, intentional to elicit booming laughter. A fail.Note to writer, Andrew Steele (former writer for SNL): If parody was your objective, exaggeration....blowing things out of proportion.... is needed. That was missing....so the viewer was left to make some kind of sense of it, one way or other. Not an enjoyable task. Irritating.Acting - Stunk. Looked forward to seeing Wiig and Ferrel either in a spoof or in serious roles. Still waiting. Robotic acting with painfully slow takes (meant to be funny?) and little emotional range (same reason?) Caricatures? Missed the mark by miles.Directing - Stunk...ie...Closely following the bad guy's car on a dirt road and parking a stone's throw from his cabin...in day light? Really? Really? Kid is missing and Mom is not moved a bit.Neither comedy or drama....though the family's extended 'dance' scene in the end was worthy of a smirk.If the whole thing was a 'gag'...success at last! You made me gag.Could have been a clever parody. Wasn't. A waste of time and talent.
AD
