Date Night

So Tina Fey is one of the hottest stars on the planet right now. She has a hit show (you may have heard of it, 30 Rock? You know, the critically acclaimed show and a huge success with audiences?), has written and starred in several popular movies (Mean Girls, Baby Mama) and is considered one of the funniest and most successful women in Hollywood today. Plus she has this new movie coming out, Date Night.



The movie also stars Steve Carell, Mark Wahlberg, James Franco and Mila Kunis, although watching the trailer you'd swear only Carell and Franco are in the movie. All five are established comedic actors on their own: Fey as listed above, Carell's roles in Forty Year Old Virgin and Anchorman established his career, Wahlberg was hilarious as an existential firefighter in I <3 Huckabees, James Franco redefined his career in the stoner-buddy-comedy Pineapple Express, and Mila Kunis has been a comedy darling since her role in That 70's Show. But again, watching the trailer above, you'd think only Carell and Franco were the ones with comedic chops.

I have enough confidence in both Fey and Kunis as comedic actresses, and that they both have the smarts to pick strong roles that give them great, funny, memorable lines. But it's the trailer that doesn't show that- the trailer betrays a lack of confidence in its female stars. Fey is used to ogle the man-candy that is Wahlberg shirtless, and Kunis sets up a joke for Franco. That's it. What- does that mean that Kunis and Fey don't get any good lines in the entire movie? Did Kunis and Fey settle for the stereotypical wife role, playing second banana to Carell and Franco?

I lean more towards the filmmakers and the editor of the trailer not trusting the appeal of Fey (specifically) and Kunis as comedians, or even women. Again, as I said above, Kunis and Fey are hilarious. Everyone knows it. I mean, Carell and Franco are doing extremely well for themselves, but Kunis and Fey are as well! Do they think that funny women are going to scare off their target audience? What target audience would be scared of funny women, twelve year old boys?

Personally, this exclusion turns me off from this movie. The marketing team is underselling its actors and that doesn't bode well for the movie as a whole.