The crew from Saturday Night Live reunite for the latest raunch-com from Tiny Fey and Amy Poehler. The real life friendship between the two has followed them to host The Golden Globes, work on SNL for years beside each other, appearing in each-others TV shows, separate movies, etc. While Fey is an award winning writer, the Sisters script is by Paula Pell, also an SNL alum and Academy Awards script writer. Unfortunately the closest Pell will ever get to the Oscars is writing the dialogue because Sisters lacks some serious laughs. The director doesn’t improve on things either, Jason Moore (Pitch Perfect, One Tree Hill) mirrors the Fey/Poehler vehicle after a throwaway Will Ferrell/Adam Sandler/Kevin James disaster, only with the ladies in the lead.
Sisters Maura (Poehler) and Kate (Fey) have returned to their hometown outside of Orlando to clean out their childhood rooms. Their parents (Weist & Brolin) have sold the house in hopes of more time alone and finally “passing the baton”. Unhappy about saying goodbye to memories, the two sisters, at very different points in their lives, decide to have one last house party. Sifting through 80’s paraphernalia, their high school yearbook becomes an invite list. While Maura and Kate are ready to party, the guests, all married with children and jobs quickly make this Ellis Island party more like a wake. Drugs and alcohol lower everyone inhibitions and the sisters lose control of the party as the house gets a new makeover.
Poehler and Fey are much funnier than what this script affords. Sisters is playing off their popularity not their talents.
“We need a little less Forever 21 and a little more suddenly 42,” Maura says after trying on a dress for the party. That’s the type of funny line the two can sell (which is why it’s in the promo), but watching these mature women act like they are in a Zac Efron Neighbors sequel gets old really quick. There is the typical love interest, as Maura needs to let her guard down, while Kate the immature sister must learn a valuable lesson. It’s unfortunate that we have gotten to a place in modern comedy that vulgarity is the standard. With no limits, genuinely funny material is flushed down the toilet. Poehler and Fey are much funnier than what this script affords. Sisters is playing off their popularity not their talents.
Bobby Moynihan gets to do some pretty funny stuff weekly on Saturday Night Live, but like many alums appearing in feature films, what might be a tolerable five minute skit on the show, turns into a desperate redundancy on film. Maya Rudolf has found moderate success outside SNL, she is the funniest character in the film as the uptight friend who seeks revenge for being an outcast in high school. Sisters never creates enough stability as a functional story to hang the gags and funny moments on. It’s so similar to Will Ferrell’s Daddy’s Home, in that it’s just one ridiculous skit after another that never adds up to a real movie.
Final Thought
Fey & Poehler aim for Bridesmaids humor but end up more like Dumb & Dumber To.