Ferrell, Wiig and that Wig
Life was great for Robert Benson (Will Ferrell - The Other Guys) and his wife, Sarah (Kristen Wiig - The Secret Life of Walter Mitty), as they already had daughter Sully (Alyvia Alyn Lind) and they were expecting another. That is until the accident, as Sarah falls into the lake and not only loses the baby but is unable to have more children. It leads to Robert not only hitting the bottle but becoming overly protective of Sully who is diabetic. 5 years later and having been sober for 6 months Robert and Sarah decide to look for a birth mother in order to adopt a new born baby. It is how, after various unsuitable candidates, they meet Bridgette (Jessica Lowndes - A Mother's Nightmare) who is in her last trimester. Offering her the spare room in their home it soon becomes clear that Bridgette is not all that she seems to be as she seems to take a shine to Robert.
After "A Deadly Adoption" aired in America my Twitter feed went mental with references to it from some belittling it as the worst movie ever whilst others claiming it hysterical and an act of genius. That wasn't really a surprise because the stars of the movie are Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig and both are acquired tastes when it comes to the movies they usually make. But of course "A Deadly Adoption" is special as this is Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig in a Lifetime movie. And that caused confusion and curiosity as what are two stars of big screen comedies appearing in such a text book made for TV Lifetime movie.
And in a way that is the point of "A Deadly Adoption" as forget that it stars Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig for a minute and it is a straight Lifetime movie. We have one cliche element after another from the overall story of a couple looking for a pregnant woman in order to adopt a baby, to the pregnant woman's tattooed boyfriend and the couple's daughter with a condition which could be deadly. But then you add Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig to the mix and because of who they are the cliches and bad dialogue tend to sound more amusing than they usually are. When Robert goes over the top about not having sweet things in the house because of Sully's diabetes, his delivery of the line makes it cornier and funnier than usual.
So for the most "A Deadly Adoption" is just a straight Lifetime movie with typical scenes, cliches and cheesy dialogue which sounds even more ridiculous in the hands of Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig. But there are some extra elements to this TV movie to push it closer towards spoof status. One of those elements is the wig which Ferrell wears for the majority of the movie, I say wig because I would hate to think how much hairspray it would take to tame Ferrell's usually curly hair in to that flat, comical monstrosity.
Now here is the big question, is "A Deadly Adoption" entertaining? Well as someone who has watched many a Lifetime movie and watched more than a few movies about psycho surrogates and so on it is entertaining. The way it becomes over the top thanks to the casting of Will Ferrell and Kristen Wiig with their delivery of the typical dialogue is funny. But I would imagine that those who don't do Lifetime movies will find it not only bemusing but not entertaining at all.
What this all boils down to is that "A Deadly Adoption" is an entertaining one off for those who are not only familiar with but also enjoy Lifetime movies. But for those who come to "A Deadly Adoption" through only being fans of either Will Ferrell or Kristen Wiig then this is likely to be bemusing and possibly disappointing.