‘Sisters’ review

Saturday Night Live’s most beloved female duo Tina Fey and Amy Poehler teamed up for their first movie together since 2008’s “Baby Mama.” In “Sisters,” Poehler played a Leslie Knope-esque character, Maura Ellis, the younger yet more responsible of the two. Maura, a recently divorced nurse, and Kate (Tina Fey), a single mom who is struggling to keep a job in the cosmetology field without getting fired or quitting, are brought together when their parents (James Brolin and Dianne Wiest) place their childhood home on the market and are given a week to clear their rooms out. Kate and Maura then set out to prevent the uptight young couple who bought the house from proceeding with the sale.

In their glory days, the Ellis sisters hosted huge high school parties at their house – they even had their own dance routine that made its appearance at every one of their extravagant get-togethers. When they were younger, Maura was the party mom who always made sure that the house stayed standing and that no one drove home drunk.

Spending one of their last nights in their childhood home and ignoring their parents’ wishes, Kate convinces Maura to throw one last party and agreed to act as the party mom for one night so Maura could relive her teen years. The hilariously nervous, awkward, stumbling-over-her-words Maura invited the handyman James (Ike Barinholtz) from down the street to let loose. Although the party started out slow and boring, with middle-aged parents complaining about their children and sipping on wine, it later spins completely out of control.

Because it was directed by Jason Moore (“Pitch Perfect”) and produced by SNL screenwriter Paula Pell,  I walked into the theater with very high hopes to laugh until I cried. “Sisters” did not disappoint one bit. Fey’s raunchy attitude and crass sarcasm perfectly mixes with the adorable, quirky way that Poehler portrays  her character.

To add even more hilarity to the movie, a handful of other SNL cast members joined Amy and Tina. Bobby Moynihan, Maya Rudolph, Kate McKinnon and Rachel Dratch all showed up at the party, ready to dance the night away at what they call “Ellis Island Revamped.” WWE superstar John Cena even made an appearance as a tough drug dealer who helped the sisters get the party going.

At the end of the movie,  Kate and Maura are forced to face the realities of their lives – both financially and romantically.

The hilarious movie wrapped up with some touching moments between the sisters, causing my sister (who accompanied me to watch the movie) and I to tear up at the end when we were reminded that home isn’t a place – it’s a feeling.

I left the theater with teary eyes and a laughter-induced stomach ache. Between Poehler’s encounter with a manicurist and heartfelt moments of sisterly bonding, “Sisters” was the perfect combination of humor and sentiment and held its own, even when debuting the same weekend as the highly-anticipated “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”