Plot
Kate Holbrook (
Tina Fey), a successful single businesswoman who attended
The Wharton School from
Philadelphia, has always put her career before her personal life. Now in her late thirties, she has finally decided to have a child of her own. Her plans change when she discovers she has a minuscule chance of becoming pregnant because she finds out her
uterus is
T-shaped. Also denied the chance to adopt, Kate hires an immature, obnoxious
South Philly girl named Angie Ostrowiski (
Amy Poehler) to become a
surrogate mother for her.
.
When Angie becomes pregnant, Kate begins preparing for motherhood in her own typically driven fashion — until her surrogate shows up at her door with no place to live. Their conflicting personalities put them at odds as Kate learns first-hand about balancing motherhood and career by catering to Angie's childish needs. As if this weren't enough, Kate begins dating the local owner of a blended juice cafe, Rob (
Greg Kinnear).
.
What Kate does not know is that Angie is faking the pregnancy and that the in-vitro fertilization did not succeed. Hoping to ultimately run off with her payment, Angie begins to regret the lie but continually puts off confessing. When she gets an ultrasound, she discovers she is actually pregnant. Realizing the baby is her own (with her common-law husband, Carl, from whom she is separated), Angie is forced to confess at Kate's baby shower. When Kate explains to Angie that the pregnancy test was supposed to be taken two weeks after the procedure, and that the baby could still belong to her, it drives a wedge between the two women.
.
At the court hearing to determine the maternity of the child, Angie makes an impassioned apology. The baby turns out to be Angie's. As the two women meet face to face after the proceedings, Angie's water breaks and Kate rushes her to the hospital. During Angie's delivery, Kate passes out. As she wakes up, the doctor supervising Angie's pregnancy tells Kate that she's two months pregnant (the result of her relationship with her new boyfriend). After receiving the news, she goes to visit Angie, who is holding her new baby girl Stefani, named for
Gwen Stefani, aka "Stef." Kate forgives Angie and the two become best friends, ultimately changing each other for the better.
.
Angie and Kate raise their children and are in a sister-like relationship one year later at Stefani's first birthday party. It is revealed that Kate and Rob are very proud parents of a baby girl and are engaged. Although he does not get back together with Angie, Carl stays close to his daughter and begins taking parenting classes. The final scene shows Angie and Kate sitting in front of a TV with their children, watching
Tom & Jerry cartoons making a reference to an earlier scene in the movie.
