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The correct answer is secret option C: Mark Wahlberg's third nipple

Kim Hollis: Whose career do you see getting a bigger boost from Date Night, Carell or Fey?
Josh Spiegel: I'm not sure that a) either of them will get a career boost and b) that either of them needs it. In terms of future films, Fey would maybe need a bit more of a boost (as Carell's got Dinner for Schmucks coming in the summer), but both of these actors are the stars of two very popular NBC sitcoms (okay, maybe they're not hugely popular, but for NBC, they do the trick) and extremely recognizable. Neither needs any help in their careers, and I'm not sure that this result guarantees anything huge in the offing.

Daron Aldridge: Josh, I agree with that uncertainty. This isn't a hitmaker result so far. If I was forced to pick one, it would be Fey, only because she doesn't have as deep of a leading film resume as Carell. But I don't buy that this film and this role is the one that makes her more of a bankable movie star.

Michael Lynderey: I'm not interested much in their TV work, but film-wise, I'd say Tina Fey benefits more. Carell's already an established movie star, and Date Night doesn't particularly help or hurt him. Fey, on the other hand, has only headlined one previous movie - a modestly successful one, yes - but carrying two of those is better than just the one, and in fact, it's a good step towards getting a third. If Date Night had underperformed, Carell would still be okay, but Fey's film future could have been placed in jeopardy. Luckily, that didn't happen.

Reagen Sulewski: How much of a boost does it take before either of them gets to see their own material up on the screen? Because that's the thing that's really going to matter. Fey's a talented woman - she really needs to stop acting in other people's crappy scripts.





Matthew Huntley: I agree with Josh and Daron. Date Night is fun and safe (there's limited risque material in it), but I don't think it's going raise Carell or Fey's statuses in Hollywood. Why? Because it's more or less what we expect from these two stars. Neither one seems out of their element and they more or less play slight inflections of roles they've already played on TV and in other films. The movie may not give either actor/actress a career boost, but it will further solidify their already reputable (and respected) positions in the entertainment industry.

David Mumpower: I think Reagen is closer to the truth here. What the lukewarm success of this project does is enable Fey to keep herself in the game. As was noted earlier, the box office expectations of this title were being downplayed because there was a real sense of doom about its reception due to the lackluster quality. What studio analysts are noting today is that people give these two actors the benefit of the doubt. That's a huge boon in our industry, because frequent fence sitters are where the real money is. Reagen's point that Fey should be doing something of her own that would have more teeth to it is well taken. Fey is a strange mix and a rare breed in that she's the television model of Sandra Bullock in terms of popularity. She's also the deluxe version of Diablo Cody in terms of writing talent. And she has the comedic instincts that would allow her to be the next Nancy Meyers as a director if she chooses to go that route. The better than it had any right to be opening weekend of Date Night keeps all of those doors open to her as 30 Rock winds down its run.

Max Braden: Carell's has more movies under his belt, and this is more of the same from him, so he maintains. Fey has the name awareness but if people aren't watching 30 Rock then she may have gotten some new eyes on her this past week. Whether she's expanding or just securing her audience, it's a plus for her.

Jason Lee: I 100% agree with Josh. If you were fans of Carell or Fey going into this, you're going to stay fans going out. I think the performance of this film and the winning premise (I actually do think that this was a pretty good idea for a film) is going to solidify the perception of Carell and Fey as funny people who can find success so long as the project doesn't absolutely blow. I think both will benefit from the "keeps all those doors open" effect that David mentioned.

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