A handful of close friends, due to turn 30, discover that their dreams for the future are running headfirst into the realities of adulthood in this character-driven comedy-drama. Natalie (Melissa De Sousa) is a banker who is happy with her job, but is tired of being single, and her pursuit of a husband is taking her down several blind alleys in the world of dating. Joy (Erika Alexander) has developed a similar desire to settle down and get married, but while she has a long-term boyfriend, Leland (T.E. Russell), he isn't so sure he wants to make a lifetime commitment. Troy (Tracy Morgan) is a comic who has been on the verge of a career breakthrough for years, but he's started to wonder if his big break is ever going to arrive. Maleek (Allen Payne) is a white-collar executive who thinks life is passing him by, and is pondering giving up a stable career to start over as a male model. And Stephanie (Paula Jai Parker) is comfortable with her job in real estate, but she's not so comfortable with herself as she struggles with a weight problem she's had since childhood. 30 Years for Life marked the directorial debut for Vanessa Middleton, who previously distinguished herself as a television writer for such series as Cosby and Hangin' With Mr. Cooper.
~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide