BlazeLime
Strong and Moving!
MamaGravity
good back-story, and good acting
AshUnow
This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
seeingbystarlight
J.C Wiatt (Diane Keaton) is the embodiment of the modern woman.Married to her job, she lives with Steven Buchner (Harold Ramis), a man married to his.When confronted by her boss, Fritz Curtis (Sam Wanamaker) about having to sacrifice (marriage, children etc.) for her career, J.C. replies firmly that she doesn't want any of that:She's committed to her destiny.But destiny takes an unexpected turn when, late one night, J.C. is awakened by a long distance phone call.It's a bad connection, during which she is informed that she has inherited something she thinks is money, from a distant cousin living in London.The next morning, she finds out it's not money, rather a little girl named Elizabeth who couldn't be older than six months old.Suddenly, J.C.'s existence is thrown into chaos, as the unwelcome task of being a mother, combined with the demands of her career proves to be more than she can handle.She decides to put the baby up for adoption...only to find that, at the last minute, she can't go through with it, losing Steven as a result.It isn't long before her work begins to suffer, and her boss notices that she isn't quite the tough career woman she used to be.Displeased, he passes her over for a major account, giving it instead to Ken Arrenberg (James Spader), an ambitious young associate who's gunning for her job.Devastated, and deeply hurt, J.C. quits.On impulse, she buys a house in Vermont, and goes there to start a new life with her adopted daughter, not
forseeing all the complications that will ensue, such as the heater breaking down, the roof caving in in the middle of a snow storm, and finally, the well drying up...After which she collapses, and wakes up in the office of Dr. Jeff Cooper (Sam Shepard), a man she mistakes for a real physician... only to be furious when she finds out he's a veterinarian.Far better than most movies of it's kind, this is a story that's funny, and endearing without being sappy or sentimental.Everything about the way it's done is great, and you always feel great after watching it.Really a terrific movie.Originally, Review #149Posted On:
December 17, 2011.
tavm
After about 25 or more years of only reading about this film, I finally watched this on Netflix disc with my mom just now. We both really enjoyed this tale about a businesswoman played by Diane Keaton suddenly having a baby forced into her life after a cousin she hardly knew and that cousin's spouse dies and she inherits that child. Harold Ramis is amusing as the initial bedmate. I also liked seeing former SNLer Mary Gross as her secretary and current member of the show at the time, Victoria Jackson, as the initial nanny. My favorite scene concerns Ms. Keaton's first encounter with Sam Shepard when she finds out he's a vet whom she just revealed her not having sex for a long time! I'll stop there and just say this was a little funny and a little romantic. Nicely written by Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer who also directed. So that's a recommendation of Baby Boom.
Michael_Elliott
Baby Boom (1987) *** (out of 4) Cute, if extremely light, comedy about a workaholic yuppie (Diane Keaton) whose life turns upside down when she inherits a relative's 13-month-old daughter. Soon the working woman has other obligations, which doesn't sit too well in the business world so she's forced out into the country. It's easy to see why this comedy became such a hit and continues to gather new fans each and every year. After all, you have some funny moments, a great performance by Keaton and you've got a cute child making cute faces. The word cute is the best thing to call this film because the screenplay is rather predictable and always goes for the obvious joke but this can be overlooked simply because of how great Keaton is. I think this film is the perfect example of something not being able to work had it not been for the actor in charge. If you take Keaton out of this movie then you've got absolutely nothing because the actress is just so convincing in the part that you can't help but love her. Keaton perfectly nails the working woman she plays early on as that toughness is something you'd never question. The actress has made a career of playing strong women so it shouldn't come as any shock that she handles the part here. She's also extremely funny with her comic timing and especially the stuff early on with getting used to the baby but also later in the film as she begins to crack in the country. The supporting players are also strong with Sam Shepard playing a kind-hearted country vet, Harold Ramis as a jerk who doesn't like kids and we even get vet Pat Hingle in a nice role. A young James Spader also appears playing what he plays best and that's a snake in the grass. Charles Shyer's direction handles the material quite well and he certainly keeps the movie going at a nice pace. I think the biggest problem is the actual screenplay, which hits every single note that you'd expect it too and the ending is just something you'll see coming from a mile away. BABY BOOM is certainly flawed but Keaton's performance is so great that she makes the film worth viewing.
moonspinner55
Brilliant, ballsy businesswoman inherits a baby--how can she possibly take care of it when she has a 1:00 business meeting? Screenwriters Charles Shyer (who also directed, ineptly) and Nancy Meyers concoct their scripts always with one eye on the box-office; they have nothing but good will and sunshine up their sleeves, and hope to underline their little bits of happiness with 'edgy' corporate satire and romantic delusion. Diane Keaton retains her nervy grace and charm through a lot of unplayable scenes (such as serving a plate of pasta to her newly-acquired toddler, figuring she'll eat it like a grown-up). The scenario shifts gears oddly in the second-act, attempting (I assume) an unsubtle comparison between Big City living and rustic blissfulness, giving our heroine a rural veterinarian to smooch with--and a possible daddy for the baby! This unreal world, with its fake-smart characters and dry-wit dialogue, seems to have come out of an old Ernst Lubitsch picture--only Lubitsh's films have dated far better than the damp, mildewy "Baby Boom". *1/2 from ****
