She's Having a Baby (1988)

Hopes, Dreams, Daydreams, and Nightmares

SHE'S HAVING A BABY is a romantic comedy from the 80s that also works very well as a very serious drama. To call it a chick flick would simply not do it justice nor give it due credit. Personally, I've never heard of a romantic comedy more creatively pieced together.

The story--not at all new or complex, and yet never tires of being told--is of a newlywed couple Jake and Kristy Briggs (Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern). They don't have a lot of money, but they're trying to make ends meet and move up in the world. Things become more stressful when both sets of parents begin putting enormous pressure on the two of them to start a family. Then Kevin Bacon's lack of sufficient income to provide comes into question. College sometimes helps a lot of people. But not Jake Griggs. Which brings us to one of the funniest exchanges of the movie:

KRISTY: What was your major?
JAKE: Romantic Languages.
KRISTY: What was your minor?
JAKE: Elizabethan poetry.

Not exactly what the high-pay employers are looking for. But through sheer determination to provide for his wife (and hopefully baby) Jake lands a job at an advertising firm which pays very well. The only problem is that he hates the mundane monotony of his job. And this frustration is now coupled with Kristy's growing obsession to get pregnant. The salt gets poured on an all-too open wound when Kristy consults a fertility specialist and learns that the problem lies with Jake.

Intertwined throughout this film are Jake's daydreaming and visions of the ridiculous and sometimes even the ridiculously nightmarish. Scenes such as Jake and Kristy and the baby warming their hands on a cold night while Jake uses pages of his book and kindling for the fire; the in-laws sitting in to give baby-making pointers; and of course, the famous neighborhood lawnmower musical. And there are others.

What I like most about this movie is that it depicts a married couple who are devoted to their marriage. They face hardships, good times, tough times, fierce arguments, and even temptations. But they remember who they fell in love with and to whom they made their life commitment. That alone puts it in a far higher category than almost any romantic comedy of the last 20 years.

This movie can be watched and enjoyed by almost anyone. I first saw it when I was single and content to be so. Now I am married and enjoy it even more. November 25, 2008

she's having a baby

okay this item i bought it for myself cause when i was by myself in my room watching cable and i like it so i was like let me see if amazon have it and they did for 7.99 that was perfect for me April 8, 2008

Cute story!

I rate it a 4 for the humore involved, and how much growing up couples have to do before they become parents. January 7, 2008

A widely overlooked John Hughes classic

For any fans of John Hughes, this is a must for the collection. This is a wonderful, heart-warming film. Guys should not be swayed by the title - this is NOT a chick flick. The story goes to the heart of what many men go through with their first (and sometimes only) child. Just a wonderfully written and acted movie. Kevin and Elizabeth were perfectly cast in this film. Enjoy. January 2, 2008

An overlooked 80's classic

This movie holds a special place in my heart. When we were living together, my then fiancee-now wife, and I found it on cable, and we saw so many parallels between the characters and ourselves that we just kept watching it. The movie helped me to understand that what we were feeling about life, and marriage, and eventually kids was normal and on some level, foolish. The movie is whimsical and at the same time deals with the anxieties in a normal, non-glamorous way-as if we are watching real people-but I do love the lawnmower "ballet".
The soundtrack is killer, especially Kate Bush & Gene Love Jezebel.
When our first was born via C-section, "This Woman's Work" just kept playing over and over in my head-just a beautiful and poignant song that just captures that moment perfectly. July 21, 2007

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