Review of Baby Boom (1987) by Signora S — 27 Jan 2014

"Baby Boom" is so light, it could fly away if the wind got strong enough. Basically, it's like a two-hour long sitcom episode, and no matter how unrealistic and flighty it may get, it's made in a way that makes it nearly impossible for us to dislike it, either because it's perfectly harmless, or because it doesn't take a lot of effort to enjoy it.

The film revolves around J.C. Wiatt (Diane Keaton), a New York yuppie who is completely married to her job. She works near constantly, and is so enamored with her job that even her personal life revolves around it. She quaintly lives with Steven (Harold Ramis), her male equivalent, and both view their relationship to be as much of a business project as their jobs.

J.C.'s life is turned upside-down when her distant relatives die, and, because she is the last living relative, inherits their 14-month old baby, Elizabeth (Kristy Kennedy). Obviously, J.C. isn't ready to have a child in her life (nor does she want one), and immediately, things backfire. She attempts to give Elizabeth up for adoption, but she feels too guilty. She tries to get a nanny, but she's too paranoid. She tries to bring the baby to work, but no one takes her seriously.

So when she isn't considered for a high profile promotion, J.C. decides to move to the country with Elizabeth, and figure things out, and hopefully make a life for herself. She eventually begins selling homemade baby food, which turns out to be a success - and in an unsurprising twist, she meets a man (Sam Shepard), who welcomes her and Elizabeth into his life.

Everything about "Baby Boom" is oh-so predictable, and maybe a bit too clichéd for its own good, but there's something about it that seems to be a cut above of what it's trying to present. Myers' screenplay is often times witty and appears to be aware that the film could appear to look like a sitcom. (And in a non-shocking twist, a TV-show based on the film actually appeared from 1988 to 1989.).

Keaton's performance is the most important aspect of the entire film. Most other actresses would completely fail in the role, making J.C. feel a bit too cookie-cutout for her own good. But Keaton's neurotic persona, combined with her character's fast-paced talking, determination, and complete kookiness, keeps the film grounded, reminding us that it's a comedy film and not a TV-episode.

"Baby Boom" isn't anything major, and nothing compared to Keaton's important work with Woody Allen, but it manages to be entertaining, despite its drawbacks.