Review of The Business of Being Born (2008) by Brooks R — 17 Sep 2010

Prior to seeing this, if you asked me, "Where should babies be born?" my answer would be, "Duh, in a hospital!" I mean, where else would you have a baby, unless you were taken by surprise and you deliver in a car, or you're some kind of weird hippie and you have your baby in the woods? The thing about this movie is that it tells you that there is not just one answer to that question, and that my answer is not necessarily the best choice. In fact, the movie also explores the possibility that hospital births might actually be a poor choice for the vast majority of women.

I really can't recommend this movie enough. It was extremely enlightening and eye-opening. Look, I'm a dude, I don't get child birth. The truth is, my part of conception is pretty minimal, and women do 100% of the work of bearing children. Seriously, I'm not just rounding up for women, because all guys know that their part is not work. And that's fine; being a guy is really easy, and that's pretty awesome. But watching this movie, I actually kind of "got it." I actually felt a brief pang of envy that I will never fully comprehend what women get to do. It's a miracle really, and I will never be more than a spectator to such a miracle. But after the movie ended, I consoled myself by going out to the backyard, peeing on a tree, and not having a period, so I got over my brief feelings of longing to bear children.

Seriously, see this movie, then tell your friends about it. It will not disappoint.