Baby Boom

M. Volz

Baby Boom.
Directed by Charles Shyer. 1987.

This is a hilarious comedy about a high-powered career woman who inherits a baby. J.C. Wiatt (Diane Keaton) is a successful New-York business woman on the way to becoming partner of her company. Towards the beginning of the movie J.C. has a conversation with her boss about never getting married, and children not being for her. She states that she loves working 16 hour days and doesn’t want to become the “wife” her boss describes. Right at the wrong time, a distant relative dies, leaving their daughter, Elizabeth, in J.C.’s care. J.C. has never even met this young girl before, and all of the sudden is forced into becoming her mother.

J.C.’s first reaction is to get rid of Elizabeth any way she can. This falls through; she falls in love with the young girl, and decides to raise her on her own. Her boyfriend leaves her; she loses her job, and moves to a small country town in Vermont with a population of about 300 to relax and be a mother. In the end, she turns out to be a very successful woman, in a different way. This time she is making money with a crib in her office and a mobile hanging over her desk. She proves that she really can be the successful business woman, and the involved mother, all at the same time. In other words, she can “have it all,” just like her boss said no body could do.

The film starts out to state that 53% of the work force is female. It shows lots of working women, and the main character being a successful business woman. It also starts out showing that women can’t be successful in their careers, and wonderful mothers both. It seems that women are the ones who are meant to be around the house, raising the children, making sure things get done. For some reason men can work 16 hours a day and still have an active social life, but for women, this just wouldn’t work.

The end of the film puts women in a better light. Women can “have it all.” They can work and be successful and stay at home and raise the children.

I would say that this film could possibly be considered a “feminist” film. It shows that women are good for more than just being mothers, and it shows it in a very positive way.

I quite enjoyed the film. I have always been a big fan of romantic comedies, and this one was a comedy, and she does end up with the man in the end. Also any film about mothers and babies I am always a fan of. It doesn’t really relate to me in any way. I’m neither a business woman, nor a mother. I never plan on being like the lady in the film. My plan is to be the typical “wife,” and stay-at-home mom.

A few links to some more information:

IMBD

Wikipedia

Fast-Rewind.com