She's Having a Baby

She's Having a Baby is a 1988 American romantic comedy film directed and written by John Hughes.

She's Having a Baby
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJohn Hughes
Produced byJohn Hughes
Bill Brown
Ronald Colby
Written byJohn Hughes
Starring
Music byStewart Copeland
CinematographyDonald Peterman
Edited byAlan Heim
Production
company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • February 5, 1988 (1988-02-05)
Running time
106 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$20 million[1]
Box office$16 million (domestic)[2]

The film portrays a young newlywed couple, Jake Briggs and Kristy Briggs, played by Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern, who try to cope with married life and their parents' expectations.

Plot

This film looks at the lives of Jefferson "Jake" (Kevin Bacon) and Kristy Briggs (Elizabeth McGovern), from their wedding day until the birth of their first child, mostly through Jake's eyes, with his voiceover commentaries and several imaginary scenes. Before their wedding day, Jake asks his best friend, Davis McDonald (Alec Baldwin) if he thinks Jake will be happy, to which his friend says, "Yeah, you'll be happy. You just won't know it."

After their wedding, Jake and Kristy head off for New Mexico, where Jake works toward gaining a Master's Degree, but leaves before finishing. They return to Chicago where Jake is hired as an advertising copywriter. Jake says he wants to be a writer, which amuses his boss. Kristy is hired as a research analyst, and they are able to buy a house in the suburbs. Meanwhile, Jake begins fantasizing about having an affair with a mysterious young French model.

Jake and Kristy continue to adjust to their new lives. Jake feels pressure from family, society and his wife to have a child. Kristy's mother casually informs them that she had a difficult birth with Kristy and nearly died. Later, Kristy informs Jake that she stopped taking contraceptives without telling him. After several months, they discover that the reason she hasn't gotten pregnant is because he has been unable to impregnate her.

After not seeing Jake and Kristy for three years, Davis visits unexpectedly, telling them that his father has died. Jake and Kristy are supportive, allowing him to stay the night. Things take a turn when Davis makes a pass at Kristy by proclaiming his feelings and trying to open her bathrobe, but Kristy turns him down, telling him that she is in love with Jake.

The couple begins a fertility program, which eventually succeeds. During a traumatic labor where Jake must leave the delivery room and worries about losing Kristy, Jake realizes that his lack of satisfaction in life was due to his own selfishness and immaturity.

The last scene of the film reveals that Jake's voiceover was the new father reading his novel entitled She's Having a Baby to his wife and son.

Cast

Production

The film was shot in Winnetka, Illinois and Evanston, Illinois from September 1986 to December 1986.[3] However, several scenes were shot directly in the Field Museum in Chicago, Illinois. Most of John Hughes's films either take place in Chicago, in the suburbs of Chicago, or are about people going to or coming from Chicago.

Soundtrack

She's Having a Baby
Soundtrack album by
Various Artists
Released1988
GenreRock, new wave
Length37:10
LabelI.R.S. / MCA
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]

The She's Having a Baby soundtrack album was released in 1988 on I.R.S. Records label and produced by Dave Wakeling.

The song during the birth sequence is "This Woman's Work" by Kate Bush and is featured on her 1989 album The Sensual World. John Hughes is thanked in the album's liner notes.

The song playing during the trailer is "Music for a Found Harmonium" by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra. The song played during the street party is "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" by Marvin Gaye.

Music video

In the video for Dave Wakeling's title tune, he performs alongside a female backup singer; behind them, a huge screen displays various clips from the movie. All of this is alternated with footage of Wakeling as he shops at a music store for guitars.

Track listing
  1. "She's Having a Baby" – Dave Wakeling
  2. "Haunted When the Minutes Drag" – Love and Rockets
  3. "Desire (Come and Get It)" – Gene Loves Jezebel
  4. "Happy Families" – XTC
  5. "Crazy Love" – Bryan Ferry
  6. "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" – Kirsty MacColl
  7. "Apron Strings" – Everything but the Girl
  8. "This Woman's Work" – Kate Bush
  9. "It's All in the Game" – Carmel
  10. "Full of Love" – Dr. Calculus

Reception

The film received mixed reviews from critics and has 40% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes based on 40 reviews. The site's consensus states: "Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern struggle to sustain a spark in She's Having a Baby, a blase adult romance that lacks the specificity and style of writer-director John Hughes' more successful forays into teenage angst."[5] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave She's Having a Baby a mixed 2 stars out of 4. He wrote that the film "begins with the simplest and most moving of stories and interrupts it with an amazing assortment of gimmicks," being salvaged only by strong performances from Bacon and McGovern.[6]

In An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder director Kevin Smith cites She's Having a Baby as his favorite John Hughes movie. He also cites it as a template for Jersey Girl, joking that both movies were financially unsuccessful.

References

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