She's Having A Baby

Starring: Kevin Bacon, Elizabeth McGovern, Alec Baldwin (Cameo's by: Ted Danson, Kirstie Alley, Woody Harrelson, Mathew Broderick, John Candy, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, John Ratzenberger, Penny Marshall, Ally Sheedy, Annie Potts, Michael Keaton, Warren Zevon, Wil Wheaton, Magic Johnson)
Written by: John Hughes
Director: John Hughes
Year: 1988

Rating: * * *  Stars       +       (Fan Bonus -  )  Total: * * *

80's master of teen angst,John Hughes, directs this film leaving High School behind and exploring those uncertain first years of adulthood.

The story opens with Jake and Kristy Brigg's (Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern) wedding. Young newlyweds  they face all that life and marriage have in store for them. Jake drops out of college, and finds decent work hard to come by. If that isn't enough, he has a new home and mortgage to tend with. He tries to fit in with life and neighbors in suburbia. His in-laws are a source of constant stress, and on top of all this, his sex life has turned into a mandatory chore to conceive a baby. His friend Davis (Alec Baldwin) shows up from time to time, demonstrating the greener grass of being single. Yet not all is for the worse. Kristy gets pregnant, and with that Jake has a renewed sense of responsibility. Davis is actually quite miserable being alone, and Jake gets a job in advertising, which is right up his alley as a writer. As with life, all things change. When Jake finally has grabbed the bull by the horns and takes charge of his life, the unexpected happens. In the delivery room, there is a complication with the pregnancy and Jake is forced into the waiting room where he reflects on his life and marriage to Kristy, filled with regret and hope as he waits for news from the doctor.

John Hughes sense of comedic drama that made Sixteen candles, Breakfast Club, and Pretty In Pink such a hit with teens is applied to this film, recognizing that his audience is growing up, and wanted to make a film that grows up with them. The film is told through Jake's perspective, with dialogue and cut scenes directly reflecting his thoughts and feelings. Neighbors engaging in synchronized lawn-mowing, in-laws at the foot of the bed giving sex advice, and wedding vows worse than a marine induction ceremony are a few of the experiences Jake perceives. 

Kevin and Elizabeth have great chemistry, and are completely believable as a newlywed couple. William Windom is lovably irritating as the Father-In-Law, Russ Bainbridge, who continuously reminds Jake how he's failing as a husband and provider.  The soundtrack is unmistakably 80's new wave, establishing the yuppie, dehumanizing culture of Reaganomics of the era. Jake is a free spirit trapped somewhere between the rock of responsibility and the hard place of soulless capitalism as he searches for personal satisfaction. 

Although one of John Hughes more underrated works, She's Having A Baby is worth a second look. While teenagers could relate to Hughes' High School films, this movie was erroneously targeting the early 20-something audience. It's much more appreciated by older audiences who watch this film and can reflect on their experiences when they were this age. 

SEE THE TRAILER: She's Having A Baby