seeingbystarlight
J.C Wiatt (Diane Keaton) is the embodiment of the modern woman.Married to her job, she lives with Steven Buchner (Harold Ramis), a man married to his.When confronted by her boss, Fritz Curtis (Sam Wanamaker) about having to sacrifice (marriage, children etc.) for her career, J.C. replies firmly that she doesn't want any of that:She's committed to her destiny.But destiny takes an unexpected turn when, late one night, J.C. is awakened by a long distance phone call.It's a bad connection, during which she is informed that she has inherited something she thinks is money, from a distant cousin living in London.The next morning, she finds out it's not money, rather a little girl named Elizabeth who couldn't be older than six months old.Suddenly, J.C.'s existence is thrown into chaos, as the unwelcome task of being a mother, combined with the demands of her career proves to be more than she can handle.She decides to put the baby up for adoption...only to find that, at the last minute, she can't go through with it, losing Steven as a result.It isn't long before her work begins to suffer, and her boss notices that she isn't quite the tough career woman she used to be.Displeased, he passes her over for a major account, giving it instead to Ken Arrenberg (James Spader), an ambitious young associate who's gunning for her job.Devastated, and deeply hurt, J.C. quits.On impulse, she buys a house in Vermont, and goes there to start a new life with her adopted daughter, not
forseeing all the complications that will ensue, such as the heater breaking down, the roof caving in in the middle of a snow storm, and finally, the well drying up...After which she collapses, and wakes up in the office of Dr. Jeff Cooper (Sam Shepard), a man she mistakes for a real physician... only to be furious when she finds out he's a veterinarian.Far better than most movies of it's kind, this is a story that's funny, and endearing without being sappy or sentimental.Everything about the way it's done is great, and you always feel great after watching it.Really a terrific movie.Originally, Review #149Posted On:
December 17, 2011.
sirenebern
"Baby Boom" is a sweet, funny fantasy about a staple character of the '80s: the power-suited career woman, played beautifully by Diane Keaton. Her character, J.C. Wiatt, could have been played by Rosalind Russell in an earlier era. She's an Ivy League-educated, ambitious account executive at an NYC marketing firm, and lives with an attorney (Harold Ramis) who is also laser-focused on work and uninterested in marriage or family. When J.C. abruptly gains custody of the one-year-old baby of a dead cousin, her life is turned upside down. She has some hilarious mishaps as a new mom, including dealing with Manhattan helicopter parents and disposable diapers. The upheaval costs her the high-powered job and child-averse boyfriend, so she moves to rural Vermont to discover a much more satisfying life and career where she calls the shots. Her boss, Fritz (Sam Wanamaker), keeps telling her she "can't have it all," or both a career and a family life, but J.C. sets out to prove him wrong in this charming film that skewers the yuppie ethos. Sam Shepard as a laconic, sexy veterinarian is the dream man of many women who came of age in the '80s like me.
onehandhailingataxicab
First of all, Diane Keaton is always worth watching, she can make even a lousy movie somewhat watchable. And she does her best with role as a workaholic yuppie who inherits an infant, but sadly, the movie starts to lag and the story becomes predictable. Baby Boom actually begins with some strong comic scenes, I especially liked her funny passionless relationship with Harold Ramis, but halfway through the laughs are gone, and the second half of the movie is almost entirely melodrama. Drama is fine, but melodrama is my term for slow and unsatisfying. The movie has a sweet message about making professional sacrifices for the sake of a family, but then again, not every woman needs a child to be happy. As others have pointed out, there are definitely some mixed messages here for career women.
janegohde
I loved this movie, Diane Keaton was great in this role and how cute is Elizabeth the baby..I also loved the relationship between Diane Keaton's character and Sam Sepherd's character..I am wondering though if anyone could help me locate a piece of artwork from the movie. Does anyone know the name of the artist who drew the picture of the flower above Diane Keatons bed in the beginning of this movie??.. It looks like a pencil sketch of a flower..I would love to have this picture, but I have been unable to find it anywhere..Does anyone know where I could find it, or the name of the artist?? Thank you for your assistance...Thanks, JG
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