This Review Reveals Minor Details About the Plot.
Bucking Bronco Birth
Plot Overview
Sean Fletcher (Jeff Goldblum) is a
“starving artist” living in his deceased parents'
spacious house in San Francisco mooching off his sister &
bro-in-law. When his girlfriend Christina said she wants a
baby, he denied her his seed—he was in no position to support
a family—and she left him. Not without regret he has
taken up with a luscious, 25-year-old blonde to ease the pain.
Sean's sister Gail (Joan Cusack) & her husband Marty Dwyer (Tom
Arnold) have made their “contribution” with three
young girls, and they are working on a fourth—hoped to be a
boy. Sean's friend Samuel “Sam” Faulkner (Hugh Grant)
has just learned that his girlfriend of five years Rebecca
“Beck” Taylor (Julianne Moore) has gotten pregnant
despite being on a 97% effective pill. Since they rutted like
rabbits, they would have had 5 X 12 = 60
fertile windows in which to conceive, times 3% = 1.8
hits. He must have been out of town for one of those times as she's
only got pregnant once. He has a thriving practice as a child
psychologist, a fantastic apartment, and a new Porsche, so
he's good to go once he trades for a family vehicle. Except he's
emotionally and mentally unprepared to be a dad. This plot setup is
similar to what author Benjamin Markovits describes in a sport and
a game: “Basketball is one of those professions that
works like Dungeons & Dragons. You start out at first level and
can't do anything but eventually become ten or twenty or
thirty times more powerful. Or in my case, stick at first level”
(150). There's a full range of expertise here on baby making.
“Nine Months” expands on this theme with the gynecologist(s). Dr. Green is well experienced but also in demand for conferences and sometimes out of commission with elderly ailments. His substitute, Russian Doctor Kosevich (Robin Williams,) has just got his license to practice in the U.S. and is raring to go (“This is my first delivery!”) His novice status is highlighted by his trouble confusing English words, lots of them, with similar sounding ones. Marty and Gail's five-year-old girl Shannon (Ashley Johnson), however, has been devouring Harlequin romance novels, is into role playing—she smooches Samuel on the cheek during a group hug—and has a great multi-syllabic vocabulary. Sean compares himself to Van Gogh as another penniless artist, but he lacks the master's talent. Samuel disparages parents for not acquiring even the basics of drivers who have to pass a test. But he, himself, is prone to distracted driving.
Through chance or design all three couples spend some time
together in Sean & Gail's parents' house where they compare
notes. Sam & Beck enter matrimony where there's a crowd of
well-wishers to advise them. And finally Samuel has to bone up with
a book on baby matters to let Beck know he's serious. It's as
Markovits writes about a basketball star's demo:
“Y'all think I'm gonna miss?” Marcus asked, and took off his sunglasses and pulled out the hems of his shirt. “You know what the magic word is to get what you want?”A few kids said, “Please.”
“Work. Hard work. Everybody can do this if they put the work in.” (199)
Ideology
Samuel and Rebecca start with better relations than most married couples. Beck, however, wants “more,” and the new addition is like to upset the apple cart in ways unpredictable. This and other factors are intimated in (Prov. 30:18-19) “There be three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not: The way of an eagle in the air; the way of a serpent upon a rock; the way of a ship in the midst of the sea; and the way of a man with a maid.”
Our plot in a can prepares us. “The way of an eagle in the air” is like the kite in the opening scene, which beans Samuel and lays him out flat on the beach. Marty gives him (unneeded) CPR on the spot. This pregnancy hits Sam like a bolt out of the blue, and Marty with his experience in these matters gives him lots of useless advice.
“The way of a serpent upon a rock” is like the praying mantis that haunts Samuel's dreams—he sleeps next to his old cat Skippy,—whose female has been observed devouring her smaller mate after intercourse. Sean has transferred to him his fear of being devoured by responsibility should they have a baby.
“The way of a ship in the midst of the sea” is represented by Sean deep sixing his “hotel painting” after he examines it honestly. Beck at one point understands that Samuel has no real interest in the baby, so she leaves him.
Here “the way of a man with a maid” plays out along those lines.
Production Values
“” (1995) was
written and directed by Chris Columbus. It was based on the 1994
French film, “Neuf Mois,” itself
written by Patrick Braoud. “Nine Months” stars Hugh
Grant, Julianne Moore, and Tom Arnold. Robin Williams was
priceless as a displaced Russian doc. Mia Cottet as party girl
Lili had a face that revealed her every emotion. Joey Simmrin as
troubled kid Truman effected a good illustration of boyhood
angst. Hugh Grant was more suited to his role here than others I've
seen him in. There's sort of a dignity in his British toned speech
that's belied by some of the cads he's played in the past. Julianne
Moore manages her (pregnant) character without it making her
larger than life. Arnold tends to upstage everyone else in his
scenes. Joan Cusack was the quintessential mother.
MPAA rated it PG–13 for language and sexual innuendo. Hans Zimmer's score was beautiful. The portrayals of the deadly praying mantis and the offbeat dinosaur mascot were amazing. It switched around a lot between romance and comedy, with one whale of a climax. Kudos to Raja Gosnell for his tight editing.
Review Conclusion w/a Christian's Recommendation
I rather liked this picture and thought it was very funny in places. It works as a romcom and should well satisfy those expectations. The children in it are a diverse lot with regard to temperament.
Movie Ratings
Action factor: Well done action scenes. Suitability for Children: Suitable for children 13+ years with guidance. Special effects: Amazing special effects. Video Occasion: Good Date Movie. Suspense: Some suspenseful moments. Overall movie rating: Four stars out of five.
Works Cited
Scripture is quoted from the King James Version. Pub. 1611, rev. 1769. Software.
Markovits, Benjamin. The Sidekick. © Benjamin Markovits, 2022. London: Faber & Faber Limited, 2022. Print.
bibles.n7nz.org