SHE'S HAVING A BABY

US, 1988, 106 minutes, Colour.
Kevin Bacon, Elizabeth Mc Govern, Alec Baldwin.
Directed by John Hughes.

She's Having a Baby was written and directed by John Hughes. Hughes had begun screenwriting with the National Lampoon Vacation series and Mr Mom. He moved into direction with such youth-oriented films as Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science. This film marked a transition to focus on young adults. Later films included Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Uncle Buck, Curly Sue as well as the many that he wrote including Dutch, The Great Outdoors, Only the Lonely.

Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth Mc Govern are credible and attractive as the young marrieds. Alec Baldwin is their cynical friend. There are good performances from character actors portraying the parents, the in-laws and the neighbours as well as the people at the advertising company.

The film has a certain charm with its characters, their coping with the early years of marriage, the pressures of in-laws, pregnancy. There is a humorous postscript during the final credits when there is great discussion about the name for the baby and various stars including Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, John Candy, Michael Keaton, Ted Danson, Kirstie Alley and Matthew Broderick appear amongst others.

1. The interest in babies in movies of the late '80s (Baby Boom, Three Men and a Baby...)? The family? The film's audience: young adults in their 20s and 30s, older audiences, younger?

2. The work of John Hughes, his interests, family? His cast? The final credits and the jokes?

3. The title, the tone - and Jake writing a book about his wife having a baby?

4. The structure and style: Jake's voice-over, his comments about himself, the wedding? The introduction to Kristen? The flashbacks of their meeting? Davis in the car, his advice? His parents in the church, the in-laws and their criticisms? The predictability of the events of their life, changing circumstances? The role of fantasies: the minister and his suddenly warning Jake and demanding "I do"? The burning of the novel? The lawnmower ad? Seeing his neighbours as in a musical comedy? The crashing train and his future? Kristen's pregnancy? Everybody laughing at his specimen? His dreams - especially of the French model and his falling out of bed? His performing in the baby ads? Memories? The blend of reality and fantasy? Jake's journey and his growing into responsible adulthood? His perspective on the situations and his wife?

5. Kevin Bacon's style as Jake, Jake as a character? In the flashbacks, in love with Kristen, very young and engaged? The friendship with Davis? The hesitations at the wedding, the wedding ceremony? The honeymoon and Kristen cooking the fish? His studying the questionnaire? His in-laws and their consistent carping? Kristen and the need for a job? Working at his desk? The elaborate lies for his interview - and getting the job in advertising? The job, the work, his bosses and discussions with them? Ambitions? Accepting what was possible? Writing his novel at night? The pressure for the new house, decorating it with Kristen? The clashes and fights? Exercise? Davis and his bringing the porn star and model back home, Kristen's reaction? His sleeping on the floor? The model, meeting her at the museum - and her asking why he was there? This reprised in the dream (and Kristen's telling him the news about the baby there)? Physical exercise, sex? The neighbours, the parties, the discussion about lawnmowers? Sex and problems, discussing it in the supermarket, the specimen? The thermometer and the temperature methods? Her news about the pregnancy - and his feeling he was going to be caught out? The effect of the pregnancy on them both, sharing, preparing, the panic and his driving off without her, his fears, the difficult birth and the caesarean, his fearing the baby was dead? The pressure of the in-laws - and the various meals and discussions? The final grief into joy - and his writing the novel?

6. Kristen, Elizabeth McGovern's style, in the past, her relationship with her family, the wedding, in love with Jake? The honeymoon and the fish? The pressure of the parents - and their arguing? Her dislike of Davis? Job, building up the home? The clash when Davis brought the model home? His returning when his father died, his advances towards her? Her wanting to become pregnant, deciding not to take the pill? Discussions with the doctor, Jake's ability or inability? The joy of the pregnancy, the experience, the domestic scenes - and his cup of tea on her in the bed? The birth, her going to the hospital, the difficulties? Her wanting to tell Jake first about the baby? Young adults in love?

7. The parents and the parents-in-law, criticisms, pushy? The talk at the wedding, the ceremony itself? The visits and the various dinners and their discussing the young adults in front of them without reference to them? At the hospital at the end?

8. Davis, long friendship with Jake, his self-centredness? Warning Jake off? Loud and lewd? Going to New York, bringing the model back - and her callow attitude, her mother's death? Her story about videos? His later return, his grief at his father's death - and his advances on Kristen? Her telling him the truth about himself?

9. Jake at work, the men in the advertising agency, accepting him, the campaigns, the baby ads? The models?

10. The young model, Jake encountering her, in the museum? In his dreams?

11. The passing of the years, Chicago and suburbia - and the humorous satire on life in the suburbs, people doing the same thing, barbecues, mowing lawns...? The blend of satire, reality?

12. The young marrieds, their commitment to each other, difficulties? Change, values and achievement?