JOY

UK, 2024, 115 minutes, Colour.

Thomasin McKenzie, James Norton, Bill Nighy, Rish Shah, Tanya Moodie, Joanna Scanlon.

Directed by Ben Taylor.

The 21^st century audience takes IVF procedures for granted. It was not always the case as this film dramatises.

This is an interesting and enjoyable drama, fairly straightforward in its presentation. It opens in 1968, the year in which the central characters started to work together towards success in IVF procedures, the naming of particular years on the screen, until 1977 and success with the pregnancy and in 1978, the birth of the first baby, Louise Brown, in England.

The is one follows the science steps of those involved, insights, experiments, many failures, and some scepticism from the science community. The film also follows the scientists and surgery working with a range of infertile women, full of hope that they will be able to conceive and give birth. And, the screenplay gives a great deal of attention to ethical issues, criticisms, the accusation of interfering with nature, fears of the consequences in health for the children born.

At the opening of the film, there is a tribute to the three people key to the development of IVF and the comment that one of them, a young woman at the time, a trained nurse with an interest in science, Jean Purdy, who had died at age 39 from cancer, had not been included in the plaques or tributes. And the surgeon who was key to the processes, Patrick Steptoe, had also died. The survivor, named as a Nobel prizewinner Robert Edwards, is honoured but makes an appeal for recognition of the other two.

With this introduction, we see the young Jean Purdy (New Zealand actress, Thomasin McKenzie) eager to meet the creative scientist, Bob Edwards (James Norton), successful in catching a runaway mouse in the lab, immediately getting a job. They go to hear the surgeon, Patrick Steptoe, played by Bill Nighy in one of his most agreeably positive roles, in dispute with other scientists, noting some of his surgical breakthroughs.

The action taking place over a decade, we see the young woman moving from her 20s to 30s, deeply involved, her religious mother disagreeing with her, not wanting her to visit her or the church, a sacrifice for the religiously-minded Jean. The quality Jean brings to the procedure is the personal interaction with the women, not just the science and the medicine, but the personal, emotional, the psychological – the first group of women calling themselves the Ovum Club.

James Norton is intense as Edwards, a family man with several daughters, aggressive, especially in a range of television interviews where he is challenged, his procedures are denounced, his becoming despondent, deciding to stand for politics but not being elected, persuaded by Jean to go back to the enterprise.

Patrick Steptoe offers the medical contribution, the precise and typical procedures for the impregnation, number of attempts, having to communicate failure to the hopeful would-be mothers, supported by his wife over the years.

The last part of the film is the encounter with the Browns, the success, the pregnancy, the caesarean birth, the joy of the parents, the happiness of the trio – and the Browns offering them to suggest the middle name for their daughter, the group suggesting Joy.

1. Audience knowledge of the development of IVF, the 1960s and 1970s, science, ethics, media, religion, public opinion?
2. The title, the joy of women giving birth, the team’s name for the middle name for Louise Brown?
3. Based on a true story, the opening speech, Robert Edwards and his point that Jean Purdy had been ignored, his plea for acknowledgement for her? For Patrick Steptoe? The visualising of the plaque at the hospital?
4. Introduction to Robert Edwards, his scientific background, the beginnings of IVF, his laboratory work, his team, his interest in Patrick Steptoe, at the lecture, Steptoe and his interrupting the speaker, his irritation? Indications of clashes between scientists and their subjects, possibilities, ethical issues?
5. Jean, her age, her background work as a nurse, science, her interest in Bob Edwards, coming to the office, wet shoes, holes, the chasing of the mouse, catching it, being hired?
6. Jean, her personality, religious, church, the Vicar? Her mother, devout? Her mother correcting her, not stooping…? The mother’s response to her daughter’s work, public opinion, wanting her to give it up, not going to the church, not coming to the home, the pain for Jean, the loss of religious comfort in the church, the separation from her mother, the later visit to the church, with the vicar? The hostile helper? Leaving the treat for her mother at the door?
7. Bob Edwards, his intensity, at home, his wife, his daughters, home life? The discussions? His continued investigations, persuading Patrick Steptoe, Steptoe and his techniques, laparoscopy, assisted by Marian, Matron, Jean’s shock to discover he was doing abortions? Matron’s explanation of backyard abortions, women’s choice?
8. The highlighting of dates, from 1968, various moves to 1977, the stages of experiments, the scientific explanations given, the close-ups of the work, confidence, the group of women, arriving, talking, tests, the procedures,, disappointments, audience sympathy for the women? The calling themselves the Oval Club? Jean and her personal listening, the outing to the beach?
9. The effect of all this work over the years on Jean? Her looking sad, often morose? The interactions with Patrick, especially concerning her illness and the possibility of having children? The interactions with Bob, the enthusiasms, the disappointments, fresh ideas and possibilities?
10. Her leaving, going back to her mother, caring for her mother, her mother’s death? The funeral, Patrick and his wife coming?
11. The continued interest, ideas, the contact with Bob, his standing for the Labor Party, his defeat? The group getting together again?
12. The new group of women? Moving to 1977?
13. Bob, direct, the media, trying to avoid journalists, television interviews, the discussion with the scientist and his development of DNA? The public hostility in the television audience? Scientists and their condemnations? Ethical issues? His arguments in the developments in contact lenses, false teeth…? And the risks of failure?
14. The buildup to the first success, Leslie Brown and her husband, an ordinary couple, their consent, the details of the IVF work, her pregnancy, the caesarean birth, the first IVF baby, her father, the joy of the team, the process being filmed, the photos? The decision to offer the name Joy for the baby?
15. The importance for audiences to see this story, the human issues in the context for scientific development, ethical issues, decisions? The final information about the statistics of babies born through IVF?