JUNIOR
US, 1994, 106 minutes, Colour.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny de Vito, Emma Thompson, Frank Langella, Aida Turturro, Pamela Reed, Kathleen Chalfont.
Directed by Ivan Reitman.
A film with both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Emma Thompson seems rather unlikely. However, they were an entertaining combination in the 1994 comic-fantasy, Junior. And once again, Arnold Schwarzenegger is teamed with Danny Vito, his unlikely partner in Twins.
The film is amusingly written, directed by an expert in popular comedies, Ivan Reitman. Tthe three stars are scientists and conduct an experiment where a male doctor becomes pregnant. It offers the opportunity for men in the audience to imagine what it would like to be pregnant – and the women in the audience to get some satisfaction from this. There are a number of funny episodes, especially when the pregnant Schwarzenegger has to go into a maternity hospital – and has to explain that he is from East Germany and took steroids in the past!
The film proves Arnold Schwarzenegger has a sense of humour and is able to carry off this kind of comedy, especially with the support of his co-stars.
1. An enjoyable comedy, what if…? Men and women? Children?
2. The San Francisco locations, the laboratories, homes? Authentic atmosphere? Musical score? The songs and their irony? Under your skin?
3. The plausibility of the plot? Men pregnant? Biogenetics, bioethics?
4. The title, the humorous tone? Audience response to children? The pro-life perspective of the film, the foetus, the growth of the foetus, the birth of the child? Family values?
5. Alexander Hess and Larry Abogast, the irony of Schwarzenegger and de Vito working together? Alexander and his being very serious, the scientist, the researcher? Abogast and his being more down to earth and humorous? Their situation, the funding, the FDA and the refusal to approve their drug? The fertility formula?
6. Noah Banes, his severity, interfering, his personality? His antagonism towards them? The loss of the funds and his blaming them? His appointing Diana Reddin?
7. Diana, her project, fertility, her frozen eggs? Her personal manner, the absent-minded scientist, awkward – especially at the restaurant, toilet paper on her shoe, the shell in the other person’s dinner?
8. Abogast, his taking the eggs, the experiment with the sperm? The pregnancy? Abogast injecting Hess? The pharmaceutical company and the possibility of funding?
9. The discussions about the pregnancy, its seeming impossibility , the agreement to terminate the pregnancy after three months? The effect of the pregnancy on Alexander, his changes, physically, emotionally, his wanting to carry the baby? Their using the lab? The help from Diana? Hess and his attraction to Diana, vice-versa? His explanation of the situation, her reaction, anger? Her support, the decision about the future of the child?
10. Banes, his interference, discovering the scheme, seeing he would take advantage?
11. Alexander, dressed as a woman, the home for unwed mothers, the reception, his work, his explanation of his size because of East German steroids? His going through the program, all the activities? The unwed mothers?
12. Banes and his wanting to exploit the situation, calling the media into the delivery room, the irony of finding Angela, her pregnancy (and …... Smith’s personal trainer being the father)?
13. Larry delivering Alexander’s baby? Diana helping with Angela? The caesarean section?
14. The humiliation of Banes, his having to change his attitude, the reaction of the media?
15. The year later, at the beach, the birthday, the couples, Angela and Larry reconciled, Diana and Alexander looking after their child? The irony that Larry is to become pregnant with the next child?
16. The themes of conception, fertility, the roles of men and women, a man having to carry a baby to term? The celebration of life and of children?
