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.

tavm After about 25 or more years of only reading about this film, I finally watched this on Netflix disc with my mom just now. We both really enjoyed this tale about a businesswoman played by Diane Keaton suddenly having a baby forced into her life after a cousin she hardly knew and that cousin's spouse dies and she inherits that child. Harold Ramis is amusing as the initial bedmate. I also liked seeing former SNLer Mary Gross as her secretary and current member of the show at the time, Victoria Jackson, as the initial nanny. My favorite scene concerns Ms. Keaton's first encounter with Sam Shepard when she finds out he's a vet whom she just revealed her not having sex for a long time! I'll stop there and just say this was a little funny and a little romantic. Nicely written by Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer who also directed. So that's a recommendation of Baby Boom.

Michael_Elliott Baby Boom (1987) *** (out of 4) Cute, if extremely light, comedy about a workaholic yuppie (Diane Keaton) whose life turns upside down when she inherits a relative's 13-month-old daughter. Soon the working woman has other obligations, which doesn't sit too well in the business world so she's forced out into the country. It's easy to see why this comedy became such a hit and continues to gather new fans each and every year. After all, you have some funny moments, a great performance by Keaton and you've got a cute child making cute faces. The word cute is the best thing to call this film because the screenplay is rather predictable and always goes for the obvious joke but this can be overlooked simply because of how great Keaton is. I think this film is the perfect example of something not being able to work had it not been for the actor in charge. If you take Keaton out of this movie then you've got absolutely nothing because the actress is just so convincing in the part that you can't help but love her. Keaton perfectly nails the working woman she plays early on as that toughness is something you'd never question. The actress has made a career of playing strong women so it shouldn't come as any shock that she handles the part here. She's also extremely funny with her comic timing and especially the stuff early on with getting used to the baby but also later in the film as she begins to crack in the country. The supporting players are also strong with Sam Shepard playing a kind-hearted country vet, Harold Ramis as a jerk who doesn't like kids and we even get vet Pat Hingle in a nice role. A young James Spader also appears playing what he plays best and that's a snake in the grass. Charles Shyer's direction handles the material quite well and he certainly keeps the movie going at a nice pace. I think the biggest problem is the actual screenplay, which hits every single note that you'd expect it too and the ending is just something you'll see coming from a mile away. BABY BOOM is certainly flawed but Keaton's performance is so great that she makes the film worth viewing.