0
0
It wasn’t that long ago that charming British bachelor Hugh Grant became a father for the first time. Considering the circumstances, though, the whole experience may have seemed an awful lot like déjà vu, since the actor played a reluctant first-time dad in director Chris Columbus’s 1995 baby-making rom-com, Nine Months.
After five years together, Samuel Faulkner (Grant) and his girlfriend, Rebecca Taylor (Julianne Moore), find themselves at different places in their relationship. Sam, a busy child psychologist who isn’t particularly fond of kids, is perfectly content with their relationship. Rebecca, who teaches ballet to adorable little girls, is ready for something more—like marriage and even kids.
When Rebecca announces that she’s pregnant, she swears that it was completely unplanned and unexpected—but Sam isn’t sure that he believes her. He’s also not sure that he wants a child. As Rebecca begins preparing for motherhood, Sam begins to worry about the effects a child will have on his life—and on his relationship with Rebecca.
And, with the famous last words, “We won’t let it change us,” the couple’s lives spiral into a whirlwind of pre-natal planning (for Rebecca) and panic (for Sam).
Anyone who’s ever faced the rather daunting reality of bringing a child into the world will be able to relate, in some way, to the emotions that Sam and Rebecca experience in Nine Months. Given the situation, some, like Rebecca, are able to face their fears and anxieties head-on while accepting the responsibilities and embracing the changes that come with becoming a parent. And Moore plays the character well. She doesn’t dive in head-first, without a care in the world. Instead, she handles the situation—and her own apprehension—like an adult (despite her raging hormones, of course).
Others, meanwhile, like Sam, do everything in their power to run from reality, trying to ignore the responsibilities and avoid touchy topics (like how there’s no room for a child in your beloved two-seater Porsche). Still, no matter how flustered and panicked Grant’s Sam may get—no matter how immature his behavior sometimes seems—you can’t help but love him anyway. And, if you’re a parent (or you’re preparing to become one), there’s a pretty good chance that you’ll understand what he’s going through—and you’ll laugh along because you’ve been there.
Still, Nine Months isn’t without its flaws. Tom Arnold is sure to get on your nerves as Marty Dwyer, as the obnoxious (and often self-righteous) fourth-time dad-to-be, who already has a brood of unruly kids. And, of course, like any other comedy (or any other kind of movie, for that matter) about pregnancy and/or childbirth, the film is filled with little inconsistencies and inaccuracies that, as a pregnant woman, I was quick to point out along the way. But, well, that’s to be expected.
What really matters, though, is that it’s all handled with a light (and sometimes outrageously hilarious) touch. The main characters are lovable (and often relatable), and Robin Williams brings a few moments of wild and crazy, over-the-top comedy as the nervous new Russian OB-GYN, Dr. Kosevich. The result is a flawed but funny rom-com—which, if you just happen to be preparing for the birth of your own first child, offers some much-needed comic relief.
