She's Having a Baby

She's Having a Baby
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	John Hughes
Produced by	John Hughes Bill Brown Ronald Colby
Written by	John Hughes
Starring	Kevin Bacon Elizabeth McGovern
Music by	Stewart Copeland
Cinematography	Donald Peterman
Editing by	Alan Heim
Studio	Hughes Entertainment
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	February 5, 1988 (1988-02-05)
Running time	106 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$16,031,707 (United States)

She's Having a Baby is a 1988 American romance film directed by John Hughes.

The film portrays a young newlywed couple, Kristy and Jake Briggs played by Elizabeth McGovern and Kevin Bacon, who try to cope with being married and what is expected of them by their parents. Jake must also deal with the fantasy woman of his dreams. The film is about traditional 1980s suburban life and the cultural expectations that come along with it. To a large extent what Jake experiences could be described as a form of culture shock, with his best man Davis (Alec Baldwin) as a reminder of his former culture as a single man, and feeling alienated when he overhears his neighbors converse about mundane suburban topics. He feels he has left the culture of single men, and has entered the culture of a married man, and doesn't appear to have a sense of belonging to either.

Plot

This film is a look at the lives of Jake and Kristy Briggs, from their wedding day until the birth of their first child. Beginning on their wedding day, it follows both their lives, but more so Jake's, with his voice over commentaries and several imaginary scenes, based on actual or feared future events. After their wedding Jake and Kristy head off for New Mexico, where Jake works towards gaining a Masters Degree, but leaves before finishing, describing it as "high school with ashtrays". They return to Chicago where Jake, by "setting new records for lying in the job market", impresses his potential employers so much that they give him work as an advertising copywriter. Kristy also gains work, as a research analyst, and they are able to buy a "three bedroom mortgage" in the suburbs. Jake and Kristy then continue to adjust to their new life until Kristy unilaterally decides to cease taking contraceptives, without telling Jake, until after several months she informs him that he has been unable to impregnate her. They then begin a program to assist their efforts to become pregnant, which eventually succeed. The movie culminates with a traumatic yet eventually successful labour and Jake's realisation that his lack of satisfaction and sense of detachment are not due to external factors but his own selfishness and immaturity. The last scene of the film reveals that Jakes voice over was the new father reading his novel entitled "She's having a baby" to his wife and son. As the credits roll there is a rapid succession of suggestions for the name of the baby.

Cast

• Kevin Bacon as Jefferson "Jake" Edward Briggs
• Elizabeth McGovern as Kristen "Kristy" Briggs
• Alec Baldwin as Davis McDonald
• William Windom as Russ Bainbridge
• Holland Taylor as Sarah Briggs
• Cathryn Damon as Gayle Bainbridge
• John Ashton as Ken
• James Ray as Jim Briggs
• Bill Erwin as Grandfather Briggs
• Dennis Dugan as Bill
• Larry Hankin as Hank
• Edie McClurg as Lynn
• Nancy Lenehan as Cynthia
• Isabel García Lorca as Fantasy girl

Casting

• In the black and white fantasy scene where Jake's grandfather says "you'll never end up working on a loading dock", the young Jake is played by Neal Bacon, Kevin Bacon's nephew who was five years old at the time.

Production

• The film was shot in Winnetka, IL and Evanston, IL From September 1986 to December 1986. Most John Hughes's films either take place in Chicago, in the suburbs of Chicago, or are about people going to or coming from Chicago.
• The lawnmower dance scene was shot in a rather small subdivision in Skokie, Illinois named "New England Village." The street is 'Salem Lane' and the Briggs house is Number 56. The houses used during that sequence and the ones leading up to it remain much the same as they did. The house used (42°03′10″N 87°42′48″W) is also still in much the same condition. The neighborhood is a small circular subdivision, and the movie was shot close to the middle. The residents living there were not allowed to move their cars for the duration of the shooting.
• John Hughes, who wrote, directed and produced the film, shared similarities with Jake, the leading character. Both married young (to wives they met as teenagers), both dropped out of University before finishing (Hughes at University of Arizona and Jake at a New Mexico University), both began their post University careers as advertising copywriters, and both came from Chicago. In several scenes Jake is wearing a 'University of Arizona' shirt, which Hughes attended, and in the final credits the words 'Inspiration - Nancy Hughes' appear, Nancy being Hughes' wife.

Soundtrack

• Composed by Stewart Copeland.
• Produced by Dave Wakeling.

1. "She's Having A Baby" - Dave Wakeling
2. "Haunted When The Minutes Drag" - Love and Rockets
3. "Desire (Come and Get It)" - Gene Loves Jezebel
4. "Happy Families" - XTC
5. "Crazy Love" - Bryan Ferry
6. "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby" - Kirsty MacColl
7. "Apron Strings" - Everything But The Girl
8. "This Woman's Work" - Kate Bush
9. "It's All In The Game" - Carmel
10. "Full Of Love" - Dr. Calculus

• The song during the birth sequence is "This Woman's Work" by Kate Bush and is featured on her 1989 album The Sensual World. John Hughes is thanked in the album's liner notes.
• The song playing during the trailer is Music for a Found Harmonium, a song by the Penguin Cafe Orchestra.
• The song played during the street party is "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)" by Marvin Gaye.

Cameos

• During the end credits, there are several cameos of actors giving suggestions on what to name the new baby boy. Most of these are taken from actors in other John Hughes films and/or projects shot on the Paramount lot during that time. Cameo appearances include: John Candy and Dan Aykroyd from the John Hughes film, The Great Outdoors, and Bill Murray from the set of the non-Hughes film, Scrooged. Other notable cameos include cast members of Cheers and Star Trek: The Next Generation.
• Filmed at the same time as Planes, Trains, and Automobiles. Kevin Bacon has a cameo in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles trying to get a taxi from Steve Martin. Also, there is a scene in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles where Steve Martin's wife is watching television in her bedroom, and, although you can't see the image, the audio is from the bedroom fight sequence of She's Having A Baby.

Reaction

The film has 50% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, and was alternately panned and praised by critics.

In An Evening With Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder director Kevin Smith cites She's Having a Baby as his favorite John Hughes movie. He also cites it as a template for Jersey Girl, joking that both movies were financially unsuccessful.

External links

• She's Having a Baby at the Internet Movie Database
• She's Having a Baby at AllRovi
• She's Having A Baby at the 80s Movie Gateway