What to Expect When You’re Expecting
starring Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, Ben Falcone, Anna Kendrick, Matthew Morrison, Dennis Quaid, Chris Rock and Rodrigo Santoro
written by Shauna Cross and Heather Hach
directed by Kirk Jones
Rating: ♦♦♦♦◊
I liked this film because I’m such a sensitive guy. Based on the pregnancy guide of the same name written by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel (1984), What to Expect When You’re Expecting follows several couples: some are expecting a baby, others are preparing for adoption because they can’t conceive, and another suffers a miscarriage. There is a lot of pregnancy information in the story - like what happens to a woman’s body when she is pregnant, how she loses all control over her body, deteriorating into bouts of public embarrassment that go far beyond mere vomiting, etc. But most of all I liked the film because of its portrayal of the complexities, compromises and evolution of couples’ relationships when they are expecting a baby in their lives.
“I love you. I want to punch you in the face” seems to be a common sentiment. As a man I don’t know what it’s like to carry and deliver a baby, of course. But I kind of imagine giving birth is kind of like having a bowel movement the size of a cantaloupe. Ouch! One of the criticisms of the pregnancy guide by Murkoff and Mazel is that it focuses too much on pregnancy complaints and complications, and that is reflected in the movie. Director Kirk Jones, by the way, first thought the script was based on a novel, not realizing it was a pregnancy guide.
This is the first movie I’ve seen Brazilian Rodrigo Santoro in since he played Karl, the enigmatic Chief Designer, in Love Actually (2003, directed by Richard Curtis). I was excited that I recognized him. I said to myself, “I know that guy!”
Matthew Morrison is best known these days as Glee Club teacher Will Schuester on the TV series Glee.