Baby Boom (1987) User Reviews

A Sweet Natured Topical Flick From The 80's Screwball vault

[statuskuo · 7/10 · 11 June 2012]

I saw this movie years ago and enjoyed it for Diane Keaton's performance. Having revisited it in 2012, I realized that we have changed A LOT. The fast paced "Tiger Lady" that J.C. Wiatt portrays still exist, but imagine what her life would've been like if the internet was still possible. It's really hard not to root for her. J.C. is a windup toy that is wound too tight. A life on a ticking clock. So driven to succeed that she doesn't even realize when she obtains success. The fine line that Keaton skates is dated (unfortunately). A lot of this schtick wouldn't hold to today's audience, but in the context of the era, it's a great reminder of the yuppies that dominated the Reagan era.

Cue in, cute baby. She does what the story needs her to do, which is to slow down Keaton's life. Force her to see what's important. And the message is WAY too predictable but...it's still a nice journey. Again, if you follow Keaton's work, this is a very nice film that allows her to juggle through her neurosis. And it has a LOT of fun moments. It made me miss the 80's.

The Inheritance

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 11 April 2019]

In New York, the executive J.C. Wiatt (Diane Keaton) is a successful business woman that prioritizes her work in a publicity agency over her personal life. Her boss Fritz Curtis (Sam Wanamaker) calls her tiger lady and invites J.C. to be partner of the agency provided she brings the account of the company owned by Hughes Larrabee (Pat Hingle) to the agency. One night, J.C. is sleeping with her boyfriend Steven Buchner (Harold Ramis) and receives a phone call from England telling that she has an inheritance something from her cousin that died in an accident with his wife. J.C. believes it is money but receives their daughter, the baby girl Elizabeth, instead. Soon she feels connected to the baby, turning her life upside-down: Steven breaks with her; her assistant Ken Arrenberg (James Spader) steals Larrabee´s account in the agency; and J.C. loses her job. She decides to buy a huge real estate in Vermont to raise Elizabeth and finds many unexpected problems in the old house. But soon she sees an opportunity to develop new business while she meets the veterinarian Dr. Jeff Cooper (Sam Shepard) giving another sense to her life.

"Baby Boom" is a funny comedy about a tough executive that changes her life after inheriting a baby girl. The plot has silly and exaggerated moments, but is hilarious most of the time. Diane Keaton has good performance and the baby Elizabeth is cute. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil):"Presente de Grego" ("A Curse in Disguise")

Working 5 to 9, no way to make a living. But motherhood is 24/7.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 1 January 2018]

There comes a time in life when you have to settle as to what your priorities are going to be. A family, a career, giving up certain hobbies to keep others. Travel, full time motherhood, being the boss lady and trying to find yourself. Many of these fall in line with Diane Keaton's character here, a big executive whose sudden promotion to partner is threatened by instant motherhood. I don't think in any world I live in that you can just will a baby to someone, but that's exactly what happens to Keaton here, handed over a baby in the boarding area of JFK as she heads to a big meeting. Finding someone to adopt the child falls through as does finding a nanny either not sleeping around on the job or being a female version of Hitler are among other issues, and when issues at her firm come up, it's time for Keaton to do a little flip-flop in personality, turning into the Erma Bombeck she never thought she had it in her to be.

The sitcom like premise is saved by the witty script and the underplaying by Keaton, less neurotic than normal even if her frantic executive and new mommy has a few moments heading towards a breakdown. She loses a relationship with the non paternal Harold Ramis because of her new mommy status and seeing her try to run an office and keep a baby from crying is also amusing. What also works is watching this character grow up and realize that she's a woman, not a business machine, and not every woman in the new world of women in the work force is meant to be Oprah. So in spite of some minor implausabilities, this is quite well done. A scene in Riverside Park with Keaton getting mommy advice (among the women is "General Hospital's" Jane Elliott) is quite amusing. Look for a few Saturday Night Live vets in pivitol minor roles. The "Green Acres" switch towards the end is also very enjoyable, adding Sam Shephard as a veterinarian whom Keaton assumes to be a medical doctor. Love that 80's sound with a bouncy musical score consisting of several saxophones.

Baby Boom

[Coxer99 · 3 July 1999]

Sweeter than sugar Keaton is delightfully charming in this pleasant comedy about a high powered business executive who lives in her work, until she inherits a baby girl from distant relatives who have been killed. Lovely all the way through with a witty script from Nancy Meyers and Charles Shyer and good support from the always wonderful Shepard and from Sam Wannamaker.

Keaton Brings It To Life

[jhclues · 7/10 · 13 January 2002]

As anyone who has walked a mile or two knows, life is about choices and making decisions. And a lot of that has to do with realizing and setting priorities, because-- as a wise person once said-- You Can't Have It All. It's the lesson we all learn in our own way in our own time, according to our own personal situation, and director Charles Shyer examines one of them in his amiable comedy, `Baby Boom,' starring Diane Keaton.

J.C. Wiatt (Keaton) is a high-powered businesswoman on the fast track to success; she knows what she wants, has set her priorities, and a partnership in the firm for which she works is on the horizon. Her live-in significant other, Steven (Harold Ramis), is of a like mind-set, so they complement one another's life style perfectly. Marriage and/or having children is in neither of their respective vocabularies. then one day, J.C. `inherits' a baby, the child of a distant relative (a cousin she'd met only once) who has been killed in a tragic accident, and suddenly, J.C.'s world is turned upside down. Keeping the baby is out of the question, of course. Or is it? For J.C., it just may not be as simple as it seems, initially. She's been living life on her own terms, but now she is once again faced with choices, decisions and setting priorities. And along the way, she learns one of life's most important lessons: The fact that the lesson never ends.

There's some amusing moments and some insights to be gleaned from Shyer's film, and overall it's a pleasant, enjoyable experience. It is not, however, an entirely original idea, and Shyer laces it with stereotypes and cliches to boot. This is not necessarily a bad thing, though. If his characters are stereotypical, it's because they reflect a certain realism. J.C.'s boss, Fritz Curtis (Sam Wanamaker), for instance, typifies the image of a dedicated, hard-core businessman whom you get the feeling has to consult his day planner to work in an appointment with his own family. A stereotype? Perhaps. A reflection of reality? Definitely. The same can be said for Sam Shepard's character, Dr. Jeff Cooper, who personifies the general image of one in his situation. And again, it is a reflection of reality, stereotypical though it may be.

Even the cliches are handled in a way that makes them fresh enough to work within the context of the story, and be appreciated-- especially by those in the audience who may have experienced any of the situations presented here. When J.C. fumbles with a diaper and becomes frustrated with her own inexperience and incompetence with such things, it's cliche, but it also rings true-to-life. The important thing is, it's all well presented and actually pretty funny stuff, even if it isn't anything new.

Shyer wrote the screenplay, along with Nancy Meyers, and one angle they may have failed to cultivate fully has to do with Ken, the character played by James Spader. As J.C.'s in-house adversary, also striving to climb the corporate ladder, it may have been intrinsically more interesting had the character been a woman. The fact that Ken is a man, again, makes this particular situation fairly cliche; whereas a competitive conflict with another woman, considering J.C.'s predicament, would have expanded the avenues of possibility to a much greater extent, and certainly would have provided a more imaginative perspective.

The main reason the film works as well as it does, however, is because of the engaging performance by Diane Keaton. In J.C., she creates the antithesis of Annie Hall, but even at her most demanding there is a hint of vulnerability in J.C., a softness to that hard exterior edge she uses to shoulder her way through the business world. Keaton gives you a real sense of the conflict she's experiencing, and though it's lightheartedly rendered for the most part, you understand the underlying seriousness of it all. And the scene in which she vents her frustrations and bares her soul to Dr. Cooper is classic. Keaton's work is without question the highlight of the film, and what really brings it to life.

The supporting cast includes Pat Hingle (Hughes Larabee), Britt Leach (Verne), Kim Sebastian (Robin), Mary Gross) Charlotte, Patricia Estrin (Secretary)Victoria Jackson (Eve), Jane Elliot (Park Mom) and Linda Ellerbee (Narrator). An upbeat, entertaining film, `Baby Boom' may not be particularly memorable, but it does provide some laughs, and at the same time says something about the value of being given the opportunity to question the things we `think' we want. Kind of like saying `Never say never.' After all, who can say with any certainty where destiny may lead any of us? It's something a film like this may make you consider, inbetween the chuckles. It's the magic of the movies. I rate this one 7/10.

Baby Boom was a nice comedy starring Diane Keaton

[tavm · 7/10 · 18 November 2014]

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.

Cute fluff

[Calicodreamin · 7/10 · 8 March 2022]

Not the greatest heartwarming comedy ever made, but it's cute enough. Keaton plays her quirky character perfectly and the storyline is unique and fun.

Not just bad, offensive

[djtherecruiter · 1/10 · 11 September 2013]

The most baffling thing about this unforgivably stupid film is that when the lead character interrupts a critical business meeting to sing her adopted baby a lullaby over the phone, or turns her office into a playhouse by bringing the child to work and juggling her like a greased piglet we're supposed to find it charming. And when her boss reassigns her to a less stressful client account and she quits in a huff, we're supposed to think he's a loathsome corporate shark and she's a gutsy role model. I didn't feel that way. From the moment Diane Keaton's character inherits the baby she acts like an idiot while the people around her are sensible and tolerant. This makes it very hard to root for her when her life is turned upside down, and even harder to believe in her as a high powered businesswoman. This character, as written and played, couldn't find her feet with a flashlight. I'm a fan of Diane Keaton but this script does her no favours and her performance is an insult to working women, working mothers and to the concepts of common sense and perspective. And yes, I know it's meant to be a comedy but it does also have pretensions to making social statements and seems to be setting Keaton's character up as a role model, so the audience deserves a lot more. Awful, truly awful.

"One would take it for granted that a woman like this has it all. One must never take anything for granted."

[clydestuff · 8/10 · 14 March 2004]

In the opening scenes of Baby Boom, set against a back drop of hustling and bustling women in the workplace, Linda Ellerbee provides us the following commentary:

"Sociologists say the new working woman is a phenomenon of our time. Take J.C. Wyatt for example, graduated first in her class at Yale, got her M.B.A. at Harvard. Has a corner office at the corner of Th and park. She works 5 to 9, makes six figures a year and they call her the "Tiger Lady". Married to her job, she lives with an investment banker married to his. They collect African Art, co-own their own co-op and have separate but equal IRA accounts. One would take it for granted that a woman like this has it all. One must never take anything for granted."

And that my friends sets up Baby Boom in a manner far better than I could even begin to. And why must one never take anything for granted? Thought you'd never ask. Just as J.C. Wyatt (Diane Keaton)is about to be made a partner in the company she works for, and a few hours before she is to have the most important business meeting of her career, J.C. is left an inheritance by some long forgotten relatives. That inheritance turns out to be cute and charming Baby Elizabeth(Kristina and Michelle Kennedy), dumped on J.C. at the airport. It seems since J.C. is the only known surviving relative, it is left to her to care for Elizabeth. Thus we end up with the first half of our fish out of water story and it's a dandy, thanks in large part once again to Miss Keaton's wonderful comedic timing, and the fact that we like and admire her character. In a formulaic comedy such as this, the value of that is inestimable.

In the early going we know that much of what we see will be how well J.C. copes with being an executive while trying to raise an infant, a job she is totally unprepared for. As for her "investment banker" Steven, whom she shares the co-op with, playing father is not his idea of a good time and he quickly makes his exit. This is J.C.'s and Elizabeth's story, so obviously he is not needed. The film could have easily gone off course in the early going, making it strictly a comedy of slapstick, but thanks to a good script by Nancy Myers and Charles Shyer, it quickly steers away from that. What we do see is J.C. not only quickly learning to care for her child, but also figuring out how to juggle motherhood and an executive position at the same time. Of course nothing in the film world is easy and circumstances soon force J.C. and Elizabeth out of New York City to the snowy country side of Vermont, and we get our second fish out of water story. It is here that J.C. meets Dr. Jeff Cooper (Sam Shepherd), the town veterinarian and a romantic interest for J.C.

In order to move their film along at a nice clip, Meyers and Shyer, do take some licenses and shortcuts. How J.C. obtains Baby Elizabeth is a little suspect, as is how quickly J.C. purchases a house in Vermont, just from a newspaper ad. In films of this nature there is nothing wrong with taking a few shortcuts if it helps to get from important point A to more important point B. It's the same thing that happens later, as we see J.C. try to build a new business. There is no doubt that in the real world, it doesn't quite work that way, but again, if this were a dramatic true life story, things like that might matter. For this lightweight comedy, it's just not important.

Another thing the director Charles Shyers does is make good use of the Kennedy twins as Baby Elizabeth. In any film where a child is an important part of what is happening on screen many directors overplay the cuteness bits. Shyers seems to know exactly when Elizabeth is important to what is happening in the scene and when she is not. He never dwells or lingers too long on closeups of her, and he does not develop what I call the "cute kid syndrome" whereas the director overplays, overdoes, or rams a child actor down our throats when it's not needed. Shyers knows this is Keaton's film, and never forgets that. My hat's off to him.

One could easily argue, as some have, that the Shyers have made a comedy about a women's place in the world. Perhaps they have, but I don't agree. At no point did I think they were telling us what women in general should or should not do with their careers. What they are saying, is that all of us, women and men alike, should be able to make personal choices that have nothing to do with our careers and be able to do it without being penalized for it. It's a philosophy I happen to agree with, and when I do that you get my grade, which for Baby Boom adds up to a B+.

Perfect star vehicle for Diane Keaton

[Colbridge · 7/10 · 15 October 2021]

It's easy to be cynical about Baby Boom for all it's cuteness, cliches and high concept comedy about a 'yuppie' businesswoman juggling her career with looking after a baby after unexpectedly inheriting one from a distant relative. The soundtrack, power dressing, high energy and 'greed is good' attitude is all very 1980's and it's the perfect star vehicle for Diane Keaton.

She has of course demonstrated her sense of comic timing, on-screen presence and dramatic ability many times before whilst working with Woody Allen but it's nice to see Keaton come into her own here and carry the movie. With a good supporting cast and husband & wife team of Charles Shyer and Nancy Myers at the helm, who scored many hits with similar romantic comedies since, this is a sweet, lighthearted diversion in a similar vein to Three Men and a Baby released the same year.

The film is almost in two halves, the first half is set in the high rolling corporate world of New York, where Keaton's character is at the top of her game and making waves as a woman set to become a partner of a large corporation, whose lifestyle and career aspirations are thrown into turmoil when the baby comes into her life. The second half is where she retreats to the country after effectively being fired from her job in the City and sets up a cottage industry selling baby food that is so successful it brings her back to the corporate world on her own terms.

It is of course an unlikely scenario and more of an urban fairy tale but it is so likeable and good natured that you can overlook the cliches and spoonfuls of schmaltz it delivers and enjoy being swept along by Keaton's funny and charming performance.

Dated...

[qrt7 · 4/10 · 23 April 2001]

***Some minor spoilers***

If saw this in 1987, I would have thought it was a fairly good movie.

Seeing it in 2001, however, it looked very dated, especially in terms of character and plot - i.e. Yuppie career woman suddenly realises that she can't live without a child and her male work colleagues are eager to get shot of her because she no longer is 'sharp'. Cue disgruntled woman (+ baby) getting their own back in a very simplistic plot and snaring a man along the way (because in Hollywood, all women need a man, as they also need a baby and housework).

Challenging for its time, now rendered to a very simple plot, stereotypes and shoulder pads. Not good!

4/10

Just a really "fun" movie

[caa821 · 9/10 · 11 January 2007]

Some movies are just fun to watch -- and this is one of those for me. Diane Keaton is one of the most engaging, likable actresses, in any role, and this one is perfect for her. The story doesn't hold a lot of suspense -- you know where it is going early-on, but that doesn't lessen the enjoyment. All of the supporting characters/actors, in both the sophisticated/big-city/New York setting, and in rural Vermont, are well-cast and likable as well. Keaton and co-star Sam Shepard are also engaging as a couple, with humorous contentions at first, and the romance soon following.

The rapidity and degree of her success in her Vermont business venture are somewhat unbelievable (even despite her prestigious business background), but so what?

Simply a thoroughly enjoyable, funny, pleasant and uplifting viewing.

Keaton pretty much saves it.

[el7 · 7/10 · 28 March 2020]

Baby Boom is one of those movies that's kind of like a time capsule of late 80s Yuppiedom, but still mostly watchable years later. I loved it when it played constantly on cable while I was a kid, but I love it less as an adult. The movie asks the viewer to hand wave a lot. Such as, why is there a voice over to start the movie from someone who is not a character in the story when there is no other voice over narration for the rest of the film? Why would a cousin from overseas whom you haven't seen since you were a child will you their baby instead of making an arrangement with close friends who don't require international air travel for the social worker relinquishing custody of the baby? Why is an adoption agency in New York City having so much trouble finding parents who want a beautiful and healthy Anglo-Saxon baby? How does a career-driven woman who according to the narrator was previously working from 5 am to 9 pm every day only catch trouble after she takes her child to work, when she has been skipping out of work for daily long lunches to go to mommy and me classes and hang out on the playground with the ubermoms? How does this same woman manage to launch a business capable of attracting a three million dollar buyout offer in a matter of mere months? Oh who cares, Keaton is terrific, her chemistry with the hot veterinarian is fantastic, and the twins who play baby Elizabeth are truly adorable. Also, the cinematography has that glossy sheen romanticizing every setting the camera wanders into, in that way that seems to be a Nancy Meyers specialty. Meyers' work can be a bit frustrating to watch because this kind of heightened reality where it's not really farce but it's definitely not the reality most people live in is pervasive and it feels kinda weird. But when she's working with a truly talented actress who can find a relatable interpretation of the material it still sparks and shines, and she does seem to have a knack for finding such actresses to portray her heroines. Keaton is definitely up to the task, always sympathetic, able to persuade viewers to her side even while delivering a convincing portrait of a woman trying to hang onto her marbles by her fingertips.

just a brief comment on when NOT to watch this movie

[Ludlow-2 · 1/10 · 24 December 2006]

I am currently sitting on my couch on Christmas Eve, it's raining outside, freezing cold, and I've had a few glasses of wine. I couldn't have asked for a more relaxing atmosphere.

If you ever find yourself in a similar setting and this movie comes on TV, do NOTTTTTTTTT turn it on.

I tried to sit through it, but have finally had to turn it off. I never thought a movie could add so much stress to my life, but apparently it can. As if the kid crying every few minutes isn't annoying enough, Keaton can never seem to shut the hell up either. If you're not annoyed by her screaming and/or having multiple breakdowns on screen, you'll most certainly be annoyed by her inability to multitask when presented with the obstacles of a child. She's supposed to be this big shot business woman in the 80's and yet, for some reason, can't seem to find a good nanny in all of NYC to take care of the damn kid. For god sakes, 3 men and a baby worked it out - she can too.

I won't begin to suggest this has been a very articulate posting, but I assure you, this movie is awfully irritating. I would strongly suggest staying clear of it.

Charming Comedy

[Stark-2 · 20 January 1999]

Diane Keaton IS this movie. Without her, it wouldn't have worked so well. Funny and touching, with a bit of sophisication.

"Good 80's Comedy-Drama!"

[gwnightscream · 6/10 · 13 June 2016]

Diane Keaton and Sam Shepard star in this 1987 comedy-drama. Keaton plays J.C. Wiatt, a New York business woman who longs to make it to the top of the corporate world. Her life changes, when she inherits baby girl, Elizabeth (Kristina and Michelle Kennedy) and things go unexpectedly for her. She decides to move to Vermont where she becomes successful on her own and finds romance with animal doctor, Jeff Cooper (Shepard). It's then that J.C. realizes that some things are more important and worth giving up for. This is a good 80's film with humorous and heartwarming moments, Keaton is great in it and I think it's one her best. I recommend this.

One Yuppie and a Cradle: more from the corporate 80s genre. (minor spoilers)

[vertigo_14 · 7/10 · 20 April 2004]

Baby Boom, it starts out saying one thing, glorifying the contradiction, and then ending with something of a resolution between the two.

Diana Keaton is the definitive 80s power woman, a corporate work-a-holic with no interest in domestics. Her only drive is work. And her boss likes it that way, a woman with limited outside interests, giving her the ultimatum: work or life. That may seem more significant if she was engaged in an important job like say, a public interest lawyer or something. But Keaton's character, J.C. Watts, just works in advertising. Ironically, when it comes to domestic lines, the business brain of Watts just can't seem to develop ad campaigns for that which she knows nothing about...well, not yet.

On a whim, Watts learns of the death of some distant, unknown relative, which named her the surviving guardian of a baby named Elizabeth (played, as always, by twins). So Watts is faced with a new responsibility. Hell, if she can master the corporate world, how hard can the mommy life be? Hard enough. And for Watts, probably more difficult than most, as she tries balancing her beloved work life with that of her newfound family life. Unfortunately, she can't keep up with the former, at least not to the extent of the twelve hour day, seventy-two hour week (or whatever the narration said) that she used to do prior to Elizabeth's arrival, and this starts to concern her boss, who makes the sleazy bachelor newcomer (with no anatomical or domestic to hinder performance) Ken Arrenberg (James Spader) her replacement.

Well, Watts, gradually becoming close to Elizabeth, spends the next half of the movie embracing the excesses of mom first and working mom second as she and Elizabeth chuck the city and move to a Vermont country home, where she comes up with some baby food recipe that turns out to be quite successful. So successful, that she once again becomes the envy of her former employers, and puts her in a very powerful bargaining position which makes her wonder, is J.C. Watts willing to go all the way for her job again? Aren't women allowed some balance between work life and family life that would still enable them to be just as successful as their male coworkers? Unfortunately, in trying to illustrate the idea of a working woman's independence, they get a little too dreamy in the idea of family life over other opportunities.

It's a nice film, too, that explores the cut-throat corporate world and the issues that working women are confronted with, despite the fact that it gets a little too cutesy at points. It also forces people to ask how far are they willing to go just for the simple pleasures of making money? Watts spent all of her time at work, and even without a family, she hardly had a normal relationship with her equally corporate boyfriend. It was so awkward and detached. But, when she moved out to Vermont and started giving more attention to the things that mattered (i.e. Elizabeth), her manner of relationship changed, having a real relationship with the local vet.

It's something like in that Ron Howard movie, 'Gung Ho,' where Gedde Wantabe's Japanese character learns from his American employees that the Japanese work ethic of "what is good for the company" ignores things that are more important to a person's life such as family and friends. He notes that the water cooler conversations don't go much beyond whatever situation arises at work. The quiet Japanese man that worked at the plant at the end, happily, but briskly, injects into the conversation that his wife had a baby girl. Something he did not know of him before, but was happy to have made a breakthrough and hear something other than anything related to the company. Well, Baby Boom makes these same points, which seemed particularly more important in the Age of Yuppies, the decade of corporate furor.

Cute tale of corporate executive turned reluctant mom

[roghache · 7/10 · 19 April 2006]

This is a really cute, feel good, light hearted tale that makes for pleasant viewing. Diane Keaton is absolutely priceless here as the corporate executive whose life changes forever when she inherits a baby. Sam Shepherd is appealing as always, portraying her love interest.

The tale revolves around a workaholic, yuppie corporate New York City executive, JC Wiatt, who learns that she has received an inheritance from a distant relative. Anticipating money, she is flabbergasted that this inheritance turns out to be a baby, little Elizabeth, and JC is her only known relative. This unexpected motherhood turns both JC's personal and business life upside-down. Her live in lover, Steven, is an investment banker and wants no part of child rearing. Also, she must endeavour to juggle child care with her high powered executive job. After losing a big assignment, she eventually abandons the corporate big city world and heads to Vermont for a country life. There she begins a home business by marketing applesauce and develops a new romantic involvement with the local town vet, Dr. Jeff Cooper.

Diane Keaton pulls off some pretty funny scenes here, even if it's just the old stereotypical awkward incompetence at learning to diaper. She plays these scenes brilliantly; I believe it's her best role. The movie also portrays the cutthroat business world and the empty gap in JC's life when it consists only of career plus the relatively detached relationship with the banker. It also portrays her bonding & attachment to this little tyke, cleverly revealed when she tries to give up the baby for adoption, and explores exactly what sacrifices this woman is prepared to make in order to care for the child. True, as some reviewers claim, it's all the working women stereotypes, but it's a touching & fun movie, nevertheless.

"Make it stop"

[Shinwa · 2/10 · 27 November 1999]

This movie made me about as uncomfortable as any movie in recent memory; it's hard to tell where comedic exaggeration about neurotic working women stops and truly offensive stereotyping begins, but I suppose it works well enough as a mechanical, echt-80's fantasia wherein competent career woman Keaton discovers her life is meaningless without a little one (who, by the way, is curiously forgotten by the movie about midway through). It ruins nothing to say that the shrew ends up well and truly tamed. The most amusing aspect of the movie by far is the "why in God's name am in this movie?" look on Sam Shepard's face. Incredible, the Myers/Shyer movies only got worse. Keaton tries her hardest.

One to add to your collection...

[mnmspencer · 10/10 · 26 January 2007]

One of my favorite movies of all time. Cute, cozy movie. Even the husband enjoys watching it. Just the right mixture of cuteness & comedy. I personally think it was one of Diane Keaton's best roles. I wonder what happened to the twins who played Elizabeth though. I'm sure they're all grown up now. Interesting to see what they've turned out to be. However, there are no other credits listed for them. Although I've seen the movie plenty of times, I never knew there was a television show spun off of it. And Joy Behar played Helga??? I'll have to see if there are any copies of the show floating around out there. Great movie, definitely one to add to your collection.

Uneven But Still Some Fun

[daoldiges · 7/10 · 9 August 2022]

I saw Baby Boom in its original release and then again the other day. Some of it does come across as a bit dated, but for me there's enough good to make this film still a pleasant experience. As written the Keaton character can be a bit pandering but despite this I like Keaton's performance quite a bit and think she's a major factor as to why this film works. It's not only her dealing with a new baby but a whole new way of life. That we experience together. I agree the first half of the film is stronger, but Baby Boom is still worth checking out after all these years.

Shyer & Meyers strike again!

[moonspinner55 · 5/10 · 20 December 2009]

Ballsy businesswoman inherits a baby--how can she possibly take care of it when she has a 1:00 business meeting? Screenwriters Charles Shyer (who also directed, ineptly) and Nancy Meyers concoct their scripts always with one eye on the box-office; they have nothing but good will up their sleeves, always underlining their little bits of 'edgy' corporate satire with happiness and romantic delusion. Diane Keaton retains her nervy grace and charm through a lot of unplayable scenes (such as serving pasta to her newly-acquired toddler, who flings it back with the speed of a major league ballplayer). The scenario shifts gears nicely in the second-act, attempting (I assume) a comparison between Big City living and rustic blissfulness, giving our heroine a rural veterinarian to smooch with (and a possible daddy for the baby!) It's an unreal world, but this where Shyer and Meyers are able to parlay their Ernst Lubitsch inspiration for the best effect. Keaton is especially loose and funny in these scenes, and the baby isn't carted around like a prop or used for a punchline. ** from ****

Best "Chick-Flick" for men to enjoy

[daisey-ray · 10/10 · 7 August 2004]

I don't like the term "chick flick" but have come to realize that they do exist. This has to be the best movie like this for men. While it speaks to where women were in the corporate workforce in 1987 versus today, it also displays well the fact that it is the baby that causes Keaton's character to grow up, develop and become a more whole person than just the business tiger she was. The addition of Sam Sheppard as the veterinarian love-interest for Keaton is very well done. Sheppard appeals to men as a masculine, intelligent person willing to call his own shots when and where he wants. His ability to become valuable to Keaton who would have before seen him as valueless is priceless. This is a good "snowy Sunday evening" movie to go well with a good, hearty stew and a good friend.

Keaton wonderful

[MFC9 · 7/10 · 3 April 2022]

Nice addition to the 80s Hollywood baby boom, with Keaton wonderful as always as JC Wyatt, a career woman saddled with a baby in a ludicrous will bequest. Has some amusing moments and a great payoff. And the kid is utterly adorable 7/10.

Diane Keaton does her best, but the movie doesn't deliver. (Pun intended.)

[onehandhailingataxicab · 5/10 · 1 December 2015]

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.