Filmstalker: Pregnancy, birth and parenthood in the movies

This is a feature dedicated to Lee, his fab wife, and their son who has just joined their lives - Many congratulations! You can read about their journey over at Alders Tone, where they are exploring parenthood for the first time ever.

With that in mind, this feature is about babies, giving birth, being pregnant, and the general joys of early parenthood. Now I'm not talking anything but babies, the very young kind that need constant looking after, all the way back to the joys of pregnancy. So what films out there best encapsulate babies and parenting for you? What are the funniest, the most poigniant, or the most scary? Which relate to your personal experiences, either through your own pregnancy, your wife, or your friends and family?

What advice can we offer Lee and his family through cinema? Is there anything we can suggest that prospective parents should look at, those that are just beginning this incredible journey, or those that are even thinking of having children?

I've gone through some of the stages of the whole process in my head (no, not real life!) and I've picked out a few movies that spring to mind for me. Of course there may be some totally different ones that you can think of, but these are the ones that stick in my mind, there are hundreds of others.

Going right back to the beginning, there's those early days when the couple realise that they are pregnant and the shift in attitude that needs to occur, usually in the man - She's Having a Baby with Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern identifies that really well for me, and that film does hold some great moments, especially about how a single man takes to becoming a father and while his mind is still thinking of casual sex.

Then there's the months of pregnancy to cope with - Nine Months with Hugh Grant and Julianne Moore. Junior with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Emma Thompson. How about Rosemary's Baby with Mia Farrow and John Cassavetes? Some more unusual choices, and perhaps Junior, although funny and doesn't feature the best performances ever, has some incredibly poigniant moments and drives home to fathers what there is to deal with if we were the ones having the babies!

What about the general joys of parent and fatherhood - Father of the Bride II with Steve Martin and Diane Keaton. Three Men and a Baby with Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenburg, Ted Danson and Nancy Travis. Or how about the classic Look Who's Talking with John Travolta and Kirstie Alley which seems to cover every aspect of pregnancy.

Father of the Bride and Look Who's Talking cover the issues a man deals with in becoming a Father, but what about the woman? Where are her movies, and why are all the ones popping up comedies? (I'm avoiding that Rosemary's Baby choice!) Is there that much to laugh at? Are there only comedies that deal with the subject?

So what would you suggest? Which film offers the best advice, which film just makes you happy or split your stitches with laughter? What films act as a strong warning against the very idea of having a child in the first place? Are there specific films that make you think of your, your wife, or your friends pregnancy, birth and early days of parenthood?

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A dedicated feature, I am truly honoured!

It's going to be some time before I can sit through a whole film again, so I will have to come back to this at some point as a reference point.

There's a heap of family oriented films that perhaps display disfunctional families or situations, often showing bad parenting (says the expert of 12 days). The Home Alone series, Kindergarten Cop, Mrs Doubtfire springing to mind. Home Alone and the Nissan Note TV advert in the UK are something I almost did this afternoon, forgot the baby. Had to really think about where he was down an aisle in Costco this afternoon. We don't have the crazy grandma as in Kindergarten Cop, and thus far I have free and easy access to my son, unlike Mrs Doubtfire.

I can still remember back when we were just starting out on this one, the ending of Notting Hill showing just the beginning.

Just going on titles alone, Sleepless in Seattle is a good one. But saying that it is father/son related so the content is there too.

Sleepless, that's me, so I'm off to bed for a while - around 18 years should do it.

Posted by: Lee | September 3, 2006 2:24 PM

First off, congratulations are in order to Lee, his dear wife and their new bundle of joy. ;D Hey, as an Infection Control Nurse, it's worth considering giving him his MMR shots you guys.

Richard, I think you've said all films! :D You forgot "Raising Arizona" though. Although it has to be said that my favorites has to be "Three Men and a Baby", "Nine Months" and "Baby Boom".

Posted by: Simone | September 5, 2006 5:38 AM

I'll probably get crucified for this, but I'd say "Finding Nemo" and "The Incredibles" have something to offer on this topic. Nothing else really comes to mind right now, but I do believe you begin to watch movies differently once you have a child. Even the most manufactured, predictable moment between parent and child can catch you off-guard emotionally.

Posted by: hap | September 5, 2006 8:05 PM

Congratulations Lee! :D

My favourite take on this is that scene in "Spartacus" when his beloved Varinia announces him she is pregnant.

His reaction... the way he cares about her. Kirk Douglas and Jean Simmons are wonderful in that little scene.

Throughout all the movie you can see how the fatherhood affects the decisions and the life of the rebellious slave.

Wonderful...

Posted by: Peter | September 6, 2006 4:33 PM

Congrats Lee!

For me the ultimate parenting film is Raising Arizona. Not exactly sure why, but it certainly encapsulates all the ups and downs of raising kids.

Posted by: queen.padme.amidala | September 7, 2006 4:23 AM

I'd completely forgotten about Raising Arizona. And was the first film I saw with Nick Cage. Right, that's on my "to watch again" list.

Thanks all for the words of hope!

Posted by: Lee | September 9, 2006 8:17 PM

Hi, im doing a research now. so i need some help.

anyone knows of movies which features pregnant moms putting headphones and such to their tummies for their fetus to listen to music?

thanks

Posted by: marjie | December 4, 2006 12:15 PM

hey a movie that features headphones on a tummy is Mr. Hollands opus...and then sort of ironically the kid turns out deaf...anyways its only for a second but they do it.

Posted by: hayley | October 14, 2008 11:55 PM

Oh that's a good moment, and it makes me think of plenty of other films featuring similar moments - talking to the bump, not the headphone or deaf bit! - anymore anyone?

Posted by: Richard Brunton | October 15, 2008 10:22 AM