Abbie, tired of failed relationships, has a one-night-stand with her gay friend; they agree to raise the resulting baby together.
Director: John Schlesinger
Stars: Madonna, Rupert Everett, Benjamin Bratt.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0156841/
Watched online, good print.
Started out fun romcom, devolved into an ugly custody fight with an uncertain end. Not sure who benefits from this script. Gay men who are forewarned not to agree to such an arrangement?
And what a cheap trick (again, a script problem) that when they're having custody issues, M reveals that RE isn't the biological father after all, and she's known for a few years. If you want to create this situation, don't weasel out of it, Really let the courtroom drama flourish: keep it 2 biological parents who were living in a common law marriage, but who don't share a bed.
The relationship seemed so solid until 1) RE started dating a man but they broke up, then 2) M started dating BB and they decided to marry but they just sprang it on RE in an inappropriate moment/setting so he stormed off with the kid. I don't remember how long M didn't know where the kid was, but she got all paranoid and moved out with the kid. So RE decides to sue for custody. Then M reveals he's not the bio dad, and he figures out who is. So RE goes to bio dad to enlist his help (to sue M for joint custody). He declines, but shows up in court with his own suit for custody, not to help RE. The judge tables the case, leaving the kid with M, and months later they haven't seen bio dad, and she finally lets RE take the kid out to dinner. The End.
Really, all this does is discourage creative living arrangements. Of course, legal custody agreements would be a good idea, but that sentence was never uttered.
I wanted to see if the film had a low rating because of M haters, but it might deserve its score on the script (de)merits alone. I liked the performers, and we got some nice sets to look at, but the story stank.
Rated 4.7 (10,135)
Paramount & more, dir. Schlesinger; 6-
