Babes (2024)

“Babes” stars Ilana Glazer, Michelle Buteau, John Carroll Lynch, Oliver Platt, Sandra Bernhard, Stephan James, and Hasan Minhaj. Released on May 17, 2024, the film has a married mother helping her best friend with her pregnancy.

The film featured the directorial debut of Pamela Adlon, known for voicing Bobby Hill in “King of the Hill” and starred in movies like “Grease 2”, “Say Anything…”, and “Holler”. Whether they’re raising a child or starting to have one, being a mom is one of the most joyful moments of their lives. However, it’s not without its hardships that can make or break their spirits, especially when some of them are unexpectedly pregnant. Mother’s Day may have come and gone, but that doesn’t mean we should stop celebrating all the wonderful and wise mothers who shape us to be better people. This week, we have a last-minute Mother’s Day gift in the form of an R-rated comedy involving the pros and cons of motherhood. It’s an unexpected choice to honor this occasion, but I guess anything is better than nothing. With that said, let’s see if this film can provide more motherly love than labor pains.

The story centers on two childhood best friends in different phases of adulthood.  Eden (Glazer) is a single woman who’s carefree and full of life, while Dawn (Buteau) recently went into labor with another child. While caring for Dawn, Eden finds herself in a one-night stand with Claude (James), a handsome young man she met at a subway. After having sex, Eden discovers that she’s pregnant with a child. Unfortunately, things take another problematic turn when she finds that Claude tragically died. Eden then seeks Dawn to help her through the pregnancy, only to discover that it’s not as easy as it seems.

When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I was on and off about whether I should watch it. From the marketing, it looked like another raunchy comedy fit for an all-female crowd like “Bridesmaids” and “Rough Night”, which also starred Glazer. On the other hand, it’s also something that might garner a small number of theaters that don’t include my favorite cinema due to its independent distributor, Neon. Also, the concept of pregnancy can be tricky to base the humor on regarding the direction. However, it wasn’t until today that fate made that decision for me when I went to another “mystery movie” event. I was honestly hoping to see either “The Strangers” or “Back to Black” early, but instead, I got “Babes”, a lesser-known comedy about a single woman experiencing pregnancy. Happy late Mother’s Day, I guess?

But to my surprise, I did not regret the decision that was beyond my control. After watching the first ten minutes, I knew I would be in for a delightfully good time regarding its main leads. While I had concerns about how long this momentum would last afterward, they instantly flew away when I found myself laughing at two female friends getting through the difficult phases of life. In other words, “Babes” is another female-centric comedy boasting strong talent and humor amid its straightforward yet humanely authentic storytelling. I adored every single minute of this witty, raunchy, and surprisingly heartfelt tale of motherhood and the complications surrounding it. Considering that I haven’t experienced it firsthand, this was quite a surprise for me.

"Babes" stands out from other films in the raunchy-comedy genre due to its effective direction and screenplay. While it may seem like just another R-rated comedy filled with shock value jokes, it's never to the point of being repetitive or off-putting. The film's humor cleverly addresses the challenges of motherhood, offering genuine insights into how these experiences impact women, particularly the characters Eden and Dawn. For Dawn, it’s the stress of raising two kids with her husband, Marty (Minhaj). For Eden, it’s the experience of birthing a baby, opening her path of being a single mother. The movie’s depiction of motherhood’s various stages isn’t without its laughs, but it also doesn’t forget about the hardships and how they could be frustrating. It’s a tricky balance to execute, but first-time director Pamela Adlon managed to strike the right chord in providing big laughs and big hearts in a single baby carriage.

Adlon has been in countless projects as an actress, even animated ones, so seeing her make her directorial debut was a pretty big gamble, both business and quality-wise. There have been some successful movies directed by actors, while others, such as Chris Pine’s debut film, "Poolman," did not fare as well. Fortunately, Adlon became another fantastic example of the former. Her delivery of the film's tone was as charming and uplifting as the two main characters. However, when it comes to the dramatic moments, she refrained from overemphasizing sentimentality. Adlon allowed the heartfelt moments to speak for themselves. This approach was straightforward, yet it effectively conveyed sincerity. I would also credit the screenplay by Ilana Glazer and Josh Rabinowitz for providing witty dialogue that is sophisticated in its approach to adult humor and subject matter yet also uproariously funny.

I previously mentioned that I was laughing at Eden and Dawn as they experienced the trials of motherhood. Well, that’s only because the two female leads portrayed these characters with heart and talent.  Regarding my experience with Ilana Glazer, I’ve only seen her in 2017’s “Rough Night”, which was fine, and the animated “Green Eggs and Ham” series on Netflix, which was terrific. If those two projects didn’t help me remember her talents, I’m sure this one will. Glazer delivered a highly energetic performance that was endearing and consistently amusing despite Eden’s occasionally grating personality, which didn't detract from Glazer’s comedic and even dramatic approaches to the film’s dialogue. Michelle Buteau was also an actress I wouldn’t mind seeing more of, as her performance and chemistry with Glazer were as smooth as butter on a baby’s heinie. John Carroll Lynch and Hasan Minhaj also did very well with their performances as Dr. Morris and Marty, respectively.

Overall, “Babes” is a hilariously compelling and genuinely heartfelt examination of motherhood that doesn’t let its cinematic labor pains slow its momentum. Its over-the-top antics from the main leads can be a bit concerning for specific audiences. However, they’re balanced exceptionally well with a straightforward narrative combining shocking jokes with authentic heart. As a result, the film became an unexpected surprise for me. More importantly, it made me more appreciative of the hard-working mothers, including the soon-to-be mothers, going through hell and back for their children. From its compelling main leads to the consistently hilarious dialogue, the film is the cinematic equivalent of a healthy baby: occasionally messy but full of love.

A