For some as of yet unexplained reason, 1980s American movies experienced a baby boom. Movies about family are always popular, but from about 1983 to 1995, the box office went gaga for babies. Mr. Mom, 3 Men and a Baby, Raising Arizona, and even Junior showed that for a brief period of time, there was nothing funnier or more heartwarming in Hollywood than people who didn't want kids suddenly becoming parents. Amy Heckerling jumped onto this baby buggy bandwagon with her freshman screenwriting effort, Look Who's Talking.
Talking babies are now almost passe as a conceit, thanks to Real Baby Geniuses, Rugrats, and those creepy e*trade Superbowl ads. But in 1989, the idea was new enough for Roger Ebert to point it out in his 3 star review of the film. Still, minus the talking baby (voiced by Bruce Willis and only audible to the audience), the rest of Look Who's Talking is formulaic in the classic romcom way - there's a Meet Cute, then Opposites Attract, an Unlikely Romance starts, which ends in a Romantic Reveal and the requisite Happy Ending, all of which is predictable from the minute Kirstie Alley's water breaks in the back of John Travolta's taxi.
None of this is necessarily a bad thing. Amy Heckerling's talents as a director are of the kind that we don't usually reward with golden statues or the word "auteur." [More after the jump]
She has an eye for talent, a light touch, and the un-egotistical ability to let talent shine through onscreen. The large cast of on-the-verge stars in Fast Times at Ridgemont High has already been noted (an improbable feat of casting that Heckerling will replicate with her next iconic teen film). But though neither John Travolta nor Kirstie Alley was unknown in 1989, neither was at a career high either. Alley was just off Cheers and looking to prove her movie chops. Travolta hadn't made a film in five years. Both desperately needed a vehicle to show off their charismatic brand of comedy. And along came Look Who's Talking.
The film itself is a light bit of baby bubble, but it shows off Alley and Travolta at their best. Kirstie Alley can do sexy, slightly frazzled, and charmingly exasperated. John Travolta, who on his off days comes off as extremely creepy, instead seems here like Danny Zuko's slightly smarter older brother. Movies this light demand strong star chemistry to work well, and with Alley and Travolta, it works. As comic stars, Alley and Travolta are probably never better than they are in Look Who's Talking, so it's not surprising that the film re-launched both of their careers.
As a screenwriter, Amy Heckerling is already pulling from life experience and her own film love. The idea for Look Who's Talking came from her own experience with motherhood. Similarly, he jokes in the movie sound strikingly similar in their three part setup-and-punchline delivery method shared by 1930s slapstick or MAD Magazine - two major influences on Heckerling. For instance:
James: Whoa! You really got your fire back, didn't you?
Mollie: This is not my figure!
James: Well then, you got Dolly Parton's figure back!
The jokes sound stale because it's a style of setup that's mostly fallen out of favor now. However, Heckerling will perfect the style and delivery by 1995.
It probably sounds like I'm making a lot of excuses for Look Who's Talking. And to a certain degree, I am. It's a transition movie, nestled between Heckerling's more well-loved films, which shows her growth as a screenwriter and her skill as a director handling talent. Defamed movies like Look Who's Talking are what makes series like Women's Pictures difficult; not every director makes Weighty, Important Movies, and we have a tendency to overlook the value of fluffy genre flicks like this. Fortunately, the next film on our list needs very little justification. It spawned a fashion revolution, introduced an entire generation to Valley Speak, and redefined teen film (again). It's, like, totally time for Clueless.
This month on Women's Pictures...
9/17 Clueless (1995) (Amazon Instant Video) (Netflix) - Like we'd skip over this classic on its 20th anniversary? As if!
9/24 Vamps (2012) (Amazon Instant Video) - Amy Heckerling's literal suckfest, which weirdly gives us hope for the future.