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.
