Thursday, April 29, 2010

KPBS MYE film critic Beth Accomando

My lovely coblogger, Jacquie, invited me to an early showing of the soon-to-be-released movie, Everybody loves…Babies, which opens, you guessed it, Mother’s day weekend.

Here’s a synopsis:
Babies simultaneously follows four babies around the world – from birth to first steps. The children are, respectively, in order of on-screen introduction: Ponijao, who lives with her family near Opuwo, Namibia; Bayarjargal, who resides with his family in Mongolia, near Bayanchandmani; Mari, who lives with her family in Tokyo, Japan; and Hattie, who resides with her family in the United States, in San Francisco.

And although this movie may not be for everybody—there is next-to-no dialogue and the only “action” takes the form of temper tantrums, sibling rivalry, and pooping—I thought it was mesmerizing, and delightful, and so universally human.

These kids have four very different lives, but they all develop the exact same way. We all know this is true: babies are born, they grow, they crawl, they babble, they walk, they talk, but to see it play out on the big screen, times four, is something else all together.

I left the theater thinking about all sorts of things, from how birth order affects your life, to whether or not children living in preindustrial societies are actually better off.

The movie reaffirmed my resolve to have my kids experience nature more often and to savor these fleeting months of my own baby’s life.

Now, am I biased because I have a baby living and growing in my very own house right now? Would you like this movie too?

I’m not sure, but I think so. Check it out the trailer to see what you think. And thank you, Jacquie!

6 comments:

Rita said...

I've been dying to see it. I love babies.

misses the baby stage in PA said...

Oh how I LOVE babies!
I think I will make my family take me on Mother's day.

Now why didn't I ever think to sit them down to pound rocks together?!

Me, You, or Ellie said...

I love babies, too. I thought the film was great, and was bummed that my boy didn't feel well enough to stay for the whole thing. I wonder if it was the ataxia... or the garlic pizza... or the popcorn... or the junior mints...

Anyway, I found the film beautiful and striking, and he was very impressed with all the boobs.

xo

Jacquie

Me, You, or Ellie said...

I love that trailer! I love those babies. I can't wait until the second my lovely friend Hsinny has her baby -- any second now -- because Mistah and I have already determined that we are the friends who live closest to the hospital . . . even closer than Chris' parents. We are so totally going to pretend we're them.

Come on now, Baby Jelly Roll! We're waiting!

Ellie

Hsin-Yi said...

That trailer made me weepy, and I'm going to blame the fact that I just had a baby. I think I'll have to wait until my hormones settle before I see it, because I'm sure to cry!

Ellie - I'm so glad that you and Bill came by. And THANKS for the contraband. I wanted more!

Me, You, or Ellie said...

Well, Hsinny, I think we all were very civilized and mature and adult, all just having *one* margarita together in the hospital.

But now that you're sprung, well, remember what we talked about -- mi deck es su deck. Sunshine, beverages and a newly weatherproofed railing. Little Jellyroll is going to need a lot of strolls, you know!

xxEllie