Stockard Channing stars in yet another tele-movie. Her performance is very good as usual and she deservedly picked up a Golden Globe nomination. Laura Dern gives a fine performance as a pregnant woman who wants to give her baby up for adoption. The movie shows the struggles of these two women and there is a twist at the end which did not surprise me.
25 Reviews
Good movie sad ending
maryjean04420 November 2007
I watched The Baby Dance.It made me wonder if the adoptive couple could have given up a baby they gave birth to if it had the same problems.They were blessed with a child.
A child they had been wishing for.Didn't they stop and think about what if the child isn't normal.Isn't that part of what you think about before giving birth.
I may not sound right by saying this but if I was giving a child up for adoption and this couple came to me wanting to adopt it and I found out they didn't take another child because it wasn't perfect I won't let them adopt mine.How do you know they won't take it home find one thing wrong and bring it back.They seam to searching for the worlds perfect child.As much i feel bad for the baby I feel just as bad for the couple they missed out on a wonderful gift.Because special children are Eva more special gift.
A child they had been wishing for.Didn't they stop and think about what if the child isn't normal.Isn't that part of what you think about before giving birth.
I may not sound right by saying this but if I was giving a child up for adoption and this couple came to me wanting to adopt it and I found out they didn't take another child because it wasn't perfect I won't let them adopt mine.How do you know they won't take it home find one thing wrong and bring it back.They seam to searching for the worlds perfect child.As much i feel bad for the baby I feel just as bad for the couple they missed out on a wonderful gift.Because special children are Eva more special gift.
Terrible what happened
selenawannabe25 January 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I can't believe how Rachel's husband's attitude when he took the baby carrier to the airport and said "we don't want it". Why not just leave it at the hospital for some poor mother to take her baby home in? The baby was wanted and then suddenly when it may have mental issues, the poor thing is abandoned? Not right. These people who wanted the baby obviously had money-they could of provided good care for the baby. Shame on them. Shame. It also angered me how the other couple kept sponging for money and using the baby as a "pawn". How greedy can one get? Over all this movie was pretty good, and a tear jerker. Although not a ten in my book, I'd give it a 7.
Thought provoking film
henri-91 April 1999
"Baby Dance" is a fine addition to the onslaught of scrupulous films about birth rights and the dynamics involved when nature is not left to its own design, or is in some fashion revealed prematurely. In "Twilight of the Golds" it was homosexuality, and in "Gattaca" it was genetic predisposition, but Baby Dance is a bit more of a human drama with very real situations. I highly recommend this movie as a thought-provoking, intensely personal look at infertility and adoption. You may not like what you see, but what you see is real and genuine.
Anybody want a brand new baby?
helpless_dancer19 October 2001
Didn't care for this one, way too slow and the subject was uninteresting. Why do folks want to adopt, especially from a pack of mobile home misfits? One look at these losers and I would have been hanging an exit. This trash couldn't afford a whiff of fresh air but they always had their beer and ciggies. Not a bad production, I just found all the people involved very irritating.
An understated drama with big impact.
annakulpa3 October 2006
What a refreshing experience to watch a film where simply superb acting tells the story. Overblown scenes of emotion are almost absent,despite the sensitive subject matter,and yet this has so much more effect. The film has a documentary like quality, which gave me the feeling that I was quietly accompanying the characters on their difficult journeys, as well as learning about different ways of life in another country & community. I felt that this film was not made with the intention to bias the viewer towards any particular party, each of whom had extremely difficult decisions to make & situations to deal with. I like it when I don't have to have 'the moral of the story' rammed down my throat & am left to open ended pondering, which lasts until long after the end of the film.
From time to time simply portrayed scenes of family life add beauty, contrast & poignancy to the story line. It may seem far removed, but 'The Baby Dance' reminds me of some of the finest examples of Iranian cinema, such as 'The Apple',where in the midst of seeming catastrophe, life goes on, children play...
I was pleasantly surprised that what I thought was going to be a rather trashy 'Tug of love baby' drama, turned out to be a moving & superbly crafted work,which I would like to watch again.
From time to time simply portrayed scenes of family life add beauty, contrast & poignancy to the story line. It may seem far removed, but 'The Baby Dance' reminds me of some of the finest examples of Iranian cinema, such as 'The Apple',where in the midst of seeming catastrophe, life goes on, children play...
I was pleasantly surprised that what I thought was going to be a rather trashy 'Tug of love baby' drama, turned out to be a moving & superbly crafted work,which I would like to watch again.
Great acting, emotional movie
jp1aerogirl21 June 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Great movie about real life circumstances. The movie has a great message. That there are those selfish, inconsiderate people in this world. Stockard Channing's character is a loving, caring woman who would have loved to care for a mentally challenged child, on the other hand her husband did not want the child. I'm glad it didn't work out cause he does not deserve to be a father. I feel sorry for Racheal. She lost out on the love of the child because of him. The ending was so sad. That poor baby with no name and no parents. Obviously they didn't want a child bad enough. Love is unconditional. So sad that these poor innocent babies have to suffer for something they have absolutely no control over.
One of the most depressing films I've ever seen
lgm_pr2 May 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I checked the spoiler box, which I consider to be a service to anyone who considers viewing this film -- you don't want to watch it without knowing what you're getting yourself into emotionally. This movie, although well-acted, was truly terrible because of the message it conveys.
First of all, it reinforces stereotypes -- Wanda and Al, the couple giving up their child, are redneck trailer-dwellers who just can't seem to stop cranking out kids, while Rachel and Richard, the Los Angeles couple who want to adopt the baby, are wealthy Jews who have trouble coping with the Louisiana heat. Second, it plays up the nailbiting premise -- will the richies pay the swamp folk any amount to make sure they finally get their baby? Will the poor couple renege and keep baby #5? It's so melodramatic, especially the fistfight between the two men while Wanda's in labor.
But third, and most unforgivable, this movie sends the message that it's OK to abandon a less-than-perfect baby. After everything the wealthy couple have been through, when it turns out the baby may be brain-damaged, they decide, ultimately, not to take it after all because that's not what they bargained for. I sobbed in disbelief. As someone who has tried and prayed to have a baby for more than 5 years, if I had an opportunity to love and raise one, I would take it, even if there were physical or mental problems to contend with. That child deserves to be loved and cared for no less than any other.
In the story, Rachel had supposedly had 9 miscarriages. What if one of those babies had gone to term and turned out to have some kind of problem? Would they have just abandoned it? After all, that wouldn't have been what they signed on for. Wanda and Al didn't take the baby home either, I guess because they didn't have the money to care for it -- that's why they sold it in the first place. I was very depressed after watching this film; at the end, the camera pans across all the babies in the nursery, each with its name tag and decorations on its bed, and stops on a lone, crying baby, separate from the others, with a little doll in her bed left by Rachel, but no name. I know it was only a movie, but I was just wrecked -- what would become of that baby? I thought it was terrible and sad, and I hated Richard (played by Peter Riegert, one of my favorite actors) for convincing his wife to back out. Don't waste your time on this one!
First of all, it reinforces stereotypes -- Wanda and Al, the couple giving up their child, are redneck trailer-dwellers who just can't seem to stop cranking out kids, while Rachel and Richard, the Los Angeles couple who want to adopt the baby, are wealthy Jews who have trouble coping with the Louisiana heat. Second, it plays up the nailbiting premise -- will the richies pay the swamp folk any amount to make sure they finally get their baby? Will the poor couple renege and keep baby #5? It's so melodramatic, especially the fistfight between the two men while Wanda's in labor.
But third, and most unforgivable, this movie sends the message that it's OK to abandon a less-than-perfect baby. After everything the wealthy couple have been through, when it turns out the baby may be brain-damaged, they decide, ultimately, not to take it after all because that's not what they bargained for. I sobbed in disbelief. As someone who has tried and prayed to have a baby for more than 5 years, if I had an opportunity to love and raise one, I would take it, even if there were physical or mental problems to contend with. That child deserves to be loved and cared for no less than any other.
In the story, Rachel had supposedly had 9 miscarriages. What if one of those babies had gone to term and turned out to have some kind of problem? Would they have just abandoned it? After all, that wouldn't have been what they signed on for. Wanda and Al didn't take the baby home either, I guess because they didn't have the money to care for it -- that's why they sold it in the first place. I was very depressed after watching this film; at the end, the camera pans across all the babies in the nursery, each with its name tag and decorations on its bed, and stops on a lone, crying baby, separate from the others, with a little doll in her bed left by Rachel, but no name. I know it was only a movie, but I was just wrecked -- what would become of that baby? I thought it was terrible and sad, and I hated Richard (played by Peter Riegert, one of my favorite actors) for convincing his wife to back out. Don't waste your time on this one!
An Emotional Masterpiece That Will Tug At Your Heart
gitrich13 May 1999
Baby Dance is riveting. It is an emotional roller coaster to watch. Outstanding performances by Laura Dern, Stockard Channing, Peter Riegert, and Richard Luckman head up a fine cast.It examines the difficult decisions faced when a mother is to give up her child to strangers. In this case, a rich couple from California cannot have children, so they place an ad for adoption. It is answered by a young couple in Louisiana who are poor and have decided to part with their child at birth. This is one of TVs finest efforts and can be rented as a movie made for TV. Don't miss it!
Extremely underrated, VERY touching movie.
Nocgirl7211 May 2002
Wow. What can I say about a movie that was straight to cable? Most made for cable movies get a bad rap but this one is an exception. I was extremely touched by this movie, and super impressed by the performances of Laura Dern and Stockard Channing. I don't have any kids, and have never adopted, but I was touched by what went on in this film. It was a simple story, basic plot, that was wonderfully executed. Jodie Foster was executive producer.
Laura Dern plays Wanda, a trailer trash woman pregnant with her 5th child. Her and her redneck husband Al decide to give the baby up to adoption since they cannot afford any more children as they already have 4. Rachel (Stockard Channing) and her husband Richard are a well to do, classy childless couple that is eagerly waiting to adopt their baby. Until Wanda gives birth they are paying all baby related expenses whichs starts to become a problem once they start feeling used since Wanda seems to be using the baby as a bargaining tool for getting what she wants.
I will agree with the previous posts that the ending is sad, but extremely moving and it makes me cry every single time I see it. The song played at the end is beautiful.
Also anyone that has any knowledge of adoption,should know that adopting a white newborn is tough. The waiting list is years long sometimes which is why couples sometimes are forced to be a little un-selective when it comes to choosing white parents. I thought Laura Dern was awesome as Wanda. I can see how her double digit IQ, irresponsible lifestyle can bug some people but it happens all the time unfortunately.
Great movie.
Laura Dern plays Wanda, a trailer trash woman pregnant with her 5th child. Her and her redneck husband Al decide to give the baby up to adoption since they cannot afford any more children as they already have 4. Rachel (Stockard Channing) and her husband Richard are a well to do, classy childless couple that is eagerly waiting to adopt their baby. Until Wanda gives birth they are paying all baby related expenses whichs starts to become a problem once they start feeling used since Wanda seems to be using the baby as a bargaining tool for getting what she wants.
I will agree with the previous posts that the ending is sad, but extremely moving and it makes me cry every single time I see it. The song played at the end is beautiful.
Also anyone that has any knowledge of adoption,should know that adopting a white newborn is tough. The waiting list is years long sometimes which is why couples sometimes are forced to be a little un-selective when it comes to choosing white parents. I thought Laura Dern was awesome as Wanda. I can see how her double digit IQ, irresponsible lifestyle can bug some people but it happens all the time unfortunately.
Great movie.
See this movie for the magnificent Laura Dern..
Lee-10730 August 1999
Warning: Spoilers
I saw this movie for 2 reasons - I liked the story and it had Laura Dern. I must say I was not left disappointed on either counts. This is a very realistic movie with very true to life characters portrayed by some really good actors. It raises many an issue and creates that feeling of ambivalence towards the characters that is the mark of truly good piece of work. Our sympathies are conflicted between the poor couple who have to give up their baby because they can't afford to raise another one and the wealthy couple who are ready to adopt it but who have to think of the longterm repercussions of adopting a child who may be mentally retarded. The end is one that elevates all the issues raised in this movie to a final climactic pathos. The movie scores because of its realism, both social and marital. Laura Dern's character is absolutely heartrending as the poor over-burdened but not pitiful Wanda. Our heart goes out to this woman who in all her grief is still an admirable person. Laura Dern has portrayed this character with so much sensitivity, add to that her natural acting genius, she is truly magnificent. Stockard Channing does full justice to her character too, making us feel sorry for her for letting her be ruled by her husband's decisions and the cruel outcome of a proposition that was supposed to fill the void in her life. Peter Riegert does well as the typical practical Richard who has to do his job and see if end product is the one that fulfills their desires. Richard evokes both, a sense of pity and disgust. Richard Lineback as Wanda's husband portrays his character very well. This is a thought-provoking film, directed excellently by Jane Anderson that sees childbirth from a very realistic and contemporary point of view. Recommended.
An Emotionally Charged Movie Experienced featuring two of our finest actresses...
ijonesiii27 December 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I just saw THE BABY DANCE for the first time a few months ago and can rarely recall a movie taking me through the emotional wringer that this one did. The trip was worth it though because the movie starred two of our best actresses, Stockard Channing (who I think can do no wrong) and Laura Dern. Channing and Peter Wiegert play a wealthy couple who are planning to adopt a baby from a poor Louisiana couple (Dern and Richard Lineback) who already have three kids and live in a trailer. As I watched the film, I found myself switching allegiances with each couple as the film progressed. At first it seemed like the trailer trash was taking advantage of the rich folks but then I was angered when the rich folks had second thoughts about adopting the baby when it is revealed that the baby might be brain-damaged. The film gives a pretty even depiction of what both couples are going through and throws a lot of difficult questions out there and doesn't provide easy answers. If you're paying a couple to have a baby for you, do they have the right to use that money anyway they want? Do you have the right to back out of an adoption agreement because there is something wrong with the baby. The film is not the easiest watch, but it is worth checking out for the superb performances of Stockard Channing and Laura Dern.
Tremendously moving, and ultimately very complex
runamokprods11 September 2016
Tremendously moving, and ultimately very complex
The story of two couples – a rich California pair planning to adopt a baby on birth from a poor Southern couple.
While the characters verge on cliché at first, and the set up feel a bit 'neat', the writing and acting (Laura Dern in particular) is so good that it's the rare film that transcends it's own stereotypes to find something deeper underneath.
There are moments that feel too schematic and obvious early on, but by the devastating ending that almost seems not to matter.
Frustratingly this excellent film is almost impossible to find, never having been released on DVD. There are old VHS copies floating around, but that seems to be the only way to see it.
The story of two couples – a rich California pair planning to adopt a baby on birth from a poor Southern couple.
While the characters verge on cliché at first, and the set up feel a bit 'neat', the writing and acting (Laura Dern in particular) is so good that it's the rare film that transcends it's own stereotypes to find something deeper underneath.
There are moments that feel too schematic and obvious early on, but by the devastating ending that almost seems not to matter.
Frustratingly this excellent film is almost impossible to find, never having been released on DVD. There are old VHS copies floating around, but that seems to be the only way to see it.
Great Movie
happykx1025 June 2010
Warning: Spoilers
I think this movie is just plain reality. Sometimes that is a hard pill to swallow, but similar situations happen every day. I don't think this is either condoning nor condemning the fact that the baby was left by the wealthy parents. We don't live in a perfect world, some people do live in trailer parks and act this way, some people are selfish enough to leave a baby because they don't want to deal with it's medical needs, some people are selfish enough to give up a baby because they don't want to have another mouth to feed, some people cuss and drink on Saturday night and are on the front pew at church Sunday morning. Whether we agree with it or not is irrelevant to the fact at hand, that it DOES happen. I believe this movie was true to life and I appreciate the earnestness of the characters and plot.
How does this condone abandoning babies?
whereismikeyfl8 January 2006
Warning: Spoilers
While The Baby Dance started out with stereotypical characters, I stuck it out till its powerful ending.
I am surprised that so many comments say that the film condones the adoptive family's decision to not take the baby. The shot of the baby without a name on its crib, seems to send the opposite message very strongly.
Unlike most TV movies, this film does not present idealized characters always doing the right thing. It is funny how viewers get so accustomed to that convention of TV movies that when something that when a film moves closer to the ambiguities of real life behavior, these viewers do not know how to respond.
Of course, this film is based on a stage play, which may explain its lack of adherence to the unwritten TV-movie code.
I am surprised that so many comments say that the film condones the adoptive family's decision to not take the baby. The shot of the baby without a name on its crib, seems to send the opposite message very strongly.
Unlike most TV movies, this film does not present idealized characters always doing the right thing. It is funny how viewers get so accustomed to that convention of TV movies that when something that when a film moves closer to the ambiguities of real life behavior, these viewers do not know how to respond.
Of course, this film is based on a stage play, which may explain its lack of adherence to the unwritten TV-movie code.
spoiler don't read if you haven't seen movie and don't want to know ending
kburgan05-125 January 2008
Warning: Spoilers
prepare your selves this one might be a spoiler so if you don't want to know the ending don't read this.OK the movie brought up it's good points.but on the other hand... i was waiting in anticipation when the real mother turned to her husband in the truck like she was going to jump up and say i wanna go back for the baby! at the end.but then you showed that poor little baby all alone without a name, or mother, crying... it was heart wrenching .i'm a mother of two and i know if you ever have to give up your baby for any reason at all your not human.there is an option to everything! if you loved your child enough you would do what ever it takes to give them love and a home.or even love.i cried and i hated the ending so bad .it really pi..ed me off.i think the area that needs attention, was when the adoptive parents could have waited till more results came in instead of jumping to letting her go.or they could have paid for her while living with their original mother.until they got a along financially.or even the mom could have kept her temporarily until a home was found.but to see that baby all alone with no name, no mom, and crying for someone (MOM)and no one being there... i personally think it takes a cold heart to end a movie like that.without some way of compromising the ending so it wasn't so hard to take in at once.and i am in disbelief even though the movie wasn't real that it went that far and too deep .so in actuality i'm disgusted in ... the way it ended so much mainly. but i'm only giving credit cause hopefully it will wake some people up out there.i hope you truly do come out with the part two and the real mother goes back.so it will show no matter how bad things financially get... love is the strongest thing you can give a baby.nothing else will ever make up for it or take it's place.and one other thing the movie also gives the wrong idea to. when the adopted couple gave her up just because she MIGHT have had disabilities it gave the wrong impression .when it came to a baby they wanted to be happy with.if they loved her enough they still would have been happy with the way she came, disabled or not....the movie came across as it was OK to give up a baby just because it's disabled.and i think that's wrong!! they apparently weren't the right parents for her anyway.
The Baby Dance
gmadareen14 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Absolutely fantastic picture, incredible performances by all concerned as well as great direction. SPOILER: I was hugely disappointed though that the potential adoptive dad turned out to be so shallow. Given only the CHANCE that there may be a problem, he just can't handle it. Obviously this was a couple who shouldn't have children, since obviously they would have had difficulty should they have had a child of their own with potential problems. I was THRILLED that they decided not to adopt in future since God already knew what we had to see in the movie, some folks shouldn't have children. If there were an academy award for these folks I know of no one in the picture who shouldn't get one. I disagree that Laura Dern (Wanda) came across as a double digit iq. She may not have the book learning and she may be a trailer person, but she demonstrated great wisdom in dealing with many situations, the adoption, her husband's abuse of her, the money problems, the final conflict, which she saw, possibly more clearly than Rachel! Anyway, an all around great picture.
Would be a 10 if not for the ending
Vibiana29 August 2022
Warning: Spoilers
It's not really fair of me to subtract a star because of the ending, but I was so disappointed. The scene where Wanda allows Rachel to feel the baby kicking in her belly and to whisper her name to her brought me to tears. I should say that Stockard Channing and Peter Riegert are two of my favorite actors and I've always admired Laura Dern too. Their characters in this movie, along with Wanda's husband, were difficult to like. Richard and Rachel come across as being cold and mercenary about the baby they're essentially buying, while Wanda and her husband seem like opportunists wanting to squeeze every nickel out of the buyers as possible.
I am a fervently pro choice woman and am also a vociferous critic of the old "closed" adoption system that would have prohibited an arrangement like this one and instead dictated unhealthy and suffocating secrecy over the matter. But the ending of this movie made me so angry at the erstwhile adoptive parents that I wept in outrage. Had Rachel given birth and had problems, would they have just walked away and left her in the hospital? A child is not a commodity. I believe parents should only become parents willingly, which is why I oppose abortion restrictions and forced birth and relinquishment by birth mothers. But if you feel like a baby is something that better come out perfect, you better put your wallet back in your pocket and get a pet instead.
I am a fervently pro choice woman and am also a vociferous critic of the old "closed" adoption system that would have prohibited an arrangement like this one and instead dictated unhealthy and suffocating secrecy over the matter. But the ending of this movie made me so angry at the erstwhile adoptive parents that I wept in outrage. Had Rachel given birth and had problems, would they have just walked away and left her in the hospital? A child is not a commodity. I believe parents should only become parents willingly, which is why I oppose abortion restrictions and forced birth and relinquishment by birth mothers. But if you feel like a baby is something that better come out perfect, you better put your wallet back in your pocket and get a pet instead.
I Loved Everything Except the Ending
missygoldstein15 June 2003
Warning: Spoilers
I love Laura Dern! I think she is the actress of her generation. She
is superb in everything I see her in. She plays every part so real, so
convincing. I also like Stockard Channing very much. I felt this story
was extremely sad and really made you think about the different
social classes in our society. Here we see a very poor family living
in a trailer park. They have no money and 4 children they can
barely afford. Their phone gets shut off and their car doesn't work.
The wife becomes pregnant again and they just cannot take on
another baby. Then you have a wealthy urban couple who are
unable to have a child and had tried for years. This seems like the
perfect solution for both couples. They make a financial
arrangement and agree upon the conditions of the adoption. The
more attached Stockards charactor comes to the unborn child the
more critical she becomes of Laura Derns charactor who smokes
and drinks coffee. She and her husband start to feel like the goose
who laid the golden egg. As Laura Derns charactor comes closer
and closer to the end of the pregnancy they keep asking for more
money and eventually tell them that now they want a car too! It gets
to the point where Stockard Channing and her husband want to
just walk away from the whole deal as they feel like suckers but
they have just way too much invested in this so they stick it out.
When the baby is born there were problems with the delivery and
the baby lost oxygen which may or may not had resulted in mental
retardation. Upon hearing this they are devastated and while
Stockard Channing still wants the baby, her husband convinces
her that this is not what they set out for and they leave empty
handed.
I agree with some of the other comments. The ending is obscene.
This couple couldn't have a child for years and years. They finally
have a baby and decide that they don't want it because of all the
problems it will have. It's a moral dilemma, but throughout the film
it seem that Stockard and her husband were the victims being
used by this poor family set out to use their baby to bribe them for
as much money as possible, but in the end you see then walk
away from the baby they've always dreamed of because of
potential problems. What kind of parents would they have made?
Really.
is superb in everything I see her in. She plays every part so real, so
convincing. I also like Stockard Channing very much. I felt this story
was extremely sad and really made you think about the different
social classes in our society. Here we see a very poor family living
in a trailer park. They have no money and 4 children they can
barely afford. Their phone gets shut off and their car doesn't work.
The wife becomes pregnant again and they just cannot take on
another baby. Then you have a wealthy urban couple who are
unable to have a child and had tried for years. This seems like the
perfect solution for both couples. They make a financial
arrangement and agree upon the conditions of the adoption. The
more attached Stockards charactor comes to the unborn child the
more critical she becomes of Laura Derns charactor who smokes
and drinks coffee. She and her husband start to feel like the goose
who laid the golden egg. As Laura Derns charactor comes closer
and closer to the end of the pregnancy they keep asking for more
money and eventually tell them that now they want a car too! It gets
to the point where Stockard Channing and her husband want to
just walk away from the whole deal as they feel like suckers but
they have just way too much invested in this so they stick it out.
When the baby is born there were problems with the delivery and
the baby lost oxygen which may or may not had resulted in mental
retardation. Upon hearing this they are devastated and while
Stockard Channing still wants the baby, her husband convinces
her that this is not what they set out for and they leave empty
handed.
I agree with some of the other comments. The ending is obscene.
This couple couldn't have a child for years and years. They finally
have a baby and decide that they don't want it because of all the
problems it will have. It's a moral dilemma, but throughout the film
it seem that Stockard and her husband were the victims being
used by this poor family set out to use their baby to bribe them for
as much money as possible, but in the end you see then walk
away from the baby they've always dreamed of because of
potential problems. What kind of parents would they have made?
Really.
A wonderful film. The story doesn't end at the end....
secretary-722 September 2004
As a woman who lost her child to adoption 35 years ago, and who works voluntarily along with others for reform of adoption laws in Ireland, I found this film (shown on TV here last night) simply wonderful. I know that many previous message posters have commented on the "ugh ending", but I think that the whole point of the film was the carefully observed visual statements of all the characters, that the story continues, and will never end as long as they all live. Obviously, from my perspective, Laura Dern's face haunts me, as does Richard(Linklater's?)as they both sit in their clapped-out truck outside the hospital. I transpose their baby's face onto theirs. My ideal next scene if the film continued would see them bring their daughter home to join her brothers and sister. After all, was it ever suggested that they weren't loving parents? I'm surprised that other commentators on the film haven't stated the obvious - the golden kernel of The Baby Dance is the insightful screenplay and convincing script. I will be recommending this film to everyone I know.
ending was absurd!!!
UtahCJD13 September 1999
Warning: Spoilers
I couldn't believe this ending. How could people do that to a child? What are the chances that something severe is going to come of that? Probably pretty low. They wanted the baby! (the adopting couple) and then when trouble struck, where were they? Out the door! What kind of parents would they really make? It is the same as having a baby, you just don't give that baby up because you can't "handle it"! That baby didn't even have a name! It was so alone and so vulnerable, and no one to care for it! How terrible. I cried and cried in my arm at this ending. It was just terrible.
Overall the movie was very well made, but the ending, uggh!
Overall the movie was very well made, but the ending, uggh!
I agree with missygoldstein@aol.com.
dylansmom-112 July 2009
I agree with missygoldstein@aol.com about what kind of parents they would have made. I mean this speaks a lot about what kind of parents they would have made. What if they would have had a child of their own and later on it had health issues, would they abandoned it? Or what if the child they would have naturally was born with problems, would they give it away? What if this baby they were going to adopt that they decided not to in the end was healthy and later on developed a life altering condition? If you consider a child yours, it's not just yours when it's healthy, it's yours when it's sick and if they thought they would get a pure healthy baby when they mom smoked and didn't take her vitamins they were crazy. Also did they think they could adopt, love and raise any child and never face any health or medical issues? I guess it was suppose to be healthy and stay healthy until it went off to college then any health concerns were then the kids problem. It's like "Well, we raised you healthy, now your not so you're on your own."
Great acting
Red_Identity30 December 2014
I continue to be impressed with Laura Dern's range. i've been a fan since Enightened, but I wasn't totally aware of how much range she has, how warm she can make her characters, how natural despite not necessarily playing them subtlety. She's an amazing actress, and this is actually one of her finest performances that I've seen. It's full of great pathos, great expressions that sort of tell you everything you need to know while not saying anything explicitly, Her character here could've come across as a caricature for most of the running time with a lesser actress, but Dern instantly makes her relatable and likable, and sort of empathetic towards her. That's a truly great mark.
Another from the Stockard stockyard
parky-324 February 1999
The world was Stockard Channing's oyster when she thrilled us with Rizzo in "Grease", but since then her orbit has been somewhat lower. She's carved out a nice niche in the upper echelons of made-for-TV melodramas, and nearly every year she gets nominated for some award or other. It was the Golden Globes this year, for this performance. She seems particularly adept at playing women in tug-of-love battles over children (see also `An Unexpected Family'), and here she and Peter Riegert are the anguished but wealthy childless couple who throw money at poverty-stricken trailer-trash mother-of-four Laura Dern, hardly happy about the impending appearance of kidling number five; Dern and abusive hubby Richard Lineback are only too happy to sell the superfluous sprog. So far, so usual, but the twist (unlike most TV movies, there is a twist) comes when complications at the birth raises the possibility of brain damage. Will the yuppie couple pay for damaged goods? Will love of child conquer love of money for the trailer trash?
Why wasn't this rated????
heathernd30 September 2002
I rented this movie from the library. I thought it looked and sounded very good and it wasn't rated. I were very disappointed.
I wasn't at all impressed with how this movie was presented. I was first alerted by the horrible language used especially at the beginning and when the actors were angry. The one brief scene of nudity was very disgusting.
I can't understand how people can curse God and Jesus and then in the next scene be shown attending church. That really does not make sense to me. I'm very sure God is not impressed at all. (He might be impressed, but certainly not the right way.)
To my shame, I have to say I watched the entire movie.
I wasn't at all impressed with how this movie was presented. I was first alerted by the horrible language used especially at the beginning and when the actors were angry. The one brief scene of nudity was very disgusting.
I can't understand how people can curse God and Jesus and then in the next scene be shown attending church. That really does not make sense to me. I'm very sure God is not impressed at all. (He might be impressed, but certainly not the right way.)
To my shame, I have to say I watched the entire movie.
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