At the film's core is a fascinating question -- What if people could know beforehand that their child would be born gay? As the movie progresses, it looks at the question from different points of view, raising further questions as it goes: Are there some things we aren't meant to know? How deep does homophobia run? Is it cruel to bring a child into this world knowing he'll always be subjected to prejudice and hate?
So why do I keep feeling like this movie should have been reviewed by Joe Bob Briggs? Maybe it's because the characters are as one-dimensional as b-movie heroes -- the doting mother, the strict patriarch, the sensitive artist, the thick-headed husband. Maybe it's because the script is as clunky as any drive-in special. But mostly, I think, because of one of Joe Bob's favorite words: gratuitous.
So...
Gratuitous bad auditions scene. Gratuitous use of Rosie O'Donnell. Gratuitous shower scene (Ok, that one I enjoyed.) Gratuitous Jewish patriarch. Gratuitous 'half-naked guys in gym' scene. Gratuitous male bonding. Gratuitous homophobic neanderthal.
Still, the film isn't completely without charm. Brendon Fraser is excellent, casting and Faye Dunaway as a Jewish mother was priceless. I just wish they'd given it a different title, something like: 'Prenatal Testing: A Promise Or A Threat?' Then, at least, I would have known what to expect.
So why do I keep feeling like this movie should have been reviewed by Joe Bob Briggs? Maybe it's because the characters are as one-dimensional as b-movie heroes -- the doting mother, the strict patriarch, the sensitive artist, the thick-headed husband. Maybe it's because the script is as clunky as any drive-in special. But mostly, I think, because of one of Joe Bob's favorite words: gratuitous.
So...
Gratuitous bad auditions scene. Gratuitous use of Rosie O'Donnell. Gratuitous shower scene (Ok, that one I enjoyed.) Gratuitous Jewish patriarch. Gratuitous 'half-naked guys in gym' scene. Gratuitous male bonding. Gratuitous homophobic neanderthal.
Still, the film isn't completely without charm. Brendon Fraser is excellent, casting and Faye Dunaway as a Jewish mother was priceless. I just wish they'd given it a different title, something like: 'Prenatal Testing: A Promise Or A Threat?' Then, at least, I would have known what to expect.