Daddy

I saw this movie in my Health class when we were learning about pregnancy. It was funny when the blonde one kept on whining "I want my chips!" I liked it when the dad said "it has fingers!" to the baby. This movie has some stupid characters that make you wanna laugh!

I saw this film on True Movies (which automatically made me sceptical) but actually - it was good. Why? Not because of the amazing plot twists or breathtaking dialogue (of which there is little) but because actually, despite what people say I thought the film was accurate in it's depiction of teenagers dealing with pregnancy.

It's NOT Dawson's Creek, they're not graceful, cool witty characters who breeze through sexuality with effortless knowledge. They're kids and they act like kids would.

They're blunt, awkward and annoyingly confused about everything. Yes, this could be by accident and they could just be bad actors but I don't think so. Dermot Mulroney gives (when not trying to be cool) a very believable performance and I loved him for it. Patricia Arquette IS whiny and annoying, but she was pregnant and a teenagers? The combination of the two isn't exactly lavender on your pillow. The plot was VERY predictable and but so what? I believed them, his stress and inability to cope - her brave, yet slightly misguided attempts to bring them closer together. I think the characters, acted by anyone else, WOULD indeed have been annoying and unbelievable but they weren't. It reflects the surreality of the situation they're in, that he's sitting in class and she walks on campus with the baby. I felt angry at her for that, I felt angry at him for being such a child and for blaming her. I felt it all.

In the end, I loved it and would recommend it.

Watch out for the scene where Dermot Mulroney runs from the disastrous counselling session - career performance.

Okay people, give this movie a break! This (TV movie, need I remind you) was filmed in 1987. It's not going to hold up to today's standards for movies, not even television movies! Most of the people writing these comments probably weren't even alive in '87. I was; I was in high school and the movie left an indelible impression on me. I was left not only more informed and slightly frightened about the possibilities of getting pregnant before I was psychologically and financially prepared for it, but also, and just as important, with a crush on Dermot Mulroney that has lasted to this day. Stop trying to make this movie compare to the latest Soderberg. It ain't, it won't and it's never gonna. It represents a particular time in our society. Yes, perhaps if teachers want to truly get across to students in this day an age, they'll show a movie starring Lil Bow Wow, but until he plays a high school daddy who has to quit school to care for his child, 1987's Daddy will have to suffice.

Ok...we all remember after school specials. "Daddy" is so much better. We had to watch it in my high school health class, and let me tell you, it quickly became a favorite. All of the urban legends on how NOT to get pregnant come to life in this movie. Come on!!! To hear Dermot Mulroony say "but I pulled out, how can you be pregnant?" is so beautiful, because he really does look confused and you know that as stupid as it seems, some people actually learned a lesson from this movie. I just get entertainment every time I see it. Everyone who watches "Daddy" should end up happy. (and informed!) Oh, and if you like this movie, look for another made for tv movie starring Calista Flochart as an anorexic-bulimic. Shocking, I know.

Very realistic and accurate portrayal of the difficulties teenagers have dealing with pregnancy and a baby without being the least bit preachy. No teenager is prepared for the emotional and other challenges of raising a baby. To those who think the emotional difficulties were overdone, I can assure you that they were not. Growing up, there was a teenager just down the street for which this movie could serve as a biography for his teen years. His girlfriend became pregnant. They had to drop out of school to raise the baby. He worked at a low paying menial job (in the movie the job was a busboy). He was stuck at home and couldn't go out with his friends nor go to college as most of his friends did.

In the movie, the couple went on welfare which again is quite common among teenage parents. Most teenage parents never escape poverty. Let that sink in for a moment. It's not that teenage parents initially struggle before achieving some financial success; most teenage parents will live in poverty their entire lives. Statistically speaking, teenage pregnancy is the surest path to poverty in existence.

I also liked the fact that the movie dealt with two sexual myths which gives the movie some educational value. The first, which I never understood, is the myth that you cannot become pregnant on your first time. No, as long as everything is functioning correctly, you can get pregnant the first, second, third, or potentially any time. In the movie, they got pregnant on their first time which they didn't know was possible.

The other myth is that the "pull and pray" method is guaranteed to prevent pregnancy. "Daddy" was perplexed as to how his girlfriend became pregnant when he always pulled out in time. He asked one of his teachers whether it was possible to get a girl pregnant when you pulled out in time. He correctly explained that sperm is still present before ejaculation and hence, it is possible to get somebody pregnant even if you "pull out in time."