User reviews

This romantic comedy lost its way a bit leaving it only partly romantic and I'm afraid not always very funny. There are a few shots at Auntie (the BBC for our overseas readers) and several very good lines though some may be very familiar to those who have seen writer Ben Elton's stand up show or his BBC series.

A full cast of 80s alternative comedians makes their appearance, Emma Thompson almost looking identical to her mother in 'Saving Grace' in her mad hippie cameo and Dawn French affecting a bizarre Aussie accent as a nurse.

Hugh Laurie does well as always in his role as a sort of alternative 90s Cary Grant and James Purefoy will get most people's juices running (cf. the line by Joanna Lumley's character quoted in an earlier comment) but all in all this just wasn't funny enough, I don't know why, perhaps there were just too many targets.

Only 6/10 from me I'm afraid.

Most people seem to hate this movie as a comedy and see it as a bas satire on the world of television. The movie is however so much more. The main essence of the movie is on its romance and a sweet little romantic movie this is.

It's a well made movie, with realistic main characters in a realistic situation. Of course everything is done over-the-top, to still give the movie a light and fun overall feeling, rather than a heavy dramatic one, which it easily could had turned into. I like this approach and it worked out well for the film. It's fun but at the same time also serious at the right moments. It makes "Maybe Baby" a well balanced movie, that perhaps goes a bit too over-the-top at times, in terms of its credibility.

The strongest point of this movie are the two main characters. There are realistic and their relationship is portrayed in a sensible and good way. Those two character make and form this movie. It's a movie about real people with real problems. The are nicely portrayed by Joely Richardson and Hugh Laurie. But of course a lighthearted little movie as this also needs over-the-top comical characters. This one is portrayed by Tom Hollander. He for most part is the comic relief of the movie, as a movie director. Unfortunately the movie also thought it was necessary to give some famous British comedians a cameo in this movie. It's distracting and not always good for the credibility of the movie, though Rowan Atkinson's role is certainly an entertaining one.

The story is told nicely and has several story lines in it, which never distracts from each other. The entire movie is told with some subtle British humor which help to make this movie a light one to watch.

If you take the movie for what it is (a light romantic movie with humor in it), you'll certainly enjoy watching this little British movie.

7/10

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"Maybe Baby" is a very British comedy about a married couple who are having trouble making a baby. He's a script writer who sees the foibles and farces involved in their attempts to conceive as fuel for a screenplay which could save his failing career. She's a Barbiesque beauty who's avoiding the advances of a charismatic actor while trying to conceive. A fun frolic through the camp and corny, "Maybe Baby" is about 80% comedy with the remaining 20% spread over drama, pathos, romance, contemplations about married life, etc. resulting in a light hearted romp which should play well with more mature married-with-kids types, especially females into English humor, in spite of lukewarm critical reviews. (B)

Sam (Hugh Laurie) and Lucy (Joely Richardson) are the perfect couple, they have everything they could possible want, everything that is, except a baby. Sam is trying to write a screen play about a couple trying for a baby, but Lucy is not keen on the idea and forbids him to write it; the trouble is, Sam's creativity has to be fulfilled somehow?

With some wonderful comedy names like - Hugh Laurie, Joanna Lumley, Dawn French, Emma Thompson, Rowan Atkinson, etc. you would be right to expect this to be a riot, and although not quite as funny as it could be, it is still a funny film and it does have a strong script and a very interesting story.

7/10 a good addition to the British comedies, but it's not the best

Long before Hugh Laurie OBE and Joely Richardson became known for their roles on American dramas like House and Nip/Tuck, they were already established and well-known in their native Britain as top professional performers. In this film, Ben Elton directs them with a first rate cast but the script needs some work and it has an ending that I was not too crazy about it. Of course, the setting is in London and the supporting cast is first rate with friends like Rowan Atkinson, Joanna Lumley OBE, Dawn French, Adrian Lester, and of course Emma Thompson. This film is a great comedy and drama at the same time but it is also quite believable too. I love the London locations and miss going there.

This film collapses into a schizoid orgy of fruitless navel-gazing. A writing veteran of such beloved cult series as Blackadder, The Young Ones, and Mr. Bean, Ben Elton scores early laughs at the expense of the Trainspotting-derived school of sordid shock, but otherwise his satirical aim is shockingly off. His screenplay veers clumsily from slapstick to scatology to sentimentality and back again, while his stiff visual sensibility betrays his background in television. Rowan Atkinson and Emma Thompson turn in distractingly showy cameos, while Laurie flounders in a charming-cad role better suited to Hugh Grant. The worst film ever made?

TINTIN Quarantino.

This film was terrific. The charisma between Joely Richardson and Hugh Laurie is terrific and completely believable. The movie is so powerful however that I would only advise seeing it in the company of others if you have already achieved your family size. In other words, it would be a very painful movie to watch with someone who was having trouble with infertility. It's funny, but it's also very true. For me, it touched at the heart of all the issues involved in infertility. And Ms Richardson is a superb actress. I've also seen her at the Haymarket in Lady Windemere's Fan and she is an excellent performer.

The semi-cameo (and slightly camp) performances by Dawn French, Joanna Lumley, Emma Thompson and Rowan Atkinson made for fun entertainment as well.

You can see why the British film industry is in dire straights. Well connected media types, on whacking salaries, leading empty shallow lives,which revolve around social climbing and being "in", all the time pretending they aren't what they are.

Who Then make a film about "Well connected media types, on whacking salaries, leading empty shallow lives,which revolve around social climbing and being "in", all the time pretending they aren't what they are, just to give a hint to the masses how hard they have it and how wonderful they are. Because they have nothing else in their lives, other than their well connected jobs and issue wives.

Not much talent, not much effort just a run through of "in"jokes and clichés you would know about if you were in that circle. Hugh Laurie was v good as Bertie Wooster, because thats really what he is in real life

Picture the scene - it's an office. Three ladies are sitting together, transfixed as a handsome young actor seductively recites a poem to them. When he has finished Joanna Lumley, with the sauciest grin you've ever seen on her face, says: "Darling, you're in serious danger of turning me back into a heterosexual!"

That scene alone is enough to see this film - I was in stitches for about 3 minutes!

I saw Maybe Baby the other evening with my friend Ruth, at a sneak preview. We both had very mixed feelings about it, agreeing that for the first half an hour it was fresh, funny and entertaining.

Maybe I'm biased as I am a major Joanna Lumley fan, but as soon as she disappears from sight, something goes slightly wrong and I began to look at my watch wondering when it would finish.

One of the biggest problems with this film is the casting of Joely Richardson as Lucy, the woman who is so desperate to conceive a baby. She is such an irritating character, not to mention soppy and bossy, that you really don't give a hoot if she DOES become pregnant. Personally, I would worry for the offspring's sanity with Lucy as a mother.

On the other hand, Hugh Laurie managed to be funny, charming, sympathetic and endearing, while Emma Thompson was great in her one and only scene as their hippie pal.

I practically closed my eyes whenever Rowan Atkinson (as Lucy's gynacologist) appeared onscreen - WHY does he always play these braindead characters? He is far more effective in the wily and acid-tongued roles like Blackadder.

It's a sweetly undemanding film, but if you are expecting anything like Notting Hill or Four Weddings & A Funeral, you'll be very disappointed.

This is easily one of the worst films I have ever seen. Ben Elton seems to have forgotten how to write comedy and he certainly doesn't know how to write a rom-com. It is also noticeable how chock-full this film is of Elton's comedy/acting friends - do all these people really need the money? Or do they use one another as a form of job security scheme ?

Anyway the film revolves around Joely Richardson wanting a baby - Richardson is used as basically a clothes horse - she doesn't do much and Hugh Laurie as the husband firing blanks doesn't fare much better. This film should be avoided at all costs

"Maybe Baby" had quite a bit of potential – let me quickly list them off – a cast that is dynamite when it comes to comedy; a story that had the potential to be quite humorous, hysterical in fact; the parody of Danny Boyle could have been blown up considerably – adding to the goofiness of the plot; and finally, let me add, the cast again – Emma Thompson, Rowan Atkinson, Dawn French, and Hugh Laurie are some of the best that Britain has to offer and are typically guaranteed to make anyone in their right mind laugh. This said, why did this film hit the ground at the fastest speed possible thoroughly, and painfully, hurting everyone in it's path. "Maybe Baby" is quite possibly one of the worst films that I have seen this year because it is the biggest disappointment with such potential that I have ever witnessed. Our story is simple to write down, but on screen it is utterly disastrous. The BBC wants to be more cutting edge, Sam and Lucy want children but cannot conceive (does anyone see the humor yet), so we combine the pair. Sam begins writing about his life with his wife, the trials and tribulations of medically attempting to conceive, mixed with funny jokes that somehow only make the cast members laugh. Lucy finds out the truth, Sam grows a beard, and the end – well, is everything one would expect from an American romantic comedy. No surprises. No laughter. No excitement. Overall, I have discovered an American Hollywood film trying to pass as British intelligence. I call it The "Maybe Baby" Conspiracy.

I would like to begin this very negative review by saying Joely Richardson is by far one of the worst actresses I have witnessed in film. Maybe I haven't seen enough of her work to make that sort of comment, but after seeing "Maybe Baby", I feel confident in my response. Every scene was nothing but script reading and comic mis-timing. Nothing coming from her mouth seemed worth repeating or re-watching. She played the role of dumb blonde very, embarrassing, well. The scenes in which she has to show emotion was like watching cardboard try to cry, and that is not an over exaggeration. She attempts to show us a relationship with Sam (Hugh Laurie), but instead of a chemical romance, they seem to be enjoying the role of two actors playing a role. There is nothing to evoke emotion between the two of them. I didn't even think they were in "love" by the end of the film, they were a relationship of convenience and comfort. BEWARE! I need to add this about the remainder of the acting because this film may be misleading – Emma Thompson is in it for about three minutes, adding nothing of value or humor to the overall twist of the plot. Rowan Atkinson is a refreshing snack, but like everyone else, adds no meat to the film (it reminded me of Robin Williams in "Nine Months"). Then there is Dawn French – don't get me started here because it remains pitiful and a waste of talent. Coupled with the stagnet portrayals from the surrounding cast it just becomes a very painful moment in cinema as each minute passes.

The plot is devastating. With a cliché storyline we already know how it will end and what the characters will be doing/reacting before they probably do, I would hope the typical British wit would resonate strongly with the actor's dialogue. That, alas, is missing from this film. We are bombarded with characters that care nothing about money, are emotionless unless forced to be, and driven by no inner motivation outside of the paycheck. The lyrics to this film are even painful. There were no funny, punny, or laughable moments throughout the course of this film, which irritated me to no end. With such a bold cast, I wanted to be rolling on the floor with hysterics, but alas, nothing happened. The stale emotion translated well into the stale voice being heard from each of the voided characters. I wanted charm, wit, talent, and appeal with this film. I wanted to prove that American dictatorship over film hadn't leaked into the BBC mainstream, but again – I couldn't believe that I was that wrong.

"Trainspotting" is a film that defined a nation and brought a new wave of cinema into our theaters. I don't think a horrid film like "Maybe Baby" has the right to poke fun at it. I don't mind intelligent hobnobbery, but with this film it was just plain rude to Danny Boyle.

Overall, I cannot suggest this film to anyone even the most bland of comedy fans. Remember, if you choose to pick up this vile cinematic sludge, this is pre- "House" days, so do not see Laurie as what we Americans have come to expect from him. "Maybe Baby" is too big for its britches, as it tries to pack too much comedy into a nothingless film – thus transforming the comedy into a forgettable piece of garbage. There was nothing of value in this film, and while director Ben Elton has made his name in "Blackadder", I don't believe he has remembered much of his upbringing. After seeing this film, I would have to advise Elton to avoid working behind the cameras ever again. This was a very big disappointment for me as I had big hopes for this little film with big names.

The subtitle for this film should be: Never Judge A DVD By Its Cover.

Grade: * out of *****

I just finished watching this movie about half an hour ago, and I fail to see what everyone has against it. Ok, I admit, it was more romance and less comedy than I had expected. But i think it is cool for Ben Elton to produce such an honest script and good adaptation. Hugh Laurie's acting is brilliant considering he's in a really out of character part, and Joely Richardson also performed well, suprising me again as I would never have chosen her to perform that particular role in a comedy film.

The biggest regret of this movie was the total waste of the brilliant Rowan Atkinson, Emma Thompson and Dawn French. At least Thompson and French were funny in their parts - whereas Rowan Atkinson was again cast in a brainless role that just reminds everybody of the overrated Mr Bean and not his brillint comic performances in Blackadder and The Thin Blue Line.

But, making up for all these casting mistakes, was Tom Hollander -AWESOME as in the role of Ewan. The accent is clever, he looks young and fresh and is very, very funny. His character and particularly his attitude towards English people emphasises the fact that this movie isn't meant to be really serious - it's just a good chance for everyone to sit down and have a good laugh at themselves, while also showing a bit of the pressures that might be encountred by an infertile couple.

Basically, i say stop "dissing" this movie and give it a fair go. Don't criticise the movie, just enjoy watching it. Maybe Baby is good for a laugh and a satisfying happy ending, and a bit of fun playing spot your favourite British actor.

That pretty sums it up!

I was really hoping that this film would be still part the period where you could REALLY have fun in front of a romantic comedy . By that, I mean before the horrifying amount of ghastly Bridget Jones imitations started to invade theaters with silly plots filled with empty-headed and unsympathetic characters, not to mention unbelievable situations. "Maybe Baby" adds insult to injury by purely and simply riping off John Hughes' delightful classic from the late 80s. A time where you could spend your money on a mainstream movie without systematically feeling totally mugged.

The nice bunch of co-stars doesn't save this poor excuse for a film either: Joanna Lumley is wasted, Rowan Atkinson's hamming doesn't help a bit, Emma Thompson is just passing through, and so on and so on...

On top of that, all is so unbearably neat and tidy like in a clinic, that you could fear to have been impregnated without knowing it while watching this junk. I'll have to see "Rosemary's Baby" again and again to forget that terrible experience.

As for the 90 minutes lost, well, so much for my naivety!

BBC producer and scriptwriter Sam is married to Lucy and are trying for a child. As they try all sorts of methods to improve their chances, Sam's work begins to suffer until it is suggested that he write about something close to his own life. He begins to develop a script based on his and Lucy's attempts to get pregnant – without her knowledge. However prying into he diary for more info he gets more than he bargained for.

A BBC film this features so many stars of BBC TV comedy that you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a sitcom with high production values. In fact much of the plot and the laughs come very much from the sitcom school of writing, albeit of a slightly higher quality. There are quite a few very funny bits, plenty of saucy moments and jokes and some very soapy, sweet bits. It does feel like a sitcom with high ideas – although it still manages to be gently entertaining, if never exactly brilliant in any sense.

Laurie is good without showing the wit that made him famous, while Richardson is very good back in a British film. The rest of the cast is made up of big stars like Lumley, French etc in all sorts of role and then a host of faces where you'll be struggling to remember where you saw them – I got at least two Eastenders actors in very small roles.

Overall if you like UK sitcoms then this'll be right up your street (and a little bit better than what you're used to), if you don't then this is very slight but it still might win you over.

... And not in a good way .

Ben Elton`s MAYBE BABY pokes fun at the way the BBC is run . According to this screenplay it`s populated by untalented liberal left wing elitists who hold dinner parties , discuss holistic nonsense and wouldn`t know a decent idea if it jumped and screamed " I`m a good idea " . Considering MAYBE BABY was made by BBC films someone must have thought this to be a biting satire . Chris Morris does biting satire while the BBC show`s itself to have an irony deficency .

The story revolves around a young yuppie couple who are trying to concieve a baby and seeing as I`m solitary working class scum I found myself being unable to relate to the central story and unless you`re a young yuppie couple trying to concieve a baby you might also have a problem relating to the characters and situations of this movie too , I mean how many times does it take for a gag featuring a man driving home to have sex with his wife to wear out its welcome . Four time ? Five times ? Six times ? I actually lost count of the number of times this joke appeared but it was more than six and it wasn`t funny the first time .

I also couldn`t help noticing that the whole feel of the movie was totally unoriginal . In many ways it felt like a substandard Richard Curtis movie ( Curtis was Elton`s writing partner on BLACK ADDER ) while other times MAYBE BABY felt like it was trying to become a smart bad taste comedy along the lines of THERE`S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY which wasn`t helped by gags featuring semen , referrances to Cameron Diaz and casting Joely Richardson who does indeed resemble Cameron Diaz in the central female role .

I did try to like this movie but since it often resembles other , better movies I found myself not liking it . A great pity since Ben Elton co wrote the BLACK ADDER tales which contains the classic line

" You have no idea what irony is do you Baldrick ? "

" Yes I do . It`s the same as goldery and silvery "

Yep, This is a fairly pedestrian plod through not very well drawn characters that you don't end up caring about. Ben Elton is much funnier on paper (in book form this is INCONCEIVABLE) than he is directing his script which also suffers from the rather dreary Joely Richardson. She can't do comedy!!There's no real empathy from her and even the winning Hugh Laurie can't do much with what he's got. All the supporting characters are fill-ins and ultimately too one dimensional (Dawn French as a jolly Aussie nurse? Emma Thompson as mad hippie friend complete with bad hair and flowing robes?) A pity, as Ben Elton had the potential to explore something deeply moving and yet funny. Instead it's a film to do the ironing to.

It took a while to get into this movie but once the plot starts to thicken you'll find yourself enjoying the humor of it all. Surprise appearance of many of England's great comedians make it all the more interesting. This is a great movie with exceptionally funny bits. Look on it all as a pleasant romp through making a family. It covers some pretty serious issues in a jovial and good humored way. I found it thoroughly entertaining and had lots of gut wrenching laughing moments. All actors were appropriately cast, and did a great job of bringing what are serious issues with young infertile couples, into a lighter vane. I would rate this as one of my favorite comedies of recent times. Thanks to all who put it together.

In response to deb from wales, you must be easily pleased. I laughed once during the film, and as for crying at the end, any tears would have been of relief. It's not the worse film you'll ever see, but save your money unless you are impressed by a plot which incorporates masturbation, suspected meningitis and a simpering Joely Richardson. Why were Dawn French & Rowan Atkinson completely wasted in this film?

Well, as a fan of British movies and comedies, (Trainspotting, Full Monty, Mind Your Language, Blackadder series, etc you get the point), I was happy to catch another British movie, especially one starring most of my fav actors and actresses, (Hugh Laurie and Rowan from Blackadder, Dawn French, Joanna Lumley and Joely Richardson,) I was more than willing to fork out the money to support another British movie.

Too bad the dialogue must have been considered too risque for Singaporean tastes and various parts of it were snipped, including the opening scene. The humping seemed to be intact though. Figures.

I expected risque and witty dialogue from British productions, being brought up on British comedies. I never get enough of risque humor. Benny Hill anyone? ;-) ;-)

Word of advice: avoid the movie in Singapore and get the DVD. I know I will. Come on guys, give Joely Richardson a chance. I think her acting was convincing, and Rowan playing the desensitized gynaecologist is a hoot, though a tad limited due to being just a cameo appearance. Hugh Laurie definitely steals the show, but more could be made of Joanna. Again, being a cameo, her role is very limited. Maybe there will be a director's cut that will be longer, 2hours or more hopefully.

I watched this movie after What Lies Beneath starring Harrison Ford and Michelle Pfieffer, so I got a bit more kick from this movie, which is also about Marriage and couples.