Motherhood often comes with many startling truths that are rarely discussed. Some of which occur well before the process of giving birth begins. While a beautiful and profound moment in a person’s life, films usually portray childbirth in a familiar and sanitized way. The mother is shown screaming and cursing in pain, sometimes for comedic effect, as a doctor and nurse tell her to “push.”
Pamela Adlon’s Babes cuts through the glossy sheen to show pregnancy and parenthood in all of it wonderful, messy, profound, and confusing glory.
Navigating this bewildering minefield of adulthood are lifelong best friends Eden (Ilana Glazer) and Dawn (Michelle Buteau). Living in New York City, the pair share everything, including discussing their daily bodily functions in the bathroom, and have been by each other’s side for many of life’s big moments. They are so comfortable with each other that Eden will not hesitate to stoop down in public to examine Dawn’s, who is pregnant with her second child, private parts when the latter feels discomfort.
Believing that their bond is unbreakable, their friendship is soon put to the ultimate test when Eden discovers she is pregnant after a one-night stand with the charming Claude (Stephan James). Meeting him on the subway, the couple’s tender romantic connection proved to be far deeper than one would expect from a brief encounter. However, due circumstances beyond her control, Eden must confront the challenging realities of being a single mother.
Needing her friend now more than ever, she cannot help but notice that Dawn is starting to pull away. With her bestie routinely missing her doctor’s appointments and cancelling plans, Eden begins to question their friendship and the different lanes their lives seem to be moving in.
Exploring the unexpected detours that pop up on the road of life, Babes offers an amusing examination of the ways motherhood often changes the direction of friendships. Eden and Dawn are both women who find themselves struggling to hang on to lives that were once familiar but now feel foreign. Eden is so accustomed to having Dawn’s arm to lean on, that she fails to fully see that her pal’s hands are already lifting more than it can carry.
Although Dawn has a supportive husband, Marty (Hasan Minhaj), to help take on some of the load, it does not alleviate the building internal pressures. Juggling the daily routine of balancing two kids and a successful dental practice, Dawn has the added stress of the societal expectations and challenges that come with breastfeeding her new daughter.
Dealing with her own physical hurdles to jump over, Eden quickly learns that pregnancy changes the body in surprising ways. Before she can register what is occurring, everything from her libido to her body temperature begins to feel out of whack.
In highlighting the bodily changes that women go through, Adlon’s film finds humour in the things that often go unmentioned. Using Eden and Dawn’s frank discussions as its entry point, and sprinkling in hilariously outlandish moments throughout, Babes celebrates the wonders of the human body and those who use their body to create other bodies.
Marveling at the ways in which parents, even those who may not be best equipped for the roles, manage to raise children without a clear roadmap, the film reaffirms just how important it is to have friends who can grow and change together.
Propelled by the sharp screenplay by Glazer and Josh Rabinowitz, Babes is full of humour and genuine heart. Glazer and Buteau excel in conveying the rich nuances of their respective characters and the realities of motherhood. Even in the film’s broadest moments, Eden and Dawn remain relatable and endearing.
A hilarious and resonating work, Adlon crafts one of the summer’s must-see comedies.
