Wannabe-adventurer Zoe freaks out when she falls pregnant to her long-term boyfriend Tim. As Tim embraces the prospect of fatherhood, Zoe attempts to rush through her dreams.
Pregnancy has long been a staple of the comedy genre, as it stands as one of the low-hanging fruits of the physical humour tree. Where most films tend to place focus on the "will-they-won't-they" around choosing to have the baby or not, Baby Done is in fact done with that argument and instead focuses on the topic of a mother's identity.
In what is a topic that is not talked about so much, Baby Done focuses not on the baby, but on our protagonist who simply wants to be able to still be herself; to retain her personality, job, hobbies, and friends, without sacrificing them all for the sake of a child. Or as our protagonist so expertly sums it up, "I want to have a baby, I just don’t want to turn into a mum." When you are planning to travel overseas, climb trees competitively, and Bungy jump, then all three are instantly off-the-table once that positive test result comes through, you can understand how the change can feel claustrophobic.
Rose Matafeo--who plays our protagonist, Zoe--does a great job at playing the mother-to-be, alongside Matthew Lewis--who plays her partner, Tim. Turning Hollywood's usual power dynamic on its head, Matafeo is the dominant and extroverted voice of the duo, with Lewis playing the submissive, but level-headed partner. Both put forward incredibly relatable personalities, with the flat dry humour that New Zealand has become synonymous with, it is not difficult to empathise with the woes of the characters and get emotionally invested in their little journey.
Baby Done doesn't have huge stakes. This is an every-person comedy that runs along a similar vein to Knocked Up, with events having little effect outside of our primary characters. It all adds to the sup-relatable nature of the film. There are no extreme actions or over-the-top emotional performances here. The majority is very middle-of-the-road, which lets its moments of frustration and silliness really stand out.
The comedy styling really goes hard for the awkward humour, and it works brilliantly. While you may not be on the ground gripping your stomach in rapturous laughter, there are plenty of comedic moments that will have you frequently smiling, giggling, or simply exhaling through your nose at a faster rate (especially whenever the ‘pregaphile’ Brian is involved).
The low-stakes drama-comedy has matching cinematography from Ian McCarroll; competent but nothing overly flashy. That's really the gist of Baby Done as a whole; competent but nothing ultimately memorable. It won't change any world views, neither is it trying to. It will certainly entertain and is guaranteed to provide some laughs, but its lack of boundary-pushing will mean it won't stick in your mind long-term.
Relish in the recognisable faces and shops but, in terms of your memory, Baby Done is here for a good time, not a long time.
Baby Done is in cinemas from October 22, 2020