‘I understand that you are going through a selfish phase…’
Growing up in the VHS age was an odd experience. Much of what I watched in my formative years depended on what my parents had ‘taped’ off TV. For me, Time Bandits was a much more important movie than Star Wars. It didn’t matter what was popular out in the real world, my cinematic education came from hand-written labels on blank VHS tapes. And so, it came to pass that I watched the middling ‘90s comedy Look Who’s Talking over and over again as a kid…
Due to some weird circumstances, I re-watched the first half of Look Who’s Talking six months ago and then finished it off last week. Because obviously the thought of not watching a film until its conclusion is an unbearable prospect. As a result of this, the following plot description might be a bit patchy.
Mollie (Kirsty Alley) is pregnant. The problem is that not only is the father (George Segal) married to somebody else, he’s also a douchebag. Luckily, through some kind of divine providence, Mollie meets NYC cab driver James (John Travolta) when he rushes her to the hospital after she goes into labour. The twist here is that we the audience can hear the baby’s inner monologue (as provided by Bruce Willis).
Despite being predictable and derivative, Look Who’s Talking has a great soundtrack, is lovingly performed by all involved and also manages to be laugh-out-loud funny in places. Travolta is particularly great on the eve of his career resurgence in Pulp Fiction (where he would reunite with Wilis under very different circumstances). Perhaps most pertinently, Amy Heckerling’s film provides a snapshot of both New York City in the ‘90s and cinema in the ‘90s. It’s an era that I find myself returning to again and again and while this film was technically released in the fall of 1989, it is a ‘90s film in terms of aesthetic and tone. The sunny optimism of the age practically bursts through the screen and that is reflected by needle drops as inspired as ‘I Get Around’ by The Beach Boys and Katrina and the Waves’ ‘Walking on Sunshine’.
Returning to this film after so long was a real treat, especially through the lens of my own impending fatherhood. Yes, it’s dated, and yes, it’s cheesy in places, but it’s also funny and heart-warming and just… innocent. Fun for the whole family. it’s no surprise that it was a smash hit upon release.