Junior
Directed by Ivan Reitman
- comedy
- science fiction
The story
A research scientist becomes the world's first pregnant man in order to test a drug he and a colleague have designed for expectant women. To carry out the trial, he has an embryo implant, believing that he will only carry the baby for three months – hardly expecting to face the prospect of giving birth.
What it’s like
Bright, flat studio lighting with warm, slightly washed-out colour, the look of mid-nineties Hollywood comedy: clean interiors, lab corridors in cool fluorescent white, and a homely suburban palette of beige, pastel and soft wood. The camera stays conventional, medium two-shots and reaction close-ups that let the performers carry the scenes, with little visual flourish. The score is brisk and bouncy, leaning on light orchestral comedy cues, and the dialogue does most of the work. Vibe: sunny, wry and goofy, a good easy watch for a lazy afternoon or a relaxed evening with friends. Pacing is quick and episodic, with a steady stream of gags and clashing personalities. Emotionally it stays light: a brilliant, prickly scientist and his gentler colleague bicker their way toward a warmer friendship, and the body-horror premise is played for laughs rather than dread. Intensity is low: sexual innuendo and crude jokes about pregnancy and medical procedures, some slapstick, but no real violence or gore and nothing frightening. For people who want a silly, affectionate comedy with big performances and a sweet heart beneath the absurdity.
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