She's Having a Baby (1988)

She’s Having a Baby is special because it treats the big, supposedly “settled” milestone of marriage like the start of a real adventure—messy, funny, and quietly terrifying in ways most romantic comedies only gesture at. Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern give the kind of warm, lived-in performances that make you feel like you’re eavesdropping on two people genuinely trying to grow up together, while John Hughes’ touch keeps the vibe breezy even when the emotions land hard. It’s insightful about masculinity and expectations—parents, friends, society, your own inner narrator—without turning preachy, and it builds to an ending that earns its poignancy. If you want a glossy fairy tale, this may feel too candid, but if you’re in the mood for something honest and memorable about what commitment really costs (and gives back), it’s a gem.

She’s Having a Baby is clearly aiming for a relatable, funny-but-aching snapshot of young marriage under pressure—career anxiety, meddling parents, and the looming “are we having kids?” question. The problem is it often buries that emotional core under showy gimmicks and side detours, and the humor can come off more sour than insightful, especially in how it treats its female characters and marital conflict. If you’re expecting the tight, warm, crowd-pleasing touch of John Hughes at his best, this may feel oddly unfocused and occasionally mean-spirited. Still, if you have patience for late-’80s tone swings and like Kevin Bacon’s anxious everyman energy, there are flashes of honesty that might land even when the movie doesn’t.