Nine Months (1995)

Nine Months has the rare rom-com gift of feeling both breezy and oddly relatable: it takes the universal panic of “my life is about to change” and turns it into a warm, fast-moving comedy with real heart. Hugh Grant’s charm works best here when it’s under pressure, and Julianne Moore gives the film its grounding—someone you understand immediately, even when the story gets delightfully hectic. Chris Columbus keeps the pace lively, feeding the movie with physical-comedy bursts and a terrific supporting cast (including a scene-stealing, wonderfully unhinged doctor) that keeps the laughs coming without losing sight of its family-values core. It’s not for those who want a sharp-edged, cynical romance, but if you’re in the mood for a genial 90s crowd-pleaser about growing up without pretending it’s easy, this one goes down easy and leaves you smiling.

Nine Months wants to be a glossy, crowd-pleasing rom-com about a charming commitment-phobe getting a reality check when pregnancy forces him to grow up. The problem is it plays things very safe and very broad, leaning hard on Hugh Grant’s familiar flustered mannerisms and a string of loud, mechanical set pieces that can feel more sitcom than heartfelt. If you’re hoping for sharp relationship insight or genuinely fresh comedy, this may come off as conventional and a bit overacted, with the emotional beats arriving right on schedule. That said, if you’re in the mood for a mid-’90s studio comfort watch with a likable cast (Julianne Moore helps) and you don’t mind predictable turns, it can still pass the time.