I have had babies on the brain lately. I guess pregnancy will do that to you. Even when it comes to television shows and movies, I find myself gravitating towards those dealing with the the newborn stage and everything leading up to it. Of course, Hollywood has no shortage of movies about this big life moment. When you think about it, pregnancy and childbirth actually make for the perfect movie plot because there are so many big changes happening all at once and so many possibilities for various story lines and character developments. Here are 16 films that are great to watch while you’re expecting (or anytime really):
What to Expect When You’re Expecting: Although the film takes its name from the number one go-to pregnancy manual, that is about where their similarities end. The film follows five different couples whose lives are intermingled on their journeys through pregnancy and childbirth. It is a fun ensemble comedy that has a little something for everyone.
Baby Boom: Diane Keaton stars as a high-powered New York business woman who discovers that a distant relative has died and left her an inheritance. Imagine her surprise when she discovers that she has not inherited money, but a baby girl. She quickly discovers that her current lifestyle and baby don’t mix but she also discovers that motherhood doesn’t have to be as domestic as she originally thought.
Father of the Bride Part II: In Father of the Bride, George Banks falls into a tailspin when he discovers that his daughter is getting married. Imagine how he feels when he finds out that he’s about to become a grandfather. Now through in an unexpected pregnancy for his wife and watch the hilarity ensue.
Three Men and a Baby: Three bachelor roommates find their lives turned upside down by the addition of a new, much younger roommate. When a baby girl, who turns out to be the daughter of one of the roommates, is abandoned on their doorstep the men’s lives are turned upside down as they are forced to care for her.
The Backup Plan: Tired of waiting around for the right guy, Zoe decides to start a family on her own and conceives twins through artificial insemination only to meet the perfect guy shortly after. Although she is sure that he won’t stick around when he learns of her pregnancy, she tells him anyway and is surprised when he decides to stick around.
Where the Heart Is: Based on the bestselling novel by Billie Letts, the film follows Novalee Nation, a pregnant 17-year-old who is abandoned by her boyfriend at a Walmart. With no money, no job and no place to go, Novalee secretly lives inside of the Walmart until giving birth to her daughter several weeks later. After the birth of the “Walmart Baby” Novalee becomes a national sensation. She is taken in by a local woman and is soon adopted by the small town full of eccentric characters.
She’s Having a Baby: This film follows a charming newly-wed couple, Jake and Kristy dealing with life, love and the realities of being married. When Kristy decides that she is ready for a baby, Jake isn’t so sure but goes along for the ride anyway. By the time the birth rolls around, Jake has grown up a lot. Written and directed by John Hughes, this is a charming sweet film that shows that love doesn’t have to be perfect to be just right.
For Keeps: If you were a senior in high school with a bright future on the horizon and you found yourself pregnant, what would you do? For aspiring Journalist, Darcy and her boyfriend, Stan, they’ll have to decide just that. Her mother urges an abortion, his parents adoption, but the young couple’s love is so intense that they find themselves thinking that maybe they could do this whole married and parenthood thing together. How hard could it be? This film does not sugar coat pregnancy and new parenthood or glamorize it in any way. It is charmingly honest and despite their flaws and mistakes, you will find yourself rooting for Darcy and Stan.
Nine Months: San Francisco couple Samuel and Rebecca are perfectly happy with their lives just as they are, but when Rebecca discovers that she is pregnant and wants to keep the baby, Samuel struggles with just how much his life is about to change. With a cast of fantastic supporting characters and witty dialogue, Nine Months has always been a favorite in our household.
Knocked Up: This film proves that pregnancy and baby movies aren’t just for chicks. After a one-night stand results in a pregnancy, Alison and Ben decide to try and make it as a couple but Alison quickly discovers that stoner Ben has a lot of growing up to do. Written and directed by Judd Apataw, this film hilariously examines pregnancy and relationships. Alison’s sister and brother-in-law, played by Leslie Mann and Paul Rudd steal the show in this gross-out, yet charming comedy.
Juno: After discovering her pregnancy and deciding against abortion, an offbeat 16-year-old high school junior, decides to give her baby up for adoption to a perfect couple she finds in the Pennysaver. When she finds out that the couple may not be so perfect after all, her plans have to adapt. Filled with quirky characters ant witty dialogue, this is a sweet, fun film.
Baby Mama: Successful businesswoman, Kate, has always put her career first but has finally decided that she wants to have a baby only to discover that she is infertile. Undaunted, she hires Angie, a morally slack working class woman to become her surrogate. When Angie breaks things off with her husband and has nowhere to go, she moves in with Kate and the women quickly discover that they don’t exactly see eye to eye on this whole how to do pregnancy thing.
Life as We Know It: Years ago, Holly and Messer were set up on a blind date by their mutual friends that ended in disaster but when they are both made Godparents of their friends’ daughter, Sophie, they find themselves thrown together at all of life’s big events. When Sophie’s parents are killed in an accident just after her first birthday, Holly and Messer find themselves thrown together, once again, to raise Sophie. Not only do they not see eye to eye on anything, but having a baby is putting a major crimp on their style. Raising Sophie is either going to tear them further apart or push them together.
Fools Rush In: This is one of my all-time favorite movies. I don’t even know how many times I’ve watched it. After a one-night stand Isabel discovers that she is pregnant with Alex’s baby. When she reaches out to tell him, he agrees to go with her to meet her family for dinner so when they ask her who the father is, she can tell them that they met him one time. Sparks fly at dinner and the couple make the impulsive decision to get married right then and there (the fact that the film takes place in Las Vegas makes this entirely plausible) . Alex and Isabel soon discover that there is a lot that they don’t know about each other and that their relationship may not be able to survive this major clash of cultures.
Junior: This one is worth watching if only to fantasize about men being able to carry babies. Arnold Schwarzenegger stars in this Ivan Reitman film about a pair of male scientists (played by Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito) who have developed a new drug that will reduce a woman’s chance of miscarriage. When their funding is pulled, one of the scientists (Schwarzenegger) agrees to carry a pregnancy in his own body.
Look Who’s Talking: Anyone who has ever had a baby (or a dog, for that matter) has found themselves wondering what exactly their baby is thinking. When a single woman is left on her own to raise the child she conceived with a married man, she finds unexpected help raising the baby from the cab driver that takes her to the hospital to give birth. While the woman searches for the perfect father for her son, the baby (whose thoughts are voiced by Bruce Willis) proves to have other, better ideas of who his father should be. A cute movie about how life’s expectations sometimes end up changing for the better.