BF113462

Film Response: Baby Mama
Baby Mama is a 2008 comedy film from Universal Pictures written and directed by Michael McCullers. This movie was full of real life comedy and drama.

The movie is about a successful single business woman, Kate, who has reached the age of 37 and wants a baby. ====However, according to a survey involving more than 2,000 participants found that single, childless women had no higher rates of managerial advancement than mothers. (Tharenou, 1999-chpt 14, pg 419). Kate is feeling that her **social domain p 5** of being in her late 30's, unmarried, and unable to have a baby is causing her to lack **ego integrity p 513.** The percentage of men who feel that they want to become parents and who veiw parenting as a life-enriching experience is actually greater than the percentage of women who feel this way. (Horowtiz, McLaughlin & White, 1998; Muzi, 2000-chpt 14-pg 417).====

Kate begins her journey of **systematic problem-solving p 324.** First she goes to a doctor that specializes in fertility treatments. He gives her injections to help her get prenant and after she spends thousands of dollars. He tells her the reason she is not successful is because of her advanced maternal age and her T-shaped uterus. Also, that any medication her mother may have taken while she was pregnant with Kate could have affected her ability to be fertile. Kate asks her mother about any medication she may have taken while pregant and discovers that her mother did indeed take some meciations for aging spots. At that time, many medications were given without issuing warnings about the harmful side effects. During this time in the late 1940's the medical field and pharamacy companies were still practicing medicine. However, the damages or side-effects were not a concern until after the research and reports were proven.

Kate tells her sister, Caroline, and her mother that she has decided to hire a surrogate mother. They both try to persuade Kate to give up on her obessive-compulsive desire to have a baby. Kate, is definetely suffering from an **obessive-compulsive personality dis-order p 322**.

Kate goes to a very expensive well-known agency seeking a surrogate. She learns that this will cost her $100,000 however, she is determined to have a baby of her own. The surrogate, Angie, comes to interview with Kate and brings her common law husband, Carl. Angie and Carl are immature and obnoxious but, this does not affect Kate's decision to hire Angie.

Kate and Angie soon discover they come from two different **social status.** Kate views her life as successful because of her prestigous career and the wealth she has obtained. Kate has very strict veiws on the pre-natal care that Angie should embrace. Angie's view on life is having a good time and eating junk food. Kate tries to force Angie to eat health foods, drink water and take large pre-natal vitamins. Angie does not like these changes and finds way to sneak around the demands from Kate. Angies' behavior is juvenile she hides her junk food, plays video games and sticks her chewing gum under Kates expensive coffee table. When Kate catches her the feud begins and they end up back at the agency.

After meeting with the owner, Chaffee, the come to realize in order for them to both achieve the goal of having this baby they must begin the maturatrion process. Kate is **paranoid p 388** and obessive compulsive while Angie is **histronic and** **borderline p 388**. Kate begins to let go of her overly controlling ways and Angie begins to accept more responsiblity for her actions regarding the health of her unborn fetus. Angie allows Kate to give her suggestions on her diet and lifestyle. Kate even encourages Angie to pursue her dreams of becoming a fashion designer. Kate begins to educate Angie on the harmful effects of **caffeine** and **nicotine p 390** so Angie will abandon her cravings. After they have spent more time together and agree to compromise there freindship develops and they begin to learn from one another. There former ways of relating as a **hostile/detached couple p 413** now subside. Although they are not a couple in an intimate arrangement. They have entered into a relationship that will help prepare both of them for parenthood.

Then Angie helps Kate come out of her bubble and mix with the rest of the world. Angie convinces Kate to go out to a dance club and have some fun. Kate decides after a running into an old boyfriend who is now married with children she needs to pursue dating. Kate is facing the middle adulthood period with a **life events approach**. So she goes to a visit a man, Rob that she meet at a local fruit smoothie store. Rob is the owner and was formerly an attorney. Rob is attracted to Kate and he ask her out on a date. Rob tells Kate that she does not have to be married to have a child. The majority of young adults in the U.S. believe that the best environment for raising a child is a household that is headed by a married couple (Taylor, Funk & Clark, 2007-chpt 14 pg 417). The social clock in the U.S. has the idea that young couples should seek to bcome economically sound before bringing children into the world.

Kate begins to fall for Rob and has hope that he may understand her current situation; however, after a couple of dates Rob decides to tell Kate he is a single father. One morning after Kate has spent the night with Rob she discovers they have different views on adoption, in-vitro fertility procedcures, and music. Kate encounters the **intimacy versus isolation** theory by Erikson. The intimacy they have shared comes into question as Kate in her **novice phase.** Kate is now faced with the **mid-era phase**. This is where she is becoming more comptetent at meeting the new challenges through reassessment of her novice phase.

Kate and Angie are both having an identity crisis. Kate is facing the crisis that she has a baby on the way and now she has found a man who wants a relationship with her. Angie has discovered that she is pregnant by Carl and not thru in-verto implantation. Angie wants to keep this baby and be a mother to her child but, she will have to confess her deceit to Kate.

Angie has a **moratorium** and battles about which commitment she should keep. This is also evidence that the quest for personal identity continues throughtout the life-span, with alternating periods of instablity and stability (Marica, 2002- chpt 12 pg 342.) Angie decides to tell Kate the truth after Carl makes a scene at the baby shower. Carl learns that Angie is pregnant with his baby and Kate learns that Angie lied to her. Angie and Carl are ignorant of all the facts pertaining to the in-vertro fertilization process and now they have discovered that the true mother of the baby remains a mystery.

Kate and Angie go back to the agency and consult with Chaffee about the unfolding events and the current status of the situation. Chaffee agrees to waive all fees if the **Deoxyribonuclei acid (DNA**) test proves that the baby is not her's.

When Angie and Kate show up for court Angie has asked Rob, former attorney, to assist her with the proceedings. Rob is drawn into the drama because he wants to be with Kate. Kate is forced to listen to the feeling and confessions of each party involved. Carl the immature common law husband of Angie shows up to declare his claim on the baby, Angie confess her reason for lying to Kate and tells Kate that she just wanted to feel important and needed. Rob explains that even though he hated courtrooms and being an attorney his affections for Kate and her sitatuions have driven him to show up.

The judge gives the final results that Kate is not the mother and she leaves the courtroom heart broken. Rob is there for her and tells her he wants to be apart of her life. Angie is outside waiting for a ride and Kate decides to say good-bye to her forever. Angies water breaks after Angie tells Kate she has conformed to drinking water rather than soda. Kate offers Angie a ride to the hospital and goes into the delivery room with Angie.

Kate faints and then discovers she is pregnant by Rob. Now both women have a baby. The results of this drama shows how human beings interacting with one another help us mature. Kate has **generativity**. She has passed on her knowledge to Angie and reached her primary theme of psychosocial develpment in middle adulthood. A theory proposed by Erickson- chpt. 16. pg 462)

Bibliography

Lifespan Develpment-Custom Edition for St. Johns River Community College 5th Edicion by Denise Boyd & Helen Bee.

Social Domain- pg. 5 Ego Integrity - pg 513 Systematic problem solving- pg. 324 Obessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder- pg. 322 Maturation- pg. 4 Paranoid- pg. 388 Histornic- pg. 388 Borderline-pg 388 Hostile/detached couple- pg 413 Caffiene- pg. 390 Nicotine pg. 390 DNA- Deoxyribonuclie acid - pg. 55 Life events approach -pg. 463



You need a third source besides the movie and the textbook.
 * __Subject Matter—18 points out of 20__ **


 * __Higher-Order Thinking—20 points out of 20__ : **


 * __Organization--30 points out of 30__ **

References not in APA or MLA format References to movie and third source are missing.
 * __Format--4 points out of 10__ **


 * __Grammar/Punctuation/Spelling--10 points out of 10__ **


 * __Readability/Style--10 points out of 10__ **


 * Grade: 92/100 **