Peter (Tom Selleck), Jack (Ted Danson), and Michael (Steve Guttenberg) live together in the world's greatest bachelor pad, an enormous penthouse in Manhattan. They are each successful in their career fields and equally successful with the ladies, except for Michael, despite the fact that I think he is the cutest. While Jack and Peter "need a personal secretary" to keep track of all their dates and flings, Michael seems to be cursed as the sensitive one who can save women's failing relationships.
The film starts by showing Michael, a cartoonist, painting their luxurious flat with pictures of the three roommates, the Rockettes, etc., all in cheesy '80s colours. Peter is an architect and has designed the whole place, along with several skyscrapers. Jack is an irresponsible actor who gets the rest of the guys in trouble. He considers himself a serious thespian, but his biggest roles have been in television adverts. However, he takes
himself very seriously, asking an agent at a party, ‘Do you think I'm overexposed?’
To celebrate their new, gorgeous flat, the guys throw a lavish party. At the party, a sleazy friend of Jack's asks him if he can have a package delivered to the three men's place. ‘It's a delicate matter, so don't tell anyone about it,’ he says. Jack leaves New York to shoot a film in Turkey and informs his flatmates about the package. On the appointed day, Peter returns from jogging (horrendously short shorts abound in this film, and it's not a pretty sight even on otherwise attractive men) and finds something that couldn't have been delivered by post-- a baby. Conveniently, the men have an entire floor to themselves, so it's safe to leave the baby in the corridor, but it's not explained how a woman with a baby basket would be allowed upstairs past the security at the front desk. In this film, you have to suspend disbelief and just think of it as ‘cute.’
Inside the baby's basket is a note from the mother (Sylvia, played by Nancy Travis) saying that she can't take care of Mary at the moment and that the baby is Jack's. Peter and Michael are understandably angry at Jack and think that the baby is the ‘package’ he has mentioned.
Neither Peter nor Michael have any idea how to care for a baby, but Peter runs out to buy supplies while Michael (he always gets the raw deal... aww...) stays at home with Mary. From here, it's a series of jokes about how men don't know how to take care of babies. A woman who works in their building arrives on the scene and fawns over the baby. When she picks Mary up, the baby finally stops crying.
However, this film is not just another men-are-so-clueless pieces (as in ‘The Simpsons’ and many sit-coms). The men slowly begin to really love and care about Mary. Peter takes time to read books about childcare including the famous one by Dr. Benjamin Spock, a funny detail since the film is directed by LEONARD NIMOY. I can't think about him directing because it makes me laugh, so that's all I say on the subject. OK, one more thing: near the end, Michael paints a portrait of the baby that has rather Spock-like ears.
As the filmmakers realized that jokes about soiling the couch and peeing on Tom Selleck aren't enough, they add a silly subplot about drugs, which lacks any suspense whatsoever. The real package that was delivered to the bachelor pad goes unnoticed as Peter and Michael are so pre-occupied with the baby. So, when the drug-dealers arrive to pick it up, they hand over the baby instead. This plot is unrealistic and silly, as the drug dealers are more air-headed than malicious. Conveniently, Michael and Peter encounter the most non-threatening criminals of all time.
I saw this film with my grandmother (the world's biggest Tom Selleck fan) when I was six or seven years old and really liked it then. Watching it again recently, I still laughed at the inept guys and "ooh"ed and "ah"ed over the adorable baby. The men are really cute, as well, especially when Jack returns and they sing 1950s doo-wop to put the baby to sleep. This film is appropriate for children, and adults who are not put off by cheesy, '80s chick flicks may like it, as well.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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Overall, an excellent op of a genuinely fun film...though I would have added 2 more details...Did you know this was actually a remake of a French film called THREE MEN AND A CRADLE? Also, you obviously don't know the controversial scene where the ghost of a boy is in one of the scenes...apparantly a young boy got killed in the house they shot the film in...and if you look closely, you can see his "ghost" looking in the window from outside. Sure, it maybe a hoax, but many people are terrified by it...and believe it!!!! Chris xxx
hepialid 16.02.2003 21:17
I haven't seen this film in years, though I do remember enjoying it at the time. Andy.
Not nearly as good as the original French comedy upon which it is based,Three Men and a ... more
Babyis nevertheless decent brain candy directed with some crackle by Leonard Nimoy. Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson star as three swinging bachelor ro...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Not nearly as good as the original French comedy upon which it is based,Three Men and a ... more
Babyis nevertheless decent brain candy directed with some crackle by Leonard Nimoy. Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, and Ted Danson star as three swinging bachelor ro...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Take three of hollywoods hottest stars (Tom Selleck, Steve Guttenberg, Ten Danson), add ... more
one adorable baby girl, and the result is one of the biggest funniest comedy hits ever! Three handsome Manhattan bachelors find dating and mating rituals irreparabl...
![Three Men And A Baby [DVD] [1987]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78545434.jpg "Three Men And A Baby [DVD] [1987]")
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