National General/Wise. Director James Bridges; Producer Richard Goldstone; Screenplay James Bridges; Camera Charles Rosher Jr; Editor Walter Thompson; Music Fred Karlin; Art Director Mort Rabinowitz
Barbara Hershey
Collin Wilcox-Horne
Sam Groom
Scott Glenn
Jeannie Berlin
Lili Valenty
The Baby Maker is an offbeat story of a childless couple who hire a young girl to conceive by the husband.
Director James Bridges' story is stronger than his direction of players, though the physical staging is admirable.
Collin Wilcox-Horne and Sam Groom are a barren couple, who hire Barbara Hershey to bear his child. This in turn shatters the girl's relationship with Scott Glenn, both of whom are from the love generation. Development of an emotional relationship between Hershey and Groom is more than implicit.
Wilcox-Horne is excellent in a multi-faceted performance: sometimes warm and loving, occasionally on the verge of jealousy, but always sincere in her character's motivations and reactions. Hers is the film's best performance.
Glenn comes over well as the frustrated but likeable lover. His role is important if subsidiary, and he handles it very well.
1970: Nomination: Best Original Song Score
(Color) Available on VHS. Extract of a review from 1970. Running time: 109 MIN.
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