Plot: What’s it about?
Sam (Hugh Grant) is a child psychologist who has been dating Rebecca (Julianne Moore) for five years, but their bliss is about to take an unexpected turn. Although Rebecca has hinted around to getting married and perhaps having children, Sam thinks a change could throw off their happiness and as such, wants to keep things in current order. But when she informs him that she’s pregnant and he wrecks his car in the process, he realizes that things will never be the same. His friend Sean (Jeff Goldblum) warns him of the dangers involved, but Sean’s sister Gail (Joan Cusack) and her husband Marty (Tom Arnold) seem to think the more kids, the merrier. Sam just wants to have his old life back, but soon he finds himself in doctor’s appointments, lacking sexual gratification, and making all sorts of changes to his lifestyle. He was once a very satisfied person, but now Sam finds himself forced to adapt to a new lifestyle, or else lose the love of his life and perhaps even more than that.
This is a very silly, predictable movie in all respects, but Nine Months is also a very humorous picture and in this case, that’s enough. I think the strong lead performance from Hugh Grant keeps it all held together, as he treks through the spectrum of emotion and loss. Even in the less than stellar sequences, Grant and the rest of the cast seem to elevate the material, which keeps the flow moving along. I think Robin Williams steals more than a few scenes, while Tom Arnold and Jeff Goldblum add humorous performances as well. Although Chris Columbus’ writing leaves something to be desired at times, the cast steps up to make the best of it, which saves the film from sinking from the start. I think the writing has some excellent moments, but this is a performance driven picture to be sure, although that is not always a bad idea in the least. I like Nine Months because unlike most romantic comedies, it relies heavily on the humor and that is a serious factor in why the flick works so well. This disc is a pretty basic edition, but the basics are covered and as such, I am giving Nine Months a solid recommendation.
The main focus here is Hugh Grant, who turns in an excellent performance and really captures his character, impressive work indeed. Of course, this is a comedic role and doesn’t demand as much depth, but I still think Grant’s work here is very good. His manners and composure add to so much comedy here, especially when he is pushed to the brink and finally snaps. Grant is able to play the whole spectrum of emotion here and really comes across well, even better as his character reaches the very limits of sanity, which is cool. As you probably remember, Grant was involved in a bit of controversy just before Nine Months was released, but I think it just adds humor to his performance. I don’t endorse what he did, but I think it adds a certain element to the film’s history that makes it a little more memorable. You can also see Grant in such films as Mickey Blue Eyes, Extreme Measures, Bridget Jones’ Diary, Small Time Crooks, and Notting Hill. The cast also includes Julianne Moore (Hannibal, Magnolia), Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, Holy Man), Robin Williams (Patch Adams, Good Will Hunting), and Tom Arnold (Exit Wounds, The Stupids).
Video: How does it look?
Nine Months is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is more terrific work from the folks at Fox, as the image looks very good and shows minimal flaws. The print used is clean and sharp, which means the other elements can look their best. The colors retain their intended natural hues, which means the shades aren’t vivid, but more dulled and again, this is the intentional scope of the hues. No errors in terms of contrast or flesh tones either, as black levels are well balanced and skin tones look warm, very solid indeed. A few small instances of compression flaws aside, this is an excellent visual presentation and fans will be very pleased.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is a romantic comedy and of course, that means dynamic audio is not one of the features you’ll find here. I think the included Dolby Digital 5.1 is good, but this material simply doesn’t allow for much power, so don’t expect to be blown away here. The surrounds see use at times and especially from the musical soundtrack, but as I said, this kind of material is just not geared toward powerful audio presence. The main focus of the mix is dialogue however, which sounds rich and clean here, no problems in the least to discuss. This disc also includes 2.0 surround tracks in English and French, as well as subtitles in English and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes two theatrical trailers, a French theatrical trailer, and three television spots.
