The Island Cinephile

Three Men and a Baby: A Charming 80s Comedy

Directed by Leonard Nimoy

“I’m an architect for Christ sake, I build 50 story skyscrapers, I assemble cities of the future, I can certainly put together a goddamn diaper.”

Peter Mitchell

Three Men and a Baby is a classically 80s film and would be considered a time capsule from the synth pop rock soundtrack to the men’s short shorts. We are introduced to the lives of three promiscuous men living in a shared apartment in New York. These three men, all in different career fields – an architect, a cartoonist, and an actor – are responsible for the revolving door of ladies that visit them. A problem arises when one of the men, Jack, ends up with a baby from one of his flings. Left on the doorstep of the cartoonishly decorated bachelor pad, Peter the architect and Michael the cartoonist is left to babysit Mary until Jack the actor returns from Turkey. Though the arrival of another package in an unassuming box, complicates the abandoned baby situation.

Concerning the set-design, the men’s bachelor pad is a beautiful sight to behold. Albeit somewhat confusing, it fits the whimsical quality that the plot pushes. This is a funny, lighthearted comedy with an easy, and formulaic storyline. It has charming actors and flourishes with simple direction from Leonard Nimoy. The dialogue fares well as the characters played well off each other. It was such a treat to see how the women in the film never let the men pass on the responsibility of raising a child to them simply because they were women and it seemed expected of them. Because of this choice, we see the makings of a heartwarming film that shows the progress of the three men sacrificing to raise a baby – which is usually left for the women to consider. Because of this, the bond between the men and Mary is a welcome development. It is bound to leave a cheesy grin on the audience’s face. Moreover, it is beautiful to see the message towards kids in this film – where they are considered gifts – versus in modern mainstream media where they are viewed negatively. My primary dislike materialized near the end when we are introduced to the baby’s mother, Sylvia. With a struggling English accent and undue pity, we are meant to feel sorry for the lady who abandoned her baby and pops back up to take her. The ending was too predictable and could have been done without something so uninspired.

Starring Tom Selleck as Peter, Steve Guttenberg as Michael and Ted Danson as Jack – the three men portray their characters wonderfully. Nancy Travis portrayed Sylvia, and she did as best she could with the English accent. Perhaps the likability of her character struggled because of the way she had been written.

For what it’s worth, I absolutely adored watching this film. Three Men and A Baby is a comforting, light-hearted movie with laughs that would be a treat to consume.

---