Baby Boom & Paper Man

OK, boomers! Yesterday I watched Baby Boom via Hoopla via my library card! Of course, I had first seen it back in 1987, three years before I had a baby! It was delightful to re-visit this film, which had come up in family emails because my sister and her husband now live on many acres that include an apple orchard, and he’s getting ready for the summer and fall Farmers Markets (or cancellation thereof due to virus and options for his products via McKelvie Farm at Etsy; the wood items are already there, the apple items will come later!) The tie-in here is applesauce from Country Baby, a brand created by Diane Keaton’s character after she heads to Vermont!

But first she has to acquire a baby! And I’ll let you discover or rediscover that plot element on your own. I just want to say I laughed out loud a lot during this movie—exactly what I needed—and some of it was from Keaton carrying the baby sideways. Pretty sure no babies were harmed in the making of this film! And, as often happens, two babies, twins, played the part of this adorable baby! You will fall in love with her—I did!—and also possibly Sam Shepard!

But is this happening to you? I view films through the lens of Covid-19 now, and cringe when people touch each other or kiss! Early in the film, there is even a handshake. Noooooo! I wanted to scream, and I knew Dr. Fauci would agree with me, and then the guy in the film actually shook the virus off his hand!! I know he was really shaking the hurt off his hand from her very strong handshake—it’s a feminist film (ish)—but virus eyes saw it differently.

Likewise, in an airport—nooooo, not an airport!—the baby sticks her finger in her mouth. Nooo! Later, she actually gets sick, with symptoms of fever! If I weren’t falling in love and laughing so much during this movie, it would have been unbearable.

Then this morning, on the recommendation of my cousin, I watched Paper Man, also via Hoopla, via my library card! This is a little gem about a writer, starring Jeff Daniels (so I had to watch it on my own as my husband doesn’t like Jeff Daniels), Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, and Lisa Kudrow. Good acting, a pinata, and a superhero, Captain Excellent!*

I’m so happy I can do this, find nostalgic old favorites and charming new favorites! And do you know what? These two movies have something in common: a yellow house in the country. Oh, also twins. And they are a little hard to hear. I wonder if this is a transfer-to-hoopla thing, because all ways of turning up the sound were employed. Or just older soundtracks. Or older ears.

Two favorite lines (I leave it to you to figure out which line is in which movie):

“I don’t even know how many grandchildren I have now.”

"Why origami? Why now?”

Wait, my favorite lines end with the word “now.” And that really makes it a Random Coinciday in the blog.

*And so does this: also this morning (I've been getting up very early) I found this fabulous YouTube video created by Emily Lloyd, librarian in Minnesota, to help kids handle wearing masks. She's a superhero! Who you gonna call!? Germbusters!