Babes – A Winning Friendship Comedy

Friendship comedies are the bedrock of the genre, crafting fun and relatable stories based on the relationship of 2 or multiple people. The power of friendship remains a powerful thing across all genders, races. cultures, etc. While it seems like the concept has been approached from every perceivable angle, there is still a lot of ground left to cover. What makes Babes stand out is how it approaches the subgenre through a relationship between two women. Though not the first time a film has tackled such a relationship, this does so in a compelling way through the lens of pregnancy and motherhood. The target audience for the film, at least on paper, is clear but in its own right, is a hilarious and well-written film. Not reinventing the wheel in terms of the genre, it may be predictable in that it crosses many derivative story beats along the way. However, the main reason it works in spite of that is the winning dynamic of Ilana Glazer, who also co-wrote the script), and Michelle Buteau whose chemistry together made them an absolute blast to watch. It is crass, it is rough around the edges, and could’ve gone further with its themes, leaning towards the former, however, these types of films are meant not to inform but to entertain. Trying to more than what it is is an easy way for it to lose itself.

Babes follows Eden (Glazer) and Dawn (Buteau), two childhood friends who have spent all their lives together in New York City. Now finding themselves in different stages of adulthood, Dawn became a new mother while the very single and carefree Eden would soon join her, having a baby of her own as a result of a one-night stand with a man named Claude (Stephan James) who, unbeknownst to her, died. Once inseparable, the friends were intimately involved in each other’s lives, much to the chagrin of Dawn’s husband Marty (Minhaj), though as both were at or near motherhood, their complicated relationship began to change. Becoming a parent, in this case a mother, is yet the next step on the path of finally growing up which they had to do eventually. As they grew up, having to learn to live lives independent of one another proved to be an adjustment period. The relationship between Eden and Dawn, and its evolution over the course of the film, was easily the best part. The evolving contrast between the characters through their respective pregnancy journeys, swapping roles in each other’s lives and experiencing motherhood in their own ways was a fun thing to watch unfold. That being said, while their paths are mostly on the predictable side, they still featured plenty of strong moments that were not only endearing but also hilarious more often than not.

In the end, what makes it work, besides the chemistry of Glazer and Buteau, is the writing. Approaching its subject matter in such an honest and relatable way, it simply made the film more impactful, finding just the right balance between humor and heart. In the end, the story was about a friendship and two women figuring themselves out in order to move forward with their lives. The end result was never in question but they made that journey worth taking. The film lives or dies based on the relationship of Eden and Dawn and to Glazer and Buteau’s credit, they create a believable dynamic and a compelling anchor. Not quite the comic relief and straight man combination, they take turns in the role while excelling at both. The latter, sets the tone with a show-stopping performance in the opening.

At the end of the day, Babes doesn’t reinvent the wheel but still forges an entertaining path off the strength of the dynamic of Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau.

still courtesy of Elevation Pictures

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.