Trois hommes et un bébé

"Three Men and a Baby" is one of those movies like "Ghostbusters" that you enjoy in spite of the fact that you realize that they are only made for money and are otherwise empty. I saw this about three times when it was new and laughed like a loon each time. A couple of days ago, I saw a dubbed version on Czech TV. This time, only a few of the jokes made me laugh such as the drug hiding jokes, the scenes of the three roomies being obviously outside of their element with the baby and that masterpiece of a scene where Tom Selleck tells off the pompous Hungarian celloist (I always loved that one). Otherwise, the only other entertainment value is provided by the "goofball with a heart of gold" appeal of the three lead actors and a cute little baby for the more sentimental viewers. One thing which struck me though was just how garishly the 80s the music and the fashions were ! When people think "good 1980s music", they usually think of new wave and some of the better hard rock stuff. The music here, though, is exactly the kind of sugary drivel that is best left forgotten. And the fashions, of course, make everyone look like either a "Miami Vice" fan or an ultra clean cut Young Republican. "Three Men and a Baby" is a genuine artifact in this sense.

I was actually surprised at how much I liked 3 Men and a Baby. I agree there are some hit-and-miss moments, and it does start off slowly, but a vast majority of it is very funny and enjoyable. The story is simple, three bachelors find a baby on the doorstep and before long they are knee-deep in bottles, nappies and goo. No matter how simple this story is it is effective too.

Leonard Nimoy's direction adeptly keeps the entertainment and comedy afloat and it comes thick and fast, while the script has plenty of funny and engaging moments. The film is very nice visually, especially loved that apartment, and the music is good enough. The acting I had little problem with either, Ted Danson, Steve Guttenberg and Tom Selleck show great chemistry together and deliver great performances individually as each of their characters get increasingly harassed while adapting to changing, feeding and burping duties, and the baby was very cute.

All in all, very enjoyable and fun. 8/10 Bethany Cox

THREE MEN AND A BABY is one of the big beasts of Hollywood cinema of the 1980s. It's a simple story, one that's well executed by Leonard Nimoy in one of his forays behind the camera, and truth be told there's little to dislike about it as a film. It's basically Steve Guttenberg, Ted Danson, and Tom Selleck in an apartment looking after a baby.

You can guess the easy, laid back nature of the film in this film and it really is an easy viewing experience. Even a mildly suspenseful crime style sub-plot added to the proceedings never endangers the characters much or adds much in the way of real danger to the story. The three main actors are all charismatic and you can easily see why women would fall in love with them, although it's worth noting that the baby is the real scene stealer here.

THREE MEN AND A BABY frequently threatens to veer into cheesy sentimentality, particularly at the climax, but that it never becomes too overwhelming is testament to its success as a film.

Architect Peter Mitchell (Tom Selleck) has an ex in Rebecca (Margaret Colin). Michael Kellam (Steve Guttenberg) is a sensitive cartoonist. Jack Holden (Ted Danson) is a playboy actor. The three bachelors happily share a Manhattan penthouse with a long line of women coming in and out. Then somebody leaves a baby at their doorstep. A note indicates that Mary is the result of an union between Jack and Sylvia (Nancy Travis). Jack is away doing a TV movie. Peter and Michael are forced to deal with the baby. Jack has a package of drugs delivered to the apartment which is to be picked up by two men. Peter and Michael mistakenly assume the baby to be the package. Narcotics officer Sgt. Melkowitz (Philip Bosco) come to question the guys.

The combination of the three stars makes this work. Selleck is terrific. This has good comedy and some awkward stuff. I can do without the heroin. It takes the movie down a dark alley. The tone is completely wrong. I would have liked more with Rebecca and Sylvia doesn't need to be British. Overall, it's a mix bag with some laughs.

Ted Danson, Tom Selleck, and Steve Guttenberg star in this light- hearted comedy about how 3 New York bachelors receive a big change in their lives after finding a baby on their doorstep. With humor that primarily surround the ordeal the 3 men have to contend with, 3 MEN AND A BABY relies on the chemistry the 3 main stars generate with

each other. At first they experience dismay with the infant; I mean, how can three unmarried men take care of a baby?! But soon enough the 3 guys fall in love with her. But with good measure, a drug- smuggling subplot is thrown in (probably to make it not look like your a typical family-oriented comedy). Nevertheless, Danson, Selleck, and Guttenberg shine. The same goes for the cute little baby Mary, and a

good direction from an unlikely director, Leonard "Mr. Spock" Nimoy himself!