Look Who's Talking is a 1989 comedy film which stars John Travolta and Kirstie Alley. Bruce Willis plays the voice of Mollie's son, Mikey. The movie also features George Segal as Albert, the illegitimate father of Mikey. The film was written and directed by Amy Heckerling.
Plot
Mollie Jensen (Kirstie Alley) is an accountant living and working in New York City. The latest client she has been assigned by her firm is a charmingly handsome[citation needed] but shallow, womanising executive named Albert (George Segal). Albert seduces her, and although he is married, he embarks on an affair with Mollie, promising to leave his wife for her.
Mollie insists that their relationship has to stop; however, succumbing to temptation, she has sex with him, and unbeknownst to her, she becomes pregnant with his child.
After realising she is pregnant, Mollie informs Albert, who takes the news well and again promises to leave his wife and raise the baby with her. Until then, Mollie decides to tell her eccentric and over-bearing parents (Olympia Dukakis and Louis Heckerling) that there is no father and that she became pregnant via a sperm donor.
Mollie continues her relationship with Albert as the pregnancy develops; however, she fears he's seeing another woman, Melissa (Joy Boushel).
Later, when Mollie and her best friend, Rona (Twink Caplan), are shopping, Mollie finds Albert in a clinch with Melissa. Angry and upset, a heart-broken Mollie storms off in a rage while the fight causes her to suddenly go into labour. When she hails a cab, the driver, James Ubriacco (John Travolta), realises the seriousness of the situation and speeds off wildly to the hospital. Upon reaching the hospital, the nurses mistake him for the father of Mollie's baby, and he feels inclined to stay. Mollie gives birth to a son she names Michael, or "Mikey" (voiced by Bruce Willis and played by child actor Robert Wallace).
A few days after Mikey is brought home, Mollie receives a visit from James, and he returns the purse she left behind in his taxi. James meets Mikey, and they seem to enjoy each other's company.
Over the next month or so, Mollie is dealing with being a single parent and Mikey is becoming used to his new world when she discovers that James has been using her address to keep his grandfather (Abe Vigoda) in a nursing home in the local area. She confronts James and he offers to babysit Mikey if she lets him continue to use the address, which she agrees to.
Mollie starts dating again but quickly realises that none of the men she has been seeing are good enough for Mikey. One night, she lets her guard down and almost sleeps with James; however, after imagining what life would be like if she married him, she asks him to leave, despite James telling her he loves both her and Mikey.
Soon after, Mollie is forced to help Albert with his taxes, when he pleads with her to let him see Mikey (who he mistakenly calls "Mickey").
Mollie agrees to let Albert see Mikey that night but forgets to inform James, who is babysitting Mikey. A fight ensues when Albert arrives and claims to be Mikey's father; James does not believe this is possible, as Mollie had told him that Mikey was conceived by a sperm donor. James and Mollie get into an argument, and he leaves.
Later, Mollie takes Mikey to see Albert, who shows that he has not changed; she proceeds to destroy his office with the help of a very enthusiastic Mikey.
Mollie later receives a call from the nursing home James's grandfather is staying at complaining about his behaviour. She explains to the manager why James's grandfather's behavior had been so bad, and the manager agrees to let him stay, believing Mollie to be James's wife. Mollie runs into James outside the office; he had overheard the phone call, and he thanks her.
After Mikey sees a yellow taxi cab outside the nursing home and believes it to be James, he proceeds to leave and ends up standing in the middle of open traffic, looking for James's taxicab. James and Mollie rescue Mikey from the street, and when Mikey calls James "Da-da," Mollie sees that James is not only perfect for Mikey, but perfect for her, as well. They kiss, with Mikey looking on happily.
As the credits roll, an older Mikey and James are shown walking through a hospital to see Mollie, who has just given birth to Mikey's half-sister, Julie, setting the sequel, Look Who's Talking Too, in motion.
Reception
Reviews for Look Who's Talking were generally favorable, with a 70% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was also the 4th highest grossing film of 1989.
Legacy
This movie was successful enough to spawn two sequels: Look Who's Talking Too (1990) and Look Who's Talking Now (1993). The success of the first two movies also inspired an ABC sitcom called Baby Talk, which aired from 1991 until 1992 and which featured Tony Danza as the voice of "Baby Mickey."
Characters
Major characters
- Mollie Jensen played by Kirstie Alley - A single accountant who has an affair with one of her clients, Albert and becomes pregnant. Despite his assurances of supporting her, she is betrayed by him and as a result develops little trust in other men who she introduces to her and Mikey's life. She is a loving and sometimes overbearing mother, and fiercely independent.
- James Ubriacco played by John Travolta - A New York cab driver and part time pilot who comes into Mollie's life when she rushes to the hospital to give birth to Mikey. He becomes Mikey's father figure and eventually becomes a father, but even before then he is devoted to Mollie and her son even if she does not realize it. He is usually playful and somewhat childish. Down in luck on his job front, he often finds other means of getting what he needs.
- Michael "Mikey" Jensen voiced by Bruce Willis and played by Jason Schaller, Jaryd Waterhouse, and Jacob Haines - Born to Mollie Jensen and her one time lover Albert and the main protagonist of the film, he is born in the presence of his mother and James Ubriacco with whom he develops a father/son bond. Exploring the world around him, Mikey often finds amusement in his observations and is very keen on picking up the emotions of his mother, often picking up sarcasm from what he sees and hears, and following suit where his mother stands up.
- Rosie played by Olympia Dukakis - Mollie's nosy and loud mother. She is excited by the fact that Mollie has Mikey and that she is a grandmother, despite the reservations she had when Mollie announced that she was pregnant. She suspects any man in Mollie's life of being with her, and often tries to set her up, usually with other accountants much to Mollie's disappointment. She is endearing and loving, and is struck as "weird" even by Mikey's standards.
Other characters
- Albert played by George Segal is a self proclaimed "great father" and always regails in the fact as to how well he raised his children. He becomes unhappy in his marriage and moves out on his wife, much to Mollie's elation with whom he had given a child. However he is very promiscuous and leaves Mollie for his interior decorator. In the end he proves to be incapable of change and Mollie washes her hands of him.
- Rona played by Twink Caplan is Mollie's best friend and coworker, she is the only one other than Albert who is let in on the secret to Mollie's pregnancy not being artificial and jumps to defend her honor when they catch Albert in the act of cheating on her with another woman. She is short in stature but big on personality always wanting to get the younger, cuter guys.
- Vincent Ubriacco played by Abe Vigoda is James' grandfather who had been moved to a Manhattan Retirement home. Because James lives in another county he sets up Mollie's in-city address to allow Vincent to stay. He is kind in general but seems to be prone to lacking inhibitions, spouting insults without second thought, Mikey quickly grows on him, however and starts treating him like a great-grandson.
- Joy Boushel .... Melissa
- Don S. Davis .... Dr. Fleisher
- Louis Heckerling .... Lou
- Brenda Crichlow .... Secretary
- Sabrina Bailey .... Sandbox Baby
- Joan Rivers .... Baby Julie (credited as "Baby Guess")
External links
|
The Look Who's Talking Trilogy |
|
|
|
|
