MovieChat Forums > She's Having a Baby (1988) Discussion > What was up with Elizabeth McGovern...?

What was up with Elizabeth McGovern...?

posted 10 years ago by daughterofolaf
11 replies | jump to latest

Does anyone else wonder whether she was supposed to act creepy and weird and completely devoid of any personality as if she were sleepwalking or something or if that is just how she is in reality?

First off, the character was a bitch. From what they show of her I have no idea what Jake even saw in her. Maybe he was just attached and used to her? She had basically no redeeming qualities.

Secondly, as far as McGovern, why did she look like a zombie most of the time? She looked completely bored unless she was screaming and even that was oddly false as if she wasn't actually yelling. I don't think I have ever seen her in any other movies...so does she always have the air of awkward detachment around her or was she just weird in this movie?

"I'd like to confuse bok choy with cabbage, sir."

[–] wapmom 10 years ago

Haha! I'm currently watching the movie for the first time myself and wondering the same thing.

[–] daughterofolaf 10 years ago

Glad it's not just me. I found everything about her very, very odd.

It wasn't me who was murdered, was it?

[–] tmaj48 10 years ago

Yeah, what a horrible wife she was--she supported him uncomplainingly, working
overtime so he could try to work on his writing, even though they were struggling
on just one salary. She always defended him to her domineering, opinionated father
(even when the father had a point). She did her best to make meals for him (and
got sarcastic comments in return). She put up with her husband's creepy friend
and his nasty, boorish girlfriend (not very well, but then who could stand
having those two sleep over?). She had to put up with Davis' putting the moves on
her, but refrained from making a huge stink out of it in order to protect her
husband's feelings (meanwhile, the husband was having fantasies about another
woman). She was better than Jeff deserved.

I'm not crying, you fool, I'm laughing!

Hewwo.

[–] hailstate86 10 years ago

I think that this all falls on the writing. The entire film is driven by Jake/Kevin Bacon, and that it was purposely unfocused on Elizabeth McGovern's character.

I admit, I do wish that there could have been at least one instance in the film of Kristy's point-of-view, but then again, it wasn't "WE'RE Having a Baby."

[–] daughterofolaf 10 years ago

I can see what you mean about the writing and I do get that the movie is from his POV and focuses in him but that aside the actress just seems creepy and weird and even when they do show her in scenes she is oddly devoid of any emotion or expression at all.

It wasn't me who was murdered, was it?

[–] mathmaniac 9 years ago

I think she was chosen for the role because she's just beautfiul. Both she and Kevin Bacon look so young and fresh and ATTRACTIVE in this movie. Other women tend to look kind of slutty in comparison to Elizabeth McGovern in this film.

[–] BlackDog123 9 years ago

That was intentional, look at the way the unmarried people their age are portrayed - drunk, rude, selfish, a little lost. Look at Elizabeth McGovern's matronly hair cut and unflattering clothes - she dressed like a middle-aged woman in her early twenties. She begrudgingly went to a club (not that everyone has to like clubs, but they were young with no kids and never went out, hung out only with older neighbors etc). She is there to "make" Jeff grow up (like working full-time, buying a house, and mowing your lawn every Sunday isn't sufficiently adult, you also need to spend countless hours arguing with your spouse about interior decorating to REALLY cement that maturity).

I don't know, I kind of wanted to run off to NYC with Alec Baldwin lol.

They're coming to get you, Barbara!

[–] spank-my-17 9 years ago

Yeah, I don't recall seeing her in other movies, but she seemed pretty bland as an actress in this. She never sold me on being in love with Kevin Bacon, and maybe that's mostly the scripts fault, but she did nothing else noteworthy imo.
I would like to see her in another starring role, just to see if she has more charisma than this.

[–] lynnrnsd 9 years ago

She's wonderful in "Ordinary People" and she was decent in "A Shock to the System" which is a fun movie with Michael Caine anyway. And "Racing With The Moon" isn't a very great movie, but she's beautiful in it. I think she does have a detached way about her, but not in "Ordinary People". Check out some of her older stuff.

[–] lynnrnsd 9 years ago

She's also in Downton Abbey, if you want to see what she's doing these days.

[–] 9 years ago

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