About Sweetmama Editor
Nadine Silverthorne’s love of journaling began in Grade One with the entry, “I am the greatest dancer!” Two babies (and countless diaper changes) later, she has found her home away from home as editor of SweetMama. Don’t miss her humorous bi-weekly accounts of the joys and pains of working while raising them fabulous.
The Baby Formula
silver spoons canada
(Jun.18.09)
Work is work, as my friend and colleague Sarah Rogers mused recently. But admittedly, no matter how stressed out we are with the volume we produce here at Sweet HQ, our jobs are still pretty sweet. (Case in point: Curtis Stone cooked us dinner the other night!)
A few weeks ago, I got to go see a matinee in the midst of my work day (research!). It was a preview screening of a new comedy opening this weekend called The Baby Formula. Quirky, funny and completely original, The Baby Formula follows a lesbian couple, Athena (Angela Vint) and Lilith (Megan Fahlenbock), as they document (mockument?) the journey of having their first baby. Without giving too much away (the trailer does a much better job), the baby was conceived via a new scientific development and there are several unexpected and hilarious twists until the credits stop rolling.
The two lead actresses were both ACTUALLY pregnant during the filming, which brought out some very credible performances. (How can you fake how awful you feel when you're in that home stretch of pregnancy?) As a mom, I could relate to so much of the little details. There were also some serious laugh out loud moments thanks as well to the supporting cast (a Scottish granny!).
But the best part for me was how proud I felt watching the film. Only days after Prop 8 was upheld in California, I sat in a multiplex, totally unfazed by a movie about a same sex (MARRIED) couple having children. Our country's decision to support gay marriage and gay rights makes me happy to be raising my children here. The argument that gay rights destroy the notion of "family" does not have a leg to stand on as we've proved as a nation.
At Sweetspot, we have a golden rule: Don't write about anything you didn't think was sweet. I genuinely enjoyed this first effort by Alison Reid. Sure, it was over-the-top in spots, but I liked how the film managed to surprise me several times. What began as a comedy eventually gave way to drama, but the real heart of the film actually brought me to tears. (Oh, you didn't get that memo? Motherhood makes you a sap.) The idea that family -- conventional, dysfunctional or not -- is something we all need, well that's a formula I can buy into.
The Baby Formula kicks off Pride Week in Toronto at AMC Yonge & Dundas (showtimes listed on the official site). It may also be coming to a festival near you, so check their blog often for updates.