What are your favorite depictions of childbirth in fiction or film? Bonus question: can you name a story, novel or film in which birth plays a central role/the story is about the moment of birth (Alien, Rosemary’s Baby and body horror ok but if you can think of dramas, comedies, etc that would be helpful, too!)
As someone who faced physical and mental health problems postpartum, I appreciate movies that address that stuff even though they can be hard to watch. “Tully,” and the pre-eclampsia death of Sybil on “Downton Abbey” both had an effect on my for their honest portrayals of how terrifying that time can be.
Ooh. This is something I've been researching (books only). My list includes Hamnet, Kristin Lavransdatter, Cutting for Stone, Anna Karenina, and others that aren't coming to mind at the moment. I'll be using your list to add to mine!
In French class we would watch this movie called "kirikou" about a little boy at the beginning of the movie/series he is in his mothers stomach and i think walks out?? And his mother is like oh u want to act like that u can name urself too! He named himself kirikou and then like went around wreaking havoc he may have had powers as well lmao
Midwives by chris bohjalian. It may or may not be good, i read it years ago and liked it but who knows. It centers around a birth and whether the midwife makes the right call. The end of the book has really stuck with me.
There is a touching one in War and Peace (relatively early in the book, I think), where the princess who is carrying Prince Andrei’s first baby does in childbirth.
I remember vividly reading the birthing scene in The Handmaid's Tale as a freshman in high school - it's a terrible, heart-rending scene, of course, but also may have been the first time I (a boy) thought deeply about what birth and newborn babies mean to mothers.
Other memorable births: Children of Men; The Color Purple; Lidia Yuknavitch's The Small Backs of Children; Saved!
Prometheus may not count but omg when Noomi Rapace is getting that c-section. Her fear was palpable and I had a visceral reaction to my last one. I’ve had three and the last one was out of my hands and I have never been so scared. It was 17 years ago and that scene took me right back.
As someone who faced physical and mental health problems postpartum, I appreciate movies that address that stuff even though they can be hard to watch. “Tully,” and the pre-eclampsia death of Sybil on “Downton Abbey” both had an effect on my for their honest portrayals of how terrifying that time can be.
Elisabeth Moss's birth scene in S2 E11.
Ooh. This is something I've been researching (books only). My list includes Hamnet, Kristin Lavransdatter, Cutting for Stone, Anna Karenina, and others that aren't coming to mind at the moment. I'll be using your list to add to mine!
Nine Months, Knocked Up, Juno
The first chapter of Behind The Scenes at the museum, which is conception and birth narrated by the fetus, and nicely done imo.
The new novel from Brad Fox (Hunter ‘13), TO REMAIN NAMELESS
The birth scene in the film If Beale Street Could Talk was one of the most beautiful and hopeful I've seen.
The Mamma Mia films <3 i will not elaborate
There are a few birth scenes in The Revisioners by Margaret Wilkerson Sexton. Black doulas and midwives play central roles in the novel.
In French class we would watch this movie called "kirikou" about a little boy at the beginning of the movie/series he is in his mothers stomach and i think walks out?? And his mother is like oh u want to act like that u can name urself too! He named himself kirikou and then like went around wreaking havoc he may have had powers as well lmao
The traditional child naming tradition in Roots where the father in each generation raises the newborn baby to the sky.
Grace Jones' Strange commercial in Boomerang.
Midwives by chris bohjalian. It may or may not be good, i read it years ago and liked it but who knows. It centers around a birth and whether the midwife makes the right call. The end of the book has really stuck with me.
Father of the Bride Part 2
There is a touching one in War and Peace (relatively early in the book, I think), where the princess who is carrying Prince Andrei’s first baby does in childbirth.
Argonauts is the first one to come to mind.
My favorite might be the graphic novel Saga. Other things that come to mind: Beloved, White Teeth, The Opposite of Sex, Grey’s Anatomy
I remember vividly reading the birthing scene in The Handmaid's Tale as a freshman in high school - it's a terrible, heart-rending scene, of course, but also may have been the first time I (a boy) thought deeply about what birth and newborn babies mean to mothers.
Other memorable births: Children of Men; The Color Purple; Lidia Yuknavitch's The Small Backs of Children; Saved!
Knocked Up, Cafe au Lait, Juno, Baby Mama, Private Life (abstractly), Egg, Raising Arizona (abstractly)
Prometheus may not count but omg when Noomi Rapace is getting that c-section. Her fear was palpable and I had a visceral reaction to my last one. I’ve had three and the last one was out of my hands and I have never been so scared. It was 17 years ago and that scene took me right back.
Call the Midwife on BBC
Children of Men
look who's talking
Agnes of god