WARM HEARTS, COLD FEET

US, 1987, 90 minutes, Colour.
Tim Matheson, Margaret Colin, Barry Corbin, George Di Cenzo, Elizabeth Ashley.
Directed by James Frawley.

Warm Hearts, Cold Feet is a pleasant, slight comedy drama about marriage and about pregnancy. It focuses on a husband and wife who are reporters for different, rival papers.

Tim Matheson, a veteran of many of this kind of telemovie (Obsessed with a Married Woman, A Little Sex) is a writer of a column who, in a moment of inspiration, writes about pregnancy and the pregnancy of his wife. She, Margaret Colin (True Believers) is a sports writer wanting to get her break and interview some footballers who have refused interviews to all other reporters.

The paper suggests that the couple actually get pregnant and that Michael, the hero, write a series taking readers right through the whole experience of pregnancy. It is an enormous success. At one point during the pregnancy, Amy rebels. However, the sportsman that she wants to interview praises her for the inspiration that she has given by the many attempts to become pregnant. She also starts a column. Eventually, of course, she becomes pregnant and the two share the whole experience to birth. The film is light - but is very strongly pro-life.

1.Pleasing American telemovie? For American audiences, world-wide audiences? Universal themes of love, marriage, pregnancy and birth?

2.The American city, affluent society, world of careers? Musical score?

3.The title and its humour, ironies?

4.The world of newspapers: Michael and his success, his column, deadlines, need for inspiration? Scott and his supervising, urging Michael to do the series, his own marriage experience? The contrast with Amy, the woman at her paper, Max and his belief in women's rights, the chauvinist touch? His supporting her for a sports column? Her going into the locker-room, interviewing the footballers?

5.The column and people's reactions: Michael and his experience of children, saving the child from being run down? His parents ringing, her mother ringing? The papers' reactions?

6.Their decision to fulfil the expectations? The many attempts to become pregnant, their loving relationship, their seeking helps, medical helps, psychological helps? The doctor's advice? Foods and diet, taking temperatures?

7.The writing up of the anxieties, the failure to become pregnant, people, including the footballer, becoming sympathetic? Michael with the man's point of view of the pregnancy, Amy's?

8.The 30 days, the advice of friends? The doctor and his advice? Michael and his hunger - and the revelation of the pregnancy? The points being made about empathy between husband and wife?

9.The ups and downs of the pregnancy? Max and his threatening Amy with her job? Michael and his becoming irritated? His wife's success? Their sharing the pains, the joys, the training? The comedy about pregnancy?

10.The build-up to the birth, the twins, the momentary anxiety? The happy ending?

11.The point being made about pregnancy, birth, children in the society of the late '80s?