Cast: Rosie Perez, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Diego Serrano, Patti LuPone, Wally Dunn, Karen Duffy
Director: Nancy Savoca
Producers: Richard Guay, Larry Meistrich
Screenplay: Nancy Savoca, Richard Guay
Cinematography: Teresa Medini
U.S. Distributor: The Shooting Gallery
One question almost every adult has to face at one time or another is whether or not he or she wants children. It's a universal dilemma that affects both men and women regardless of race, economic status, or sexual orientation. For the most part, movies portray parenting as a source of pure joy, but those unsure about joining the ranks of mothers and fathers may find themselves discouraged by The 24-Hour Woman. After seeing this film, a sometimes-funny, sometimes-serious look at the trials of balancing the care of a baby with the maintenance of a marriage and a career, the allure of becoming a parent can lose some of its luster. Directed by Nancy Savoca (The House of Spirits), The 24-Hour Woman does not espouse the belief that giving birth should be a woman's ultimate goal in life.
The days of the so-called "nuclear family" are long gone. No longer is the mother's role to stay home with the children while Dad goes off and plays the part of breadwinner. Yet women who elect to return to the workforce soon after giving birth face a number of challenges, not the least of which is the guilt associated with leaving their new offspring in the care of a stranger. Savoca's film wonders aloud whether it's possible for a career-obsessed woman to become an effective mother without giving up her job or cracking under the pressure. With apologies to Pedro Almodovar, The 24-Hour Woman could easily be called A Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.
That woman is Grace (Rosie Perez), the producer of a successful New York morning program, "The 24-Hour Woman." When Grace's husband, Eddie (Diego Serrano), one of the program's hosts, announces on camera that his wife is pregnant, Grace becomes an instant celebrity. Her pregnancy turns into an on-air event, and ratings begin to climb. To help with her workload, Grace hires an assistant, Madeline (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), who takes over when Grace departs on maternity leave. After having the baby, however, Grace finds that returning to work isn't easy. She's worried about leaving her daughter with the nanny, and her husband, who's off auditioning for movie roles, isn't much help. She begins to feel that she's a failure both at the job and as a mother.
Although The 24-Hour Woman deals with some serious subjects, Savoca wisely maintains a feather-light tone. Comedy and satire are blended in with the drama, keeping the proceedings from becoming too grim and unpleasant, and the energy level is consistently high. However, while the ending offers a catharsis, it's too cartoonish and over-the-top. Along the way, Savoca makes a few missteps, but this is the most serious. Admittedly, Grace is building up to a nervous breakdown, but the situation is not resolved in a credible manner. Putting the climax aside, the rest of the film is competently developed. For most of the running length, we're presented with a study in contrasts. On one hand, there's Grace, the first-time mother with an absentee husband who can't find enough hours in the day for her job and her child. On the other hand, there's Madeline, who has three children and a caring husband, and who manages the juggling act that Grace strives for. In the end, according to Savoca, motherhood is all about compromise and sacrifice.
Rosie Perez, who has by far the most screen time of any actor, is wonderful in this role. The actress, who's often too shrill to be appealing, tones down the irritating aspects of her personae and turns in a finely tuned performance. She gets everything right, especially the slow-but-steady escalation of Grace's desperation as she is unable to reconcile her home life with her career. Perez brings us along with the character, hitting all the stops on the way - the aggressive businesswoman, the pregnant woman at full term ("I'm two days late and everyone's acting like I'm doing something wrong here!"), and the conflicted mother who misses her daughter's birthday party because of work commitments. She is ably supported by Marianne Jean-Baptiste (Secrets and Lies), Diego Serrano, and Wally Dunn.
One of Savoca's strengths is her ability to convey chaos. After Grace's baby is born, when the relatives close in like well-meaning predators, the overwhelming sense of confusion, with the baby crying and the adults screaming advice and moving around, is palpable. The edginess of this scene, as well as a few others, allows the audience to participate, if only momentarily, in the upheaval that's going on in Grace's life. This identification is crucial to the film's effectiveness. And, even though the last ten minutes of The 24-Hour Woman are painfully overwrought, the movie as a whole is still worth seeing. It contains a memorable character, offers an interesting situation, and, most importantly, is fun.
© 1999 James Berardinelli