In Pamela Adlon’s ‘Babes,’ Ilana Glazer and Michelle Buteau Navigate the Good, Bad and Gross of Pregnancy

Sandra Miska

Two New York City friends, whose lives have taken dramatically different paths, bond over the glory and gore of pregnancy and childbirth in Pamela Adlon’s “Babes.” Ilana Glazer stars as Eden, a thirtysomething who runs a yoga studio out of her walk-up apartment. After she is literally ghosted by the guy who got her pregnant following the one and only time they had sex, she leans on her best pal Dawn (Michelle Buteau), a successful dentist, wife and mother, for support.

A lazier screenplay may have made Eden a stunted fuck-up, but Glazer, who co-wrote this script, has a lot of compassion for her. Because her mother died when she was young and her father is an unreliable agoraphobe (played by Oliver Platt), she is very much attached to Dawn, whom she considers her family. The problem is, although Dawn cares for Eden deeply, she has her husband, Marty (Hasan Minhaj), and their baby and toddler that need her focus. For her part, Eden is a loyal friend, and after she helps Dawn through giving birth on Thanksgiving, she meets and falls for Claude (Stephen James), a kind and handsome actor, on the train ride home. The two end up having sex, forgoing a condom, as Eden is on her period and falsely believes that a pregnancy would be impossible.

Weeks later, Eden is shocked at a positive pregnancy test. She tries to hunt down Claude, who has not returned any of her texts since the day after Thanksgiving. In a dark twist, she learns of his fate at the STD testing center they both frequent. Suffice to say, Eden is looking at single motherhood if she chooses to continue her pregnancy. After an appointment with an eccentric doctor (John Carroll Lynch) and some debate, she decides to keep the baby.

Glazer and Adlon present an honest, fun, and even raunchy look at pregnancy. First, Eden assists Dawn in the hours leading up to birth by monitoring her water breaking and the opening of her birth canal. Later, Eden deals with feelings of horniness (a result of pregnancy hormones), even being tempted by phallic-shaped produce. There is no doubt that Eden will be a loving mother, but when preparing for birth, she focuses more on less important things, such as planning a “prom themed” birth and creating a playlist.

Meanwhile, Dawn, who is experiencing her own setbacks, becomes increasingly frustrated with Eden’s neediness and what she perceives as immaturity. Glazer and Buteau are great together in the fun scenes, but the most memorable moments come when they are having some tough conversations. It is certainly relatable to watch two friends experience shifts in their relationship and navigate a new reality.

At 109 minutes, “Babes” runs a bit long. As this is primarily Eden’s story, it can drag when she is away from the screen for too long. Buteau is fabulous, but Dawn’s struggles in balancing motherhood with work and a spicy marriage feel like something we have seen done many times before. There is also a drawn-out scene in which the ladies are in an altered state that feels stale in 2024.

At 109 minutes, “Babes” runs a little long. As this is primarily Eden’s story, it can drag when she is away from the screen for too long. Buteau is fabulous, but Dawn’s struggles in balancing motherhood with work and a spicy marriage is something we have seen done many times before this. Same goes for a drawn-out sequence of Eden and Dawn getting high together, which feels stale in 2024. Fortunately, there is enough freshness and original humor here to make “Babes” an enjoyable watch.

“Babes” releases May 17 in select theaters, May 24 nationwide.