Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fatherhood in a Nutshell, July 29, 2008
Everything we have seen about impending childbirth on film so far-- from "Nine Months" to "Knocked Up"-- has focused on the mother's experience with the dad-to-be along for the ride, seemingly to only offer uneducated attempts at comedic relief for their stressed out better halves. Snapper Lounge Media, PNM Productions, and Leslie Marsh have set out to rectify that now, though, with "Being Dad," an eighty-minute journey of what the various stages of pregnancy are like for the men "behind the scenes," so to speak. In some very real and very touchingly honest discussions with dads from all across the United States, "Being Dad" is one part informative educational tool and one part sentimental documentary.
"Being Dad" opens on Troy, a young man who's expecting his first child. Though the first minute or so tells us that Troy only has twelve hours until his baby is born, the film then backtracks through time to explore his nine-month journey. Footage of Troy attending to cravings, doctors appointments, Lamaze classes, and nursery preparations is few and far between, though, and mostly entails Troy talking directly to the camera about something his off-screen wife has said. Marsh, then, relies on a healthy combination of interviews with medical professionals as well as a random combination of strangers to cover a wide variety of possible experiences or any first time father.
Men from all over the country-- California, New York, Chicago, Boston-- were interviewed on-camera in "Being Dad," presumably to give their words a universal appeal. Since we only meet them after the fact, and we never see them interact with either a pregnant wife or a baby, it's easy to put their words and stories onto just about anyone: they could be our brothers, our neighbors, our co-workers, or our old college buddies. Sitting around, drinking some beers and sharing their stories, they are snappy and exceptionally comfortable, despite the intimate nature of what they are saying, and that, in turn, is refreshing. Through these guys, "Being Dad" seems to become much more about these nameless "everyman" dads than Troy. Though there is a brief moment in the very first restaurant that we see Troy sitting at the table and laughing, too, Marsh then quickly opts for close-ups of the men talking rather than reaction shots of the man for whom everything is about to change. Getting in so close on these expressive faces just makes the viewing experience that much more emotional and investing, as well, and though instead of identifying only with Troy, we end up losing ourselves in recollections about pregnancy tests, morning sickness, miscarriages, and much, much more. Being Dad suddenly becomes everyone's story, and opening it up in such a way not only makes it more accessible but also more relatable.
Marsh uses title cards to separate her "chapters" of "Being Dad" in the most blatant way to tell the audience what to expect next, which is almost poetic in that we are so prepared when the dads were so completely blindsided just months earlier. "Being Dad" is a somewhat unexpectedly sentimental look at fatherhood, but a word to the wise that it may not be for the skittish dads, as when we finally rejoin Troy, he is in the delivery room about to meet his baby for the first time, and just as all of the men were completely candid in their discussions, the camera is completely candid in what it shows. And really, in those moments, Being Dad's cinematography acts almost as a metaphor for its general message: just when you think you're getting comfortable, something throws you for a complete loop. And really, that's fatherhood in a nutshell.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Prospective Moms, Force Dad to Watch This!, September 24, 2008
I wish this video were available while my wife was pregnant 2 years ago. This movie is clearly by dads, for (soon-to-be) dads. And yet Mom will be thrilled to see Dad glued to the screen next to her.
Mom: Buy this video for your man, make some popcorn, and trick him into watching it. I was sucked in immediately myself, into the brotherhood of men discussing their experiences leading up to the births of their babies. I laughed a lot, I learned a lot, and I even had a lump in my throat at times. (You don't need to mention that part to your man.)
Dad: Picking up this video is an opportunity to score major points by showing how supportive you are during this new experience you're sharing. You need to bank up some of these points now. Trust me on this.
Friends & Family: Know that this video will serve as a great gift to both the soon-to-be Mom *and* Dad in your life. My wife loved it regardless of its focus on Dads. In fact, that made it more comical, plus she probably felt more at ease knowing that I wasn't disenfranchised (bored) watching your typical Mom-focused, more "clinical" video.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A "What to expect when you are expecting" from dads' perspectives, September 10, 2008
This movie shares all the facts of fatherhood in an informative yet playful format that makes us feel like we are part of the group of dads chatting with one another over a beer or two. A great preparation for becoming a first-time father and a trip down memory line for those who have already joined the fatherhood club (with lots of answers to those questions that even experienced dads have always been wondering about). While the general tone of the movie is light and humorous, these dads share their feelings from the heart and by including a wide variety of men from different parts of the country, the viewer gets a clear picture of the personal yet universal concerns and joys of becoming a father. Conversations between fathers are interspersed with brief explanations from various experts in the field. If it is ever truly possible to prepare for parenthood, "Being Dad" is an excellent first step in that preparation!
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