Three Men and a Baby (1987)
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Three bachelors must navigate the unexpected responsibilities of fatherhood when a baby is left on their doorstep.
The story
Architect Peter Mitchell, cartoonist Michael Kellam, and actor Jack Holden are happy bachelors living in a shared New York apartment. Their lives are upended when a baby named Mary arrives on their doorstep with a note explaining she is the result of Jack's tryst with an actress. While Jack is away in Turkey, his roommates are left to care for the infant. They quickly find themselves overwhelmed by the demands of childcare, including feedings and diaper changes, while simultaneously trying to manage their daily work schedules and navigate a series of complications involving a mysterious 'package' and local drug dealers.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Architect Peter Mitchell, cartoonist Michael Kellam, and actor Jack Holden are bachelors in a New York apartment who receive a baby, Mary, on their doorstep. A note reveals she is the child of Jack, who is currently in Turkey. While Jack is away, Peter and Michael struggle to care for Mary, even mistakenly handing her over to drug dealers who were looking for a 'package' of heroin. After a scuffle and a police intervention, the men realize the danger and continue to care for Mary, growing attached to her. Jack eventually returns early from his movie role and discovers the truth about the baby. The three men eventually share the babysitting duties, even installing a shower telephone to stay in touch with Jack's mother. They eventually formulate a plan to trap the drug dealers, successfully proving their innocence to a narcotics officer. Finally, Mary's mother, Sylvia, arrives to take her to London. The men race to the airport but miss her plane. They return home to find Sylvia and Mary have returned, and the four decide to live together happily.
- First release year
- 1987
- Runtime (minutes)
- 102
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Leonard Nimoy
- Writers
- Jim Cruickshank · screenplay; James Orr · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Tom Selleck · Peter Mitchell; Steve Guttenberg · Michael Kellam; Ted Danson · Jack Holden
- Genres
- comedy
- Themes
- parenting; fatherhood; friendship
- Tone and mood
- comedy; heartwarming
- Premise and plot tags
- comedy; parenting; illegal drug trade
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Three Godfathers by Peter B. Kyne (1913 short story)
- Franchise connections
- Three Men and a Baby
- Reception
- The critical response was generally positive, with the film being described as a heartwarming entertainment that bubbles along in a funny if predictable way. It was a major box-office hit, becoming the biggest American box-office hit of 1987.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 67% · review count: 70 critics; Metacritic · score: 61 · review count: 16 reviews
- Awards and nominations
- People's Choice Award · Favorite Comedy Motion Picture · 1988 · win
- Production trivia
- The film was the first production from Walt Disney Studios to gross more than $100 million domestically in its initial run.; The indoor scenes were shot on a Toronto sound stage, not in a house.; A cardboard standee of Jack in a tuxedo was mistaken for a ghost in an urban legend.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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