Verdict
Summary
Not necessarily a classic or a film that has aged remarkably well, but still a solid film on its own merits (thanks to the star power), Paternity deserves a shot.
Plot:
A terminal bachelor wants a child, but first he has to find a surrogate mother.
Review:
Terminal bachelor Buddy Evans (Burt Reynolds) seemingly has it all: a date with a different woman every night, a great career as an executive at Madison Square Garden, and the looks and personality to carry him through, but at 44 years old, he’s pining for a child in ways he never before realized he wanted. He comes up with a modern solution: He’ll hire a surrogate mother to carry his baby to term. It all seems so easy until he begins the process of interviewing dozens of women for the task. He’s laughed out of the room, made fun of, and misunderstood, but when he meets a pretty waitress named Maggie (Beverly D’Angelo) who was just accepted into a prestigious music school but no way to pay for it, it seems that it’s kismet. They come to a financial arrangement (with all the necessary legalities in place), and she’ll live in his apartment for the duration of the pregnancy, and despite their best efforts not to, they begin falling for each other. But it’s very telling that Buddy can’t shake his bachelor ways, which could upend his entire hope for the future.
A cute romantic comedy with Reynolds at the height of his stardom, Paternity could never be made as-is today without going over the top with crudity and crass humor; it’s presented as a very mature, genteel, and for it’s time as a totally new concept, and it works because director David Steinberg handles the material with a deft and light hand, never overplaying it. Reynolds and D’Angelo had nice chemistry, and the film has some really cool little moments all throughout. Future A Christmas Story star Peter Billingsley has a supporting role as a son of Buddy’s colleague, and the scenes he shares with Reynolds are really neat. Not necessarily a classic or a film that has aged remarkably well, but still a solid film on its own merits (thanks to the star power), Paternity deserves a shot.
Long only available on VHS (which I’ve had a copy of for many years), Paternity makes its disc debut with Kino Lorber’s new Blu-ray release, which contains a new HD master from a 4K scan of the 35mm original camera negative, so the transfer sparkles and shines. There’s a new audio commentary by two film journalists as well. This edition comes with a slipcover.
