A Good Baby (2000) Online

What another reviewer called lack of character development, I call understatement. The movie didn't bash one over the head with overexplanation or unnecessary backstory. Yes, there were many untold stories that we only got a glimpse of, but this was primarily a one-day snapshot into an event that catalyzed change in all of the characters' lives. Henry Thomas's performance was a really lovely study in the power of acting that focuses on reaction rather than action. Good rental.

I saw this film last night on cable and it is extraordinary. What I love most about it is that it is understated and low-key, but deeply heartfelt. Henry Thomas' (he played the child in E.T.) performance is masterfully inarticulate (he is supposed to be a man of few words). David Straithern is a wonderful crazy villain. And miraculously (given that we're talking about a Hollywood product here) a baby serves as a main character, but one who doesn't act or have lines, but rather just IS (& is luminous at that). Interesting to note that Thomas' mysterious relationship w. E.T. was the core of that film; while his bond w. the baby serves as the core of "A Good Baby."

Then there is the music--ah, what music!! Gillian Welch's tunes are wonderful & the entire score is gorgeous hill country music.

This film is wonderfully atmospheric. I recommend it highly.

This is one of the most interesting movies I have ever seen. I love the backwoods feel of this movie. The movie is very realistic and believable. This seems to take place in another era, maybe the late 60's or early 70's. Henry Thomas works well with the young baby. Very moving story and worth a look.

I just finished watching this film and found it very enjoyable. It is a quiet, little film that doesn't overwhelm you with special effects or "big" performances. It simply takes you into the lives of the people living in a small hamlet in the backwoods of North Carolina.

Henry Thomas gives a good performance as Raymond Toker, a young loner who finds a baby abandoned in the woods. Toker's search for the baby's parents takes him on a journey that will have a profound impact on his life. David Srathairn plays Truman Lester, a slimy conman with an ulterior motive. And David plays the bad guy to perfection.

There is much more to this film than first meets the eye. Filmed on location in North Carolina and with a wonderful sound track of traditional music, it is worth watching.

Henry Thomas was "great". His character held my attention. I was so "into" the story that I forgot it wasn't real. I wanted him to keep the baby and see what a special person he was. The other people in the story were essential in the makeup of his character. The way they banded together to help one another was truly awe inspiring. I love movies that show the real side of human emotions without having to hit you over the head, in that you are not smart enough to figure things out for yourself.

"A Good Baby" is a simple story about simple people and how they deal with a not so simple problem. Set in a backwood hollow of Eastern KY's Appalachia, this slow moving and laconic film accurately portrays its location and people as it plods earnestly through its 90 minute run. Many may find this story lacking in substance though some may enjoy it for its rustic beauty and strong sense of integrity. An out-of-the-mainstream indie and a good representation of a bit of Americana unfamiliar to most.

filmed in North Carolina, slow and hillbilly-like, laconic. This tender tale meanders through this poverty stricken crik, giving us a glimpse into the lives of these poor and simple folk; showing us how tragedy, longing, bitterness and love are all entwined; and how the people there, alone and cut off from the world, manage on their own.

This film has good characters with excellent performances from the cast. David Strathairn is diabolically sincere as the child molesting salesman and Danny Vinson plays a perfect pussy-whipped southern husband. The slick soundtrack betrays the murder ballad tone of the film.

Henry Thomas showed a restraint, even when the third act turned into horrible hollywood resolution that could've killed this movie, that kept the dignity of a redemption story and as for pure creepiness-sniffing babies?

Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems to me that in the beginning, it is only guys that care for the child. I am a guy but I think most women would not turn away a baby without doing something for it. Also in the beginning, the women just say they can't keep "it". Also in the beginning, the baby is usually called "it".

This movie is too predictable and I think it does not fit together very well.

Hated it. If you believe that everyone in the South is dumb, morally bankrupt, stupid, violent, a religious nut, or a child molester, then this film may be for you. Everyone is poor and seemingly ignorant. In one scene, two older men are talking in a general store and one mentions that he had molested a set of sisters before they could tie their shoes. The man seemed proud of his actions, and the other man clearly took it as a normal part of life. Very nice. A teenage girl walks the back roads looking for her sister and no one offers to help her -- despite an obvious limp and lack of food or water (no backpack, etc.). Strathairn's character is not only thoroughly disgusting and slimy, but he is shown to be a religious believer who (typical for Hollywood) reflects the vile nature of Christians. A scene in the movie is highly reminiscent of the end of Cape Fear (the one with DeNiro) -- Bible verses being spouted by the bad guy. I am from the Great Northwest, but found this film offensive because of the wonderful people I know who are from NC, WV, AL, MS, KY, TN, etc.

'A Good Baby' it appears to me, is allegorical; with its short character development, and long, emotional scenes playing to the simplicity, but frequent gore and mystery, of the backwoods of the middle southern USA. The juxtoposition of Miss Pretty's desire for a better life and Truman's need to stay close to home renders a tension between the two that settles the viewers angst when they part company in the long run. Baby is a pawn in the whole mix, and played beautifully by the young star.

If you don't enjoy very low key movies, you might want to steer clear of "A Good Baby". On the other hand if you like seeing how backwoods people react to the finding of an infant in the woods, then stay tuned. The acting is fine, with Richard Thomas as the withdrawn loner who finds the baby. Cara Seymour and David Straithern are also very believable. Some things are not quite as obvious as they might appear, and as the movie moves along, motives for some character's unusual actions are revealed. This is surely never going to be a blockbuster, but for what it is, quiet and original, "A Good Baby" succeeds nicely. - MERK

This movie could have been much better if more time was spent on character development. There are several untold stories. I felt as though I might have missed the first half of the movie. But I didn't.