A Brilliant Conflict

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

I've never been one for romance films, especially the sappy made-for-TV ones, but this just always stuck with me as a good story. Grace is an extremely overweight and shy girl, working as a mortician's assistant and worried that her entire life will be boring and depressing. One day while on the city subway she meets Rob, a subway conductor, and instantly falls in love, but assumes he'd never go for the fat girl. While struggling with a pushy stepmother, she still manages to prove to Rob that looks aren't everything, and that they can be happy together regardless of her weight.This film is very inspirational. In this day and age, where obesity is on the rise in North America and television makes looks seem like everything, it makes overweight woman laughingstocks. Grace proves that anyone can find romance and friendship no matter what they look like, and that being overweight isn't a curse. You'd expect a film like Babycakes to be all preachy and politically correct with some moral about fat-shaming, but while it carries the theme that fat people don't deserve to be treated badly, nothing is swept under the carpet. Grace even admits to herself sometimes that she's unhealthy and would like to be thinner, but the difference here is that she doesn't let this be an excuse for laziness. She goes to work, hangs out with her friends and tries to be a part of things, and when someone gives her a chance, she puts effort into her appearance and shows that your size doesn't affect your personality.Babycakes has elements of comedy, also sad moments, and amazing moments, great acting and great soundtrack; it makes it a fun and interesting movie to watch. It's really worth your time, even if you aren't a fan of the drama genre. It's so Eighties, too! If you love films evocative of the era of flamboyant colors and dance music and synthesized sound, you'll love this.My only problem with it was the way Grace and Rob treat Rob's girlfriend. Sure, she was a b!tch with a capital B, but Rob should not have cheated on her behind her back, and Grace should not have continued to date him until he had come clean and broken up with her. As much of a bully as she was, it's understandable if she was lied to and ignored by someone who she thought cared about her.

I have mixed feelings about this movie. On the one hand, I love to see the underdog win, especially as she is portrayed in this movie. On the other, the movie rushes to a close that leaves many loose ends, and ultimately makes some of the action seem a bit immoral.Grace (Ricki Lake) is the overweight daughter of widowed Al (John Karlen). As the movie opens, Al is marrying Wanda (Betty Buckley), a woman who seems to delight in talking about Grace's weight problem in euphemistic terms. Al seems oblivious to how hurtful his new wife is to his daughter. Grace works as a make up artist for a funeral home, an irony which is not lost on her. On her commute to and from work every day, she sees a handsome subway conductor (Craig Sheffer), whom she pines after. In spite of all the unpleasantry in her life, and a best friend, Keri (Nada Despotovich), who is doom and gloom personified, Grace has a surprising upbeat attitude about life. As the holidays approach, she decides it's time to make some positive changes in her life, looking into becoming a cosmetologist, and deciding it is time to meet the subway conductor that she dreams of. His name turns out to be Rob, and the audience knows before Grace does that he is unhappily engaged to a rather pushy woman named Olivia (Cynthia Dale). While Olivia is out of town, Grace puts her plan to meet Rob into action, with hilarious, touching, and ultimately humiliating results. Can Grace pick up the pieces and go on with her life? Can Rob actually marry Olivia? Or will fate throw them together after all? The biggest problem I have with this movie is that it completely ignores the issue that Grace is attempting to snare a man that is already taken. Granted, Grace doesn't know this at first, but when she finds out, she doesn't seem to care. Her attitude is that she will enjoy her time with him, and not worry about tomorrow, thus when tomorrow comes crashing in in the form of a very angry Olivia, I was more inclined to say "I told you so" to Grace than to comfort her. Likewise, I needed to see more of Rob working himself up to getting out of his relationship with Olivia. He just suddenly changes his mind, and shows up at the end of the movie asking to be with Grace, which is hard to swallow, even though the audiences wants to see them together. Finally, I can't imagine why Grace values Keri's friendship. Keri forces her to choose between friends, and then betrays Grace. Odd behavior from someone who is supposed to be your most trusted confidant. All of it added up to a somewhat unbelievable plot, which could have been fixed with a minimal amount of effort. Things might have worked better if Grace hadn't discovered Rob was engaged until she actually met his fiancé. And it definitely would have worked better if we had seen a scene where Rob finally tells Olivia that he wants nothing to do with her anymore, before going to tell Grace he wants to be with her, and really having to convince her to take him.The acting is a mixed bag. Lake does a nice job with Grace, although this is a similar character to Tracy in Hairspray. She contrasts Grace's sunny optimism very nicely with the difficulties she has with her family. Karlen and Buckley struggle to rise above bad material, but don't quite get there. Sheffer merely comes off as confused and unsure, while both Despotovich and Dale bristle with believable malice.I very much enjoy seeing the underdog have her day, and this is an underdog you can't help liking. But there is much that needs fixing in this movie, and the fixes are so easy that you wonder why somebody didn't catch them in the first place. So, enjoy the movie. Celebrate the triumph of this underdog, just ignore the lack of depth to the story.

I have this movie taped from the early 90's off of the lifetime channel, before lifetime became as pathetic as it now is. This movie rocks! it is a definite favorite of mine. It is heartwarming, charming, and hilarious. my best friends are all like the character of keri! but more importantly, Ricki Lake is so great! she plays the role of a lonely twenty-something so well! and it strikes a nerve for anyone that is fat and has had troubles getting the perfect guy to notice you. it is a true picture of what some people will do (i.e. me) in times of desperation! It's funny at the same time. such as the cute way ricki continually bumbles around is clumsy. i guess that might just be part of the role, however, it really makes me giggle and take awe. my boyfriend and i cuddle up and watch this movie a lot during the winter, it is a great blizzard movie! make some s'mores and get some cocoa, this movie will match the warmth you start feeling! the character of rob, played by the very beautiful craig sheffer, is a fun thing too. he's a very charming person, and it's so good that grace ends up getting a guy like rob and not someone like olivia!

"Babycakes" is the story of a girl who thought she was an ugly-duckling, and wants to get the most handsome guy she has ever seen (Craig Sheffer, a few years before "A River Runs Through It"). At first put off by her weight, he learns to like her and finds that there is more to her than simply girth.Ricki Lake is very appealing in this movie. Sure, she was fat, but that only adds to her appeal. I thought she was very attractive in "Babycakes" and this film certainly adds to the message that big women are desirable people too.Seeing her now only makes me wish she looked like she did in "Babycakes".I recommend this small movie, especially if you are a romantic. George