There Goes My Baby MPAA Rating: R Entertainment: +1/2 Content: -2

One of the most inept movies of 1994, THERE GOES MY BABY tries to tell the story of three teenagers about to graduate from a California high school in 1965. Dubbed as the "future of our country," they try to make sense of the turbulent sixties as they decide what to do with their futures. Included in the group is Stick (Rick Schroeder), so named for his ability to surf. He is joining the military and will probably end up in Vietnam. Pirate (Dermot Mulroney), the rebel without a cause, wants to roam the country in search of something, but we don't know what. Michael Finnegan (Noah Wyle), the brains of the group, will go to Harvard at the end of the summer, but his sensitive nature is disturbed by the Vietnam war. The plot breaks down early on and the movie becomes a preachy, heavy-handed mess of politically charged observations. Some of the audience laughed throughout the film at the serious scenes. Let this "baby" go by.

The confused action includes not only violent Vietnam protests, but the Watts riot, abusive policemen and teachers, and "tough" decisions about having an illegal and unsafe abortion. One person is shot in the chest during the beginning of the Watts riot and much destruction of property and violence is shown thereafter. Fortunately, one incident of looting is not condoned, though it is portrayed as a natural outlet in the larger population. One student is attacked by trained dogs and then beaten with clubs and graphically choked by policeman when he tries to protest the Vietnam war. He later dies of his injuries, supposedly martyred by the unjust school and police systems. Intercourse is implied twice though no nudity is shown. A nude picture with full frontal breast nudity adorns the locker of one student. The language, with many obscenities, fits this perverted universe . All adults, except those who have no authority over the kids, are portrayed as imbecilic, angry bigots. Only "wise" teenagers can see how wrong these adults are. The language, violence and the anti-authority message wipe out this movie on the shores of good taste.

Preview Reviewer: Greg Wilson
Distributor: Orion Pictures, 304 Park Ave. South, NY,NY, 10010