Nobody's Baby (2001)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

David Seltzer

Writer (WGA):

David Seltzer (written by)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot Keywords:

Independent Film

Cast

Skeet Ulrich	...	Billy Raedeen
Gary Oldman	...	Buford Dill
Radha Mitchell	...	Shauna Louise
Mary Steenburgen	...	Estelle
Gordon Tootoosis	...	Dog Havasu
Anna Gunn	...	Stormy
Peter Greene	...	Vern
Elaina Merkey	...	Baby Loozy
Emily Merkey	...	Baby Loozy
Cory Dangerfield	...	Billy's Father
Bob Eric Hart	...	Judge
George Sullivan	...	Bailiff
Patrick Shining Elk	...	Paiute Indian
Charles Gruber	...	Driver in Crash
Sean Kane	...	Cactus Pie Bartender

Also Known As:

Anasazi Moon (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, some violence and nudity.

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Spain:18 | Iceland:LH | USA:R (Certificate #37090)

Filming Locations:

Moab, Utah, USA

Company:

Cinerenta Medienbeteiligungs KG

Trivia:

While filming, Gary Oldman spent a lot of time with the twin girls playing the baby. He admitted to being homesick for his own children, so he gave the girls a "cuddle or a squeeze" whenever he could.

Quotes:

[burying Verne]
Billy Raedeen: You wanna say something?
Buford Dill: Well, I just wanna say that... as this soul leaves this Earth... I feel sorry for whoever gets it.

Soundtrack:

Jaybird

Gary Oldman's Baby.

NOBODY'S BABY is somewhat an enigma of a production. The story begins with Billy (Skeet Ulrich) rescuing a baby from an automobile crash. The fate of the other occupants of said wreck does not leave one in a light-hearted mood. That is the main problem with this movie, it never finds the right tone for the material. The film goes from slap-stick hijinx to intense violence so quickly, it left me feeling uncomfortable. The character of Vern (Peter Greene) is so flat and sadistic, that he seems to be in another film altogether (Greene did play Zed in PULP FICTION); Vern never seems to connect with what is happening in the rest of the film. The narrative conflicts in NOBODY'S BABY are fairly contrived and melodramatic, never really becoming plausible situations.

I'll be honest with you, I rented this film only because Gary Oldman was in it. The fact that it went straight to video in Chicago, seemed odd to me; I mean Gary Oldman is in it right? Upon viewing NOBODY'S BABY, I began to understand why this was not given a theatrical release. Anyway, fans of Gary Oldman will not be disappointed. He crafts a grizzled and hickish buffoon, complete with ten-gallon hat and mutton-chop side whiskers. Here is a British actor who can do a New York accent better than most American performers, and, true to form, completes Buford with an over-the-top drawl direct from the Appalachian Mountains. His scenery-chewing is extremely fun to watch, and one might guess he took this role due to that opportunity. Stick around until the end to see Oldman and Mary Steenburgen line dancing (!), that's right...line dancing. Gary Oldman is, and remains, the best actor working today (also quite a good director, see NIL BY MOUTH), and manages to rise above the material of NOBODY'S BABY.

Overall, this is an uneven film (albeit with some humorous moments), but without the presence of Gary Oldman, it would have fallen into complete obscurity by now. 3/10