By John Corrado

The feature directorial debut of actress Pamela Adlon, Babes is a comedy about motherhood and adult friendship, that explores the bond between Eden (Ilana Glazer) and Dawn (Michelle Buteau), and how it changes when the former becomes pregnant with her first child after the latter has just had her second.

Eden and Dawn are childhood besties, who grew up together in New York City. The film opens with them embarking upon their annual tradition of going to the movies together for Thanksgiving, which is interrupted when Dawn’s water breaks and she starts going into labor.

After leaving Dawn and her husband (Hasan Minhaj) in the hospital with their new baby, the single Eden has a meet-cute on the subway with Claude (Stephan James), a charming actor still in his waiter uniform from a Martin Scorsese film shoot (he’s playing the bit part of “sexy black waiter”). This leads to a one night stand, with Eden not using protection because she is on her period and assumes she can’t get pregnant, but lo and behold.

When Claude goes MIA after their night together, she is left carrying his child. Through this, Babes is able to somewhat reimagine the pregnancy movie by largely being a story about doing it alone, as Eden embarks on the journey of becoming a single mother through a series of circumstances beyond her control. She relies on her best friend for help, but Dawn is increasingly wrapped up in her own family life, leading to growing pains in their friendship.

If Dawn has already gone through the maturing process, Eden is put on a crash course towards it after getting pregnant. The film works thanks to the natural, authentic chemistry between Glazer and Buteau, who have a rapport together that suggests a deep bond, even if they occasionally get on each other’s nerves. The cast is rounded out by Oliver Platt, who has a lovely scene as Eden’s father, John Carroll Lynch as their OBGYN (one of the best running gags involving his constantly changing combover between every appointment).

Adlon’s film successfully mixes observational comedy and some more ribald, gross out elements, to offer an unpolished look at the realities of motherhood. A few aspects of the story (like Eden’s relationship with her dad) do feel a bit underexplored, but there is a rawness to the film both in terms of its comedy and dramatic moments that keeps it compelling. The screenplay, which was co-written by Glazer and Josh Rabinowitz, is grounded in exploring Eden and Dawn’s friendship, and how difficult it can be to keep this connection going as children enter the picture.

At its best, Babes feels like a New York comedy in the great tradition of Woody Allen, Nora Ephron or Nicole Holofcener. The film is very funny thanks to Glazer’s signature quips and a number of sharp observations, but Adlon nails those heartfelt moments as well, when Babes delivers the necessary emotional beats for a film about evolving friendship and single motherhood.

Film Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)

Babes opens exclusively in theatres on May 24th. It’s being distributed in Canada by Elevation Pictures.