Joy – The Birth Of IVF Movie Review (2024)
Based on the true story of the scientific breakthrough behind IVF, Joy – The Birth of IVF is an engaging and thoughtfully told drama, elevated by strong performances and an interesting, quietly compelling story.
When I first saw the poster for this film, it immediately reminded me of Audrey’s Children. Audrey’s Children had been released just a few months before, and, likely because of the implicated time period and the fact that both were based on true stories, I thought of them similarly. I enjoyed Audrey’s Children, and this film really did have some things in common.
Joy – The Birth of IVF is about researchers looking to make a difference in the world of infertility. Nurse Jean Purdy is hired to manage a lab in which Dr. Robert Edwards is conducting studies on mice. Ultimately, recruiting obstetrician and surgeon Patrick Steptoe, the three work to figure out if their ideas for impregnation of women who struggle with infertility could result in both viable pregnancies and healthy babies.
This is a measured drama that unfolds slowly, but it kept me engaged throughout. Before you ever start watching, you know that in vitro became a fertility option, as it is widely used today. My point being, you know how this ends. It’s in the title of the movie. So, the question becomes: how did they get there, not did they do it.
Between the costumes, the cars, and the sets, this film feels as if you are in the early 1970s, when much of the relevant research was conducted.
Bill Nighy, Thomasin McKenzie, and James Norton do a nice job as Patrick, Jean, and Robert, and you like them. These were all real people who did something incredible, and I always think about that when an actor is portraying an actual person. You have an extra responsibility to their families and their legacy.
One of the things I most appreciated about the film is how it handled the controversy between religion and their research. At the time (and still today), people argued that if God didn’t grant a woman the ability to get pregnant, it wasn’t supposed to be. This research was getting in the way of God’s plan.
On the other side, though, this trio knew that if they could just get this right, they could take the pain of infertility away from generations of women. They could provide hope. Jean is asked not to go to her church, Robert is asked to argue his point against a rival on a talk show, and all three are continually told that what they are doing is offensive and wrong.
With a few updates at the end, it warmed my heart to know that the Nobel Prize in 2010 was awarded for this medical advancement. And with the steadily paced narrative and grounded performances, Joy – The Birth of IVF is quite the enjoyable watch.
Runtime: 115 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: PG-13
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? I got choked up a few times
My Rating: 3.25/5 Stars
Available: Free on Netflix
