The Baby (1973) (1973)
June 25, 2022 12:34 PM - Subscribe

Mrs. Wadsworth (Ruth Roman) heads a household of two adult daughters and a (curiously) impaired adult son, when a new social worker (Anjanette Comer) takes a special interest in the bizarre family dynamic she finds.

Currently streaming on Tubi.
posted by 2N2222 (3 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Love this movie! A couple of decades ago my friend group had a weird horror movie club going, and on the night we watched this we all wore diapers (over our clothes) to get in the mood. Another friend showed up halfway through the movie and it took her about twenty minutes to twig and burst out laughing.

The nursing scene is peak disturbing.
posted by ejs at 1:48 PM on June 25, 2022 [1 favorite]


This depraved grinder from the early 70s stands out for it's lack of prominent male characters, save for the adult son of Mrs Wadsworth, referred to only by the name, "Baby". And what an icky depiction it is. Still, I enjoy how the picture largely plays it pretty straight, as the story unfolds like a bland made-for-TV movie that goes from yawn to "ew" and "ick" pretty quickly.

I like how the male characters, Baby, and another minor character, are controlled by women completely, perhaps the perception of "women's lib" (as the minor male character quips) gone awry. What a perception it turns out to be! Mrs Wadsworth rules her household with an iron fist, unhesitant to use brutality when she sees fit, and determined to do what it takes to preserve her position. As explained, she does what she needs to do since Baby's father ran out on the family.

Despite all efforts by Mrs Wadsworth to run her off, the new social worker refuses to give up on Baby's case. The performance here by Anjanette Comer works well. She's in earnest and takes on the task with a great deal of devotion. And ultimately will not be deterred.
posted by 2N2222 at 1:54 PM on June 25, 2022 [2 favorites]


This movie was recently featured on Joe Bob's Last Drive In on Shudder. It's definitely disturbing but also fascinating.
posted by miss-lapin at 5:30 AM on June 26, 2022


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