For Keeps? (1988)

After she gets pregnant, a teenage girl must decide whether she should keep the baby or not.

Director:

John G. Avildsen

Writers:

Tim Kazurinsky, Denise DeClue

Stars:

Molly Ringwald, Randall Batinkoff, Kenneth Mars

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Molly Ringwald	...	Darcy Elliot Bobrucz
Randall Batinkoff	...	Stan Bobrucz
Kenneth Mars	...	Mr. Bobrucz
Miriam Flynn	...	Donna Elliot
Conchata Ferrell	...	Mrs. Bobrucz
Sharon Brown	...	Lila
John Zarchen	...	Chris
Pauly Shore	...	Retro
Michelle Downey	...	Michaela
Patricia Barry	...	Adoption Official
Janet MacLachlan	...	Miss Giles
Jaclyn Bernstein	...	Mary Bobrucz
Matthew Licht	...	Lou Bobrucz
Renée Estevez	...	Marnie
Darcy DeMoss	...	Elaine

Storyline

Darcy, editor at her high school paper, and her long-term boyfriend Stan are in their last months of school and already have found places in good colleges. Recently they started to sleep with each other and, surprise, surprise, Darcy gets pregnant. Neither Darcy's mother, who was left by her husband and had to bring up Darcy alone, nor Stan's Catholic parents are very supportive and urge them to have an abortion or give up for adoption respectively. However Darcy's and Stan's love is so intense, they could imagine to have a baby, but this would mean to give up their college careers.

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Plot Keywords:

postpartum depression | announcement of pregnancy | parent | love | high school | 

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Taglines:

From Backpacks to Strollers

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

15 January 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Maybe Baby

Filming Locations:

Madison, Wisconsin, USA

Box Office

Gross USA:

$17,514,553

Company Credits

Production Co:

TriStar Pictures, ML Delphi Premier Productions, Winnipeg Scene Shop

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 98 min (HBO Print)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The original name for this movie was the rhyming title of "Maybe Baby".

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Quotes

Mary Bobrucz: [looks at Darcy laying down in a state of depression] Post-partum depression.

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Connections

Spoofed in Look Who's Talking (1989)

User Reviews

Two Teenagers And A Baby

'For Keeps¿' brings back a lot of memories of the eccentric 80s. The story might be a little too familiar to some these days but I have always found stories about a young, relatively inexperienced, couple trying to make it in the real world amusing and interesting (provided that it's well told). 'For Keeps¿' is quite a decent and likable film and it brings that nostalgic 80's feel. I found the ending to be a little rushed but otherwise its exploration of a teenage couple trying to make it on their own was interestingly executed. Randall Batinkoff and Molly Ringwald are superb and a fit cast. Both actors have great chemistry. Their expression of Stan and Darcy's naivety, devotion towards and love for one another and struggle to make it, is well depicted on screen. The supporting cast is good too. Director Avildsen adds humour in the most unexpected scenes, preventing the film from going over the top with melodrama and instead bringing a smile to the viewer. The movie has received a lot of undue criticism but I believe 'For Keeps¿' is among the underrated films of the 80s.