Joy – The True Story of the World’s First Test Tube Baby

Joy is based on the true story of the birth of the world’s first test tube baby, Louise Joy Brown, in 1978
and the tireless decade-long efforts of three British medics and scientists to develop the technique of in
vitro fertilization (IVF). Director Ben Taylor – who made An Education and Brooklyn – helms this film
with an impressive cast, including James Norton, Thomasin McKenzie, and Bill Nighy. The biographical
drama receives its world premiere on Tuesday at the London Film Festival before launching on Netflix
worldwide on November 22.


This rags-to-riches story is told primarily from the perspective of Joy’s grandmother, Mimi, played by
Diane Ladd. The narrator and moral compass of the family, Mimi’s steady voice, adds an air of authority
that feels appropriate to Joy’s rise from a squalid life to the gleaming heights of QVC success.
However, the movie is a mess of stylistic stops and starts that can’t settle on what it wants to be. The
movie swerves between the expected uplifting business/family triumph, a strange mashup of Russell-
infused comedy, and family/trial over the odds drama.


The spry Jennifer Lawrence makes for a magnetic Joy, although an overburdened script and meandering
direction weigh down her performance. The plot is a patchwork quilt of scenes from Mimi’s life stitched
together without rhyme or reason.


While Joy’s improbable reversal of fortune is undoubtedly inspiring, the film never quite finds its center.
There are some fine performances, particularly from Isabella Rossellini as Joy’s mother-in-law and
Bradley Cooper as the QVC exec who helps her get her mop on the airwaves. But the overlong and
meandering script by prolific scribe Jack Thorne—who adapted The Imitation Game for this
project—doesn’t have the jazzy genius of Russell’s best work.


The movie centers on the lesser-known story of nurse and embryologist Jean Purdy, played by Thomasin
McKenzie. Her work on the groundbreaking IVF procedure, along with physiologist Robert Edwards and
gynecologist Patrick Steptoe, gave birth to Louise Joy Brown in 1978. The maverick trio’s efforts paved
the way for countless other infertile couples to enjoy the joy of parenthood. The movie is a celebration of
their tenacity, determination, and belief in the potential of science. It also serves as a reminder of how far
we’ve come in treating infertility and how many lives have been transformed.

Tags

Nicole Kenny is a freelance writer and content creator with a passion for storytelling. Her work has been published in various online and print publications, covering topics ranging from travel and culture to ersonal finance and entrepreneurship. When she's not writing, you can find her hiking in the mountains or curled up with a good book. Nicole is also an avid traveler and amateur photographer.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.