As we are currently having challenges related to reproductive freedom here in the United States, Netflix drops a conveniently timely film that focuses on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and its humble beginnings. While nowadays, in vitro fertilization has become so normalized that more than 500,000 IVF babies are born every year, Joy takes us back to the humble beginnings, the pushback from the medical community and the public, the trials and heartaches, and finally, the successful birth of Louise “Joy” Brown: the first “test-tube baby” who was born in 1978.
Set in the 1960s and 1970s, Joy follows physiologist Robert Edwards (James Norton), obstetrician and gynecologist Patrick Steptoe (Bill Nighy), and embryologist Jean Purdy (Thomasin McKenzie) team up together to try and tackle infertility. While considered a “small” problem during that time, it doesn’t mean that it’s not an issue that affects millions of women worldwide. During that time, trying to tackle infertility was considered “unconventional” and “abnormal” in not only the medical community, but also within the general public.
Of course, trying to revolutionize science to help women is a somewhat uphill battle for the trio. They need funding, they need a hospital to work out of, they need infertile women to serve as test subjects for this new revolutionary science, and they absolutely need good PR! In Joy, the medical review board scoffs at them when it comes to funding as they think infertility is a “good” thing when trying to deal with overpopulation and only want to grant funding for something “exciting” or wonder “how many people will this help” while grilling them.
For each of these folks, this adventure comes at great personal costs as well. Robert is a family man with a house full of daughters, and he has political aspirations we well. The lab they have to work out of is more than 200 miles away (to accommodate Patrick’s commute to the lab as well). Robert also does press interviews and talk shows, and pretty much spends that time getting screamed at by other scientists and religious leaders. Patrick also is retired and supposed to spend his twilight years with his wife, but he also agrees that the work is important and worth the sacrifice. Jean is deeply religious (she even wrestles with Robert also providing abortions for women) and her commitment to helping fertility has ostracized her from her church and alienated her from her mother as infertility is “God’s will” in their eyes and treating it is “unnatural.” And there’s no greater feeling of rejection than your mother wanting nothing to do with you based on ignorance.
They have setbacks upon setbacks through their 10-year journey to perfect science from the ground up. The infertile volunteers, being the most hopeful people praying for a miracle, prove unlucky after each setback. They even created their own support group called “The Ovum Club” for which Jean bonds with due to her own infertility and her desire to make sure every woman has the choice of children no matter what.
Obstacle upon obstacle, after 10 years of trial and error, the trio finally are able to have a pregnancy hold with an infertile volunteer. It’s such a great moment in Joy not only because it’s the perfect ending for a movie, but because this happened in real life. When Robert and Jean hear the cries of a newborn baby that Patrick delivers, their tears of joy feel well-earned. Not only did they dedicate years of their lives to that moment, but they know that they literally helped bring “joy” to pregnant women and changed family planning for the planet forever.
Production-wise, Joy is great. It captures the visual aesthetics from the 60s and 70s and even has great needle drops to highlight the music during that time. I wouldn’t be surprised if Joy doesn’t get some awards consideration come Oscar Season. Each of the main actors is on top of their game performance-wise, especially Thomasin McKenzie as Judy, who never really received her flowers while she was alive. Robert had to fight for years to get her name on a plaque at the hospital where they did all their work and because she passed away before when Robert received the Nobel Prize in 2010 (and the Nobel committee doesn’t give awards posthumously. Joy serves as a love letter to Jean the unsung hero of IVF. And her dedication to the work has helped improve the lives of countless millions across the world.
As we continue to explore these lovely “uncertain times,” especially when it comes to reproductive freedom and all sorts of issues that may come within the next 4 years, a film like Joy serves to remind us that when it comes to healthcare decisions women “should” be free to make, no matter what they want to do when it comes to family planning (or not), women should always have that choice and the freedom of that choice to make, and we should be happy and comfortable with whatever choices they make.
Joy is now playing on Netflix.
