Arlette Schweitzer (Ann Jillian) is a 40-ish Aberdeen, North Dakota librarian who acts as an invitro surrogate for her daughter Christa (Tracey Gold), since it is discovered that Christa has a rare congenital defect where she has no uterus.

Jillian's usual feistiness is made somewhat bland by her being a believer. Her best scenes are sobbing `We both missed him by ourselves' in memory of her dead baby son Chad, comforting her husband Dan (Bill Smitrovich) with a child's voiced `He loved his Daddy', and laughing when she forgets Christa's telephone number to advise her that she is pregnant.

The teleplay by Susan Baskin, based on a true story, has the unfortunate habit of focusing on the least interesting elements of the scenario, which creates a soap opera effect, and director Jerry London doesn't help with the synthesizer music score of Fred Karlin. Perhaps the problem is that, compared to other similar themed movies, the Schweitzer's story is one with less obstacles. Chad's death is offered as the motivation for Arlette's idea, though the notion of trying to rebirth him is soon dropped. Perhaps if Arlette or Christa had wanted Arlette to keep a baby, this might have added some form of psychological damage into all the happiness. As is, Arlette attempts to fulfill Dan's cloying prophecy that `you make dreams come true'. A doctor who opposes Arlette's idea because of her age says `It's a fools idea, I tells ya. A fools idea', his oaky way of speaking making us know that Arlette will seek a second opinion, particularly as her family saying is `Stay out of crutch range, and you won't get hurt'.

 London uses the song Take Good Care of My Baby, which sets up an expectation of tone that he does not provide, and a subjective camera for Christa's wedding, and when Arlette climbs a steps when pregnant. The scene which reads as the most dramatic is the one where Christa's eggs are painfully suctioned from her womb. That Baskin has Arlette tell Christa afterward `don't let anyone ever tell you you never went through labor', and that the eggs that are suctioned are Christa's `babies' is a disappointing conclusion. Diana Scarwid is around as Arlette's sister Darlene, and her weight gain seems to be so that she will match up with Jillian's pre-pregnancy stockiness.

The biography, or "biopic", is a genre that portrays the life story of a real person, often a notable individual or historical figure. They aim to provide a depiction of the subject's personal history, achievements, challenges, and impact on society.

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The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

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Labor of Love: The Arlette Schweitzer Story

A woman becomes the surrogate for her daughter's baby.

Labor of Love: The Arlette Schweitzer Story (1993)

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Labor of Love: The Arlette Schweitzer Story

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