Common Sense Media Review
By Tara McNamara
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Salty, sexual childbirth comedy doesn't deliver.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Home Delivery
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
When model Ellye (Melanie Field) goes into labor a week before her due date, her entire family travels to Los Angeles to be a part of her HOME DELIVERY. The crowd includes Ellye's husband, Jimmy (Donald Faison); her sister and brother-in-law (Lindsay Sloane, Jimmi Simpson); and the midwife (Traci Thoms). But when Ellye's contractions stop, the problems begin, as the family starts bickering and moving their attention back to their jobs. Desperate to keep her family together for this important moment, Ellye takes matters into her own hands.
Is It Any Good?
Writer-director Thom Harp's labor of love needs an epidural option to dull the pain. Really, Home Delivery is just another ughhh example from a filmmaker whose previous projects are all curiously horny stories about female characters in various states of reproduction (The Donor Party, Heavy Flow). Leading one to wonder: Is Home Delivery about family dysfunction or fetishizing a pregnant woman by putting her in multiple sexual situations while giving birth?
Sibling rivalry is the engine pushing the story forward—kind of a "mom always liked you best" situation. But it's not meaningfully explored, and therefore, there's not enough here to really draw on for families with teens. Home Delivery is the Braxton-Hicks of comedies: The story elements indicate that something miraculous is on the way, including refreshing, counter-stereotypical representations, but after two hours of painful waiting, the film just doesn't deliver.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why family dysfunction is such a ripe issue to explore through comedy. Who do you think is the intended audience for Home Delivery?
What did you think about the movie's sexual content and body humor? Did you feel it was there to educate expecting mothers on ways to alleviate pain, or to be provocative and shocking? What stays with you: the raunchy comedy or the emotional messages?
In what ways do the main characters challenge stereotypes? Why is positive representation important?
Are drug use and drinking glamorized? What's the message here, with two characters in recovery while family members smoke pot and drink, even when they're asked not to? Is that for comedic purposes, and if so, was it funny?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 27, 2026
- Cast : Melanie Field , Donald Faison , Jimmi Simpson , Lesley Ann Warren
- Director : Thom Harp
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Tricoast Worldwide
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Family Stories ( Dads , Moms , Siblings )
- Run time : 105 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sexual content, language and brief drug use
- Last updated : April 8, 2026
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