3 trailblazers: a young nurse, a visionary scientist and an innovative surgeon face opposition from the church, state, media, and medical establishment in their pursuit of the world’s first ‘test tube baby,’ Louise Joy Brown.
Chuck says:
What with the initial controversy surrounding in vitro fertilization, it’s remarkable that, in at least the state of Alabama of all places, they are now considered children. Such a designation would have been unthinkable for Bob Edwards, Patrick Steptoe and Jean Purdy, the medical professionals who created the procedure. Though the trio was ridiculed, ostracized and threatened due to their controversial work, they persevered, revolutionizing conception.
Ben Taylor’s “Joy” charts their efforts as well as the many personal ups-and-downs they endured. Covering the ten years between 1968-1978, the film stresses the many setbacks that were endured, while looking at some of the first women who volunteered for the procedure, each having already suffered numerous disappointments when trying to start a family.
A bit naïve but determined, lab technician Jean Purdy (Thomasin McKenzie) is eager to push the boundaries of the science at her disposal. She finds a worthy ally in biologist Bob Edwards (James Norton), a mercurial researcher with the resources to experiment with a variety of approaches until a breakthrough is reached. The final piece of the puzzle falls into place with the pair meet Dr. Patrick Steptoe (Bill Nighy), a radical surgeon willing to perform the operations necessary to complete their work.
Purdy’s story is particularly engaging, as we learn she’s incapable of conceiving, which leads to the end of a potential marriage. As such, she takes a particular interest in the women who volunteer for the experimental procedure. Calling themselves the Ovum Club, each has their own tragic story, none more so than Trisha (Charlie Murphy), who has become increasingly estranged from her husband, and longs for a child to fill the void.
The difficulties they face go far beyond medical setbacks. A lack of support from the medical community, public protests, in which Edwards is compared to Dr. Frankenstein, and a disastrous televised debate with Nobel Prize winner James Watson, put the trio behind the eight ball on numerous fronts. That Purdy’s mother banishes her from her home and her local church bars her from attending mass, exacerbates Purdy’s pain.
There are few histrionic at play here, a low-key approach taken. The reserved manner of British society is kept intact, which makes the intimate moments that occur between the three principals all the more meaningful. The interactions between Thomasin, Norton and Nighy prove invaluable, the three performers creating a natural, sincere rapport. Each are contrary to one another in some way or another, yet the balance they create ultimately proves complimentary, and at times, amusing.
The film’s purpose is not only to acknowledge this work, but right a grave oversight, as for years Purdy’s work was overlooked. “Joy” does its part to rectify this, as well as call attention to benefits of modern science. The culmination of their work occurred on July 25, 1978, with the birth of Louise Brown, the first baby born from a lab-fertilized egg. Today, nearly 2% of births in the United States occur due to the procedure. To date, over eight million babies have been born through the IVF method.
3 1/2 Stars
