Rabbit Test (for those too young to remember) : Was a pregnancy test that involved injecting some of the woman's urine into an unmated female rabbit's ovaries and later examining the ovaries of the rabbit, to see if they had physically changed or not. If they had, then a woman was definetely pregnant. (The rabbit, sadly, would die later.)
That said, now the review.
First, this film did acceptable business at the cinema when released in April 9th of 1978, so (somehow) many people saw "Rabbit Test" then .... and yet, it's not been shown much on TV much since. It didn't even get to be on ABC, CBS or NBC as likely, there's no way those networks would have risked "possibly" offending viewers with this idea.
I was thankfully too young to see it then. I did see it on late night TV a few years back in the early 2000s. On reflection, I should have gone to bed...as my dreams are more entertaining than this turned out to be.
Anyhow, a good idea for a storyline, a man getting pregnant instead of the woman goes to waste here.
With help from a male friend, Crystal (who was actually 28 when this was filmed) gets set up with a hooker to finally lose his virginity but because she was "on top" instead of him, he gets pregnant! (A commentary then on women taking positions of power away from men, as many men opposed women's liberation).
Crystal's stomach grows, he goes through all the female emotions and related physical & mental feelings. Unfortunately, he is now a socially misunderstood outcast. He's attacked by a mob who wants him killed, as he is a freak of nature to them. (I guess).
He's forced to go into seclusion to have his baby...in a barn.
Or if you will, a manger. I hate to imagine where the baby birthed through...unless they had to do a C section on him somehow.
It turns out (no shock here) to be a girl, found it strange that God (speaking from the sky) wouuld have a problem with it's gender.
Paul Lynde was funnier on "Bewitched" or "Hollywood Squares" than he was here. Joan Rivers at this time in her career was getting laughs making cruel jokes about singer Karen Carpenter's lack of weight and at least being funnier, substitute hosting for Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show".
Sorry to say, as I know she's no longer with us, she had no business directing a film. Outside of Billy, this film's comedy is directionless. There 'is' a story thankfully, but it's tough to care about Crystal's character when his moments are broadisded by Junior high level (if that) humor.
Billy Crystal. Crystal was the very best part of this film. As a stand up comic and then actor, he'd only hit the scene in 1974 / 1975. A short lived sitcom called Keep On Truckin' , 1 appearance on All In The Family & then along came SOAP but also....this.
"Soap" (1977 - 1981), truly put his name and face out there, so he had great experience of playing a mix of comedy with a touch of drama.
I can only guess all the star names that signed on thought this might be a worthwhile project...but the humor, again, is so infantile and unintelligent, I can't imagine that being the case.
Simply put, nothing else in this film is directed and played well enough, that it could be funny or taken even remotely serious. I have a sense of humor and love a good comedy but it usually helps when it has 75% or more use of a writer's brain.
It's as if director Rivers said to her Hollywood Squares co-horts, "Come guys & gals, I'm having a party and it's being paid for by a movie studio!" Even the "best" thrown parties have some rules and (directing) regulations.
I'm glad Ron Rafkin wasn't as well known at this time, it could have been REALLY embarrasing. I first knew him from his one season on, "One Day At A Time" as Ann Romano's love intrest "Nick". That and just about anything he's done since, has eclipsed his being in this.
2 stars for a good idea of a man becoming & having to deal with being pregnant. In a better movie, with better directing, it could have been a very touching story somehow. Maybe even relevant.
What galls me, is when I went to the film's Wikipeda page and found out that, the film was made for around $997,000....and despite the negative reviews the film received, grossed over $12 million in its first four months of release! WHAT?!
Regardless of that, "Rabbit Test", for me, fails almost completely, so it's 2 stars.
1 for Crystal himself and the other, for a good movie idea. (END)
