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There may be no greater joy than realizing a long-harbored, seemingly impossible dream. A dream that is kept alive by the slimmest of hope. “Joy” (2024) starring Bill Nighy, Thomasin McKenzie, and James Norton is a conventionally crafted, gently stirring search for that joy regarding motherhood. The Netflix drama, directed by Ben Taylor and scripted by Jack Thorne, sifts through the historical events that precede the birth of the world’s first ‘test-tube baby,’ Louise Joy Brown. The formulaic yet nuanced approach works well for the film as it manages to tug the right kind of heartstrings.
Thorne’s breezy script does not take time to jump into the proverbial action. It is the late 1960s, and we have Jean Purdy (McKenzie) meet visionary physiologist Robert Edwards (James Norton) right away. Jean gets pulled into Robert’s ambitious dream, which would eventually pave the way for IVF (In vitro fertilization). All the team requires now is the steady and deft hands of one of the best OBGYNs in Britain. Enters Patrick Steptoe (Nighy). “Joy” does not dilly-dally in assembling this super team. The trio seemed to be destined to work together.
For a biographical retelling of the birth of IVF, “Joy” is fast in its drama, even if it does not push the boundaries of its genre’s structure. This works in favor of the film, as it gives the story more time to explore the challenges, and the heartbreaks that pervade the path towards ‘joy.’ It is the singular heartbreaks and the individual challenges of the three protagonists that make the climactic birth of Joy poignantly hopeful.
Amidst its three protagonists, the film does not hide its preference. Thomasin McKenzie’s earnestly sure-footed turn as the overlooked Jean Purdy is the highlight of the film. The inaugurating narration by James Norton’s Robert Edwards establishes that “Joy” is going to be a Jean Purdy vehicle. The British embryologist nurse’s pioneering efforts in IVF research are rightfully championed here. It is especially augmented by her relationship with her mother, her own personal motherhood tragedy, and her eventual demise. Jean’s fairly devout religious obligation and her love for her even more religious mother are tested throughout the first half of the film. Her earnest commitment to the balancing act between religion and science forms a fascinating detail in the film.
Despite the inherently emotionally manipulative nature of the story, “Joy” maintains its steadfast commitment to not resort to melodrama, to its credits. There is no life-upending quarrel, and neither is there a dramatic change of heart. Jean’s mother maintains her position about IVF till her last breath. The societal pressure and the media scrutiny remain till the day Robert, Jean, and Patrick see the face of success. The realistic depiction of failures and the reactions to such failures form the cornerstone of “Joy.” Even the temporary break between Jean and the others, especially Robert, is devoid of intense drama. “Joy” makes a concerted effort to ensure that there is nothing else to distract except the three Britons’ quest for IVF.
Thomasin McKenzie leads an excellent ensemble cast. Her innocently demure aura reflects the authentic contradiction that is Jean Purdy. She is ably supported by James Norton’s likeably obsessive scientist turn as Robert Edwards. Then we have Bill Nighy as Patrick Steptoe. Nighy is in his usual element and that is always a piece of good news for any film. His Patrick Steptoe is often the wise old hand, but not without zestiness of his own.
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Another praiseworthy characteristic of “Joy” would be the genuine advocacy for the choice of women. Director Ben Taylor does not allow the film’s ladies to get defined by motherhood, despite the entire point of the film being saving motherhood. It is not an easy needle to thread through. Jean’s Catholic heart’s rejection of abortion is resoundingly challenged by Patrick Tiptoe’s hospitals’ formidable matron. “Some people lead a very happy life childless. But that should be a choice.” This is what Robert utters in a talk show while trying to defend his research on IVF, which is in desperate need of funding. “Joy” takes us on a journey that ends in the happiness of childbirth, a humongous scientific feat that helps mothers across the world, without being callous about women with different reproductive choices. And that demands respect.
