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Released in 2015, “Baby Steps” is written and directed by Barney Cheng who also plays the lead character as Danny Lee. The film was featured in a Q&A with the director at the 2018 Men Having Babies conference in San Francisco. This multicultural comedy-drama film takes its audience on an emotional rollercoaster that highlights the challenges experienced by individuals pursuing parenthood through surrogacy . Synopsis The film follows the life of Danny, a successful Taiwanese-American man, and his American partner Tate (played by Michael Adam Hamilton). Danny longs to become a father, but the path to parenthood is not straightforward for him. “Baby Steps” explores Danny's decision to pursue surrogacy as a means to fulfill their dream of having a child. When Danny’s traditional Taiwanese mother, Ma (played by Ya-Lei Kuei), finds out about their plan, she is horrified and tries to stop them. Upon realizing Danny’s unwavering determination, Ma shifts to micromanaging all aspects of the delicate situation. Ma’s unwillingness to accept a less-than-perfect candidate, leads the parties to travel around the world to Taipei, Bangkok, Mumbai and Los Angeles in search of the ideal gestational surrogate. What’s Realistic About This Film? “Baby Steps” depicts the realities of surrogacy and assisted reproductions. It portrays the journey of a gay man and his partner who embark on a path to parenthood through surrogacy and assisted reproduction. The film effectively highlights the emotional rollercoaster that intended parents often experience while navigating the complexities of Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), including choosing a surrogate, addressing legal hurdles, and dealing with societal perceptions. While this film focuses on describing a gay couple’s journey navigating the world of surrogacy, it also touches on the resiliency of single intended parents. Danny’s drive to become a parent no matter the obstacles thrown in his way, over his mother and even prioritizing it over his relationship with Tate, is a virtue we see in some of our intended parents and was seen in the film Together Together. Like other single intended parents, Danny will not be discouraged by the judgments of society or the difficulties of being a single parent, he just knows he wants to be a dad and that love will be enough. Aside from surrogacy, another noteworthy aspect of "Baby Steps" is its exploration of cultural identity and the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ individuals within traditional family structures. Through Danny’s turbulent relationship with his Ma, a tiger mom who embodies traditional Taiwanese values, the film portrays the cultural clash Danny experiences as he reconciles his Taiwanese roots with his American lifestyle. Throughout the film, viewers see how Ma struggles to accept Danny’s sexuality and his decision to pursue parenthood through surrogacy. In fact, Ma forces Danny to hide his sexuality and surrogacy journey from his Taiwanese extended family and friends in fear of being judged. All in all, the film sheds light on the importance of acceptance, understanding, and open dialogue within families, and the power of love to bridge cultural and generational gaps. How Accurate is it from a Legal Standpoint? The film does not involve any discussion of the legal aspects of surrogacy, however, legality looms large with trying to navigate international surrogacy. This is especially seen when the law changes in Mumbai, India. Danny and Tate are no longer able to proceed with their surrogacy journey in India because of an amendment to the law that only allows married heterosexual couples to pursue surrogacy in India. (Note, India does not allow commercial surrogacy to non-Indian citizens at this time.) As a result, Danny and Tate are forced to reconsider how and where to proceed with their surrogacy journey. Moreover, there is some exploration about whether an intended parent can really monitor the activity of a surrogate in the United States. This is shown in the beginning of the film when Danny and Ma are looking at surrogate candidates and Ma is doing everything in her power to find the perfect surrogate for her first grandchild, even following a potential surrogate home to spy on her private life. When Danny finds out, he reprimands Ma and explains that an American surrogate cannot be micromanaged. Conclusion “Baby Steps” not only touches the hearts of its viewers, but also sheds light on the emotional journey and legal complexities associated with surrogacy and assisted reproduction. It weaves together the themes of love, family, culture, and the legal aspects surrounding ART. “Baby Steps” is a film worth streaming for anyone interested in surrogacy and it is currently available to stream on Hulu and Prime Video. Keep updated with our monthly movie reviews by subscribing to our blog. If you have questions about surrogacy, contact us now and speak with one of our surrogacy lawyers today.

Synopsis Together Together is a 2021 film that explores a unique relationship between a single intended father and his gestational surrogate, a pairing that would not exist before legalization of surrogacy in California in 1993. The film is a realistic, lighthearted comedy that tries something new by not being a cheesy thriller or absurdist comedy. Matt, played by Ed Helms, is 40-something and single after a long-term relationship, and now wants a baby as his next stage in life. Anna, played by Patti Harrison, is 26, and her past experience with pregnancy was a baby she placed for adoption. She decided to sign up with an agency as a surrogate candidate to pay for college. The movie is in three parts, covering the first, second and third trimester of Anna’s pregnancy. Anna and Matt have varying degrees of contact during the pregnancy. From meeting for medical appointments, to Anna helping decorate the nursery, sleeping over at Matt’s house, shopping and eating together, and attending his baby shower, to going back to less contact but then attending birthing classes together, and Anna staying with Matt as she goes into labor and Matt attending the delivery. What’s Realistic About the Film The makers of the film apparently consulted with surrogacy agencies and did research into the surrogacy process to try to be accurate. The movie captures the match meeting and the support group meetings as well as the challenges both surrogates and intended parents have in telling (or not telling) friends or family about the surrogacy, as well as friends or family having reactions which might be insensitive or ignorant. The bond between Matt and Anna from their shared experience is unique to surrogacy, though their relationship is not one that is likely to happen in real life. What’s Not Realistic Anna is less than ideal for a surrogate candidate. She was portrayed as a loner, without family support. She does not have a child of her own, though she has experience having a child. It would be unlikely, that even if she was approved, that an agency would suggest a match with Matt, who is also single and local to Anna. While there is counseling and support for Anna, the level of contact Matt has in Anna’s life would raise alarm bells for agencies. As Anna’s pregnancy progresses, Matt becomes weirdly controlling about her diet and sex life. He also asks her to stay at his place so he can be more aware of her pregnancy progress. Of course, there wouldn’t be much comedy in the way of misunderstandings between the two or from everyone else if their relationship was realistic. Are Lawyers Involved? There are no lawyers in the movie. However, Matt and Anna do go over the surrogacy agreement with the agency representative (owner/counselor?) to determine whether Anna’s sexual activity is prohibited by the contract. They read an accurate list of dangerous activities that would appear in a real surrogacy contract but find no prohibition of sex. (Note that some intended parents will request restrictions on sex, though usually just before the pregnancy is confirmed.) In reality, the surrogacy contract is an important legal document between the parties that will go over the parties’ rights and obligations. There is also a scene where Matt doesn’t know where to be during a vaginal ultrasound. If the contract was drafted by us, it would likely have told him to respect her modesty (which he doesn’t at the birth—so perhaps this is not in their contract). There’s not really a need for a lawyer to help the main characters during the film, though we winced when they started having sleepovers and basically living together, as we would advise clients against this practice. Anna also refers to being a surrogate as her work and we would point out that there is no employer-employee relationship between the parties. Legal Accuracy Better than most. No legal inaccuracies found. Conclusion Together Together is a funny film about surrogates that doesn’t really get too deep or complex. Intended parents like Matt are not uncommon in surrogacy, single men or women who decide they don’t need to wait for a partner to have a baby, so this is a first to tell the story from his perspective. It’s also a positive that the movie doesn’t end up with the predictable trope of the surrogate and intended parent falling in love like many movies about richer older men and the hardscrabble single contractors that contract with them. Verdict: Worth streaming for anyone interested in surrogacy. Currently available on Hulu to stream. Have questions about surrogacy? Contact us a surrogacy lawyer now.

In the 2023 movie "Good Egg," directed by Nicole Gomez Fisher, viewers are drawn into the world of Jessica Nieves-Sanders, portrayed by Yara Martinez. Jessica, a beloved high school drama teacher in New York City. As Jessica approaches her fortieth birthday, she and her husband Gordon, played by Joel Johnstone, face financial and emotional strain due to their struggles with infertility. After three failed rounds of IVF,  Jessica is presented with the option of egg donation by her doctor, which she initially rejects. In her discussions with her husband, Jessica is opposed to having a donor as the genetic mother. She worries that she will not meet her donor due to anonymity requirements and that the donor is just a piece of paper to her.  Their journey takes an unexpected turn when Jessica intervenes two men harassing a young woman, Bridget Garcia, portrayed by Andrea Londo. Bridget, in need of quick money , overhears Jessica and her husband discussing a donor and tells Jessica that she can be her donor. She describes it as an opportunity to "pay it forward" and offers a lower cost than having an anonymous donor from a clinic.  Jessica agrees to meet Bridget to discuss it further but their meeting goes wrong as they both end up kidnapped by the two men who were harassing Bridget in the alleyway. As Jessica tries to escape, her husband Gordon embarks on a mission to rescue her using his IT tracking skills and his fondness for magic tricks.  When they finally reunite, they face new challenges as both have to escape their captors with their lives. ART Realism The beginning of "Good Egg" is fairly realistic in depicting reproductive failure and loss, and how the grief can be experienced differently by a couple. The discussion between the doctor, Jessica, and Gordon about egg donation is exaggerated but has some realistic aspects. Jessica and Gordon, like many couples, disagree on how they view egg donation. Jessica’s concerns are reflective of women who worry about aspects of egg donation, including feeling like she is being replaced. However, when Jessica stated to her husband Gordon that she does not want a “stranger” to be the genetic mother, she is making an inaccurate assumption. The decision-making process for egg donation varies between cases as some are anonymous while others are disclosed. Many egg donation agencies facilitate communication between donors and recipients during the match. Jessica feared that she would be deceived by the egg donor for “who they truly are,” but agencies thoroughly screen donors for psychological and physical health. Also, Jessica’s assumption that the genetic mother would be a stranger is false because there can be known donors like a family member. Jessica and Bridget’s meeting to discuss egg donation was not an accurate depiction of the process. She requests for the money upfront after writing how much she wanted on the napkin. It would be foolish for Jessica to accept because donors are not fully compensated before any medical clearance or procedures take place. It is crucial to note that egg donation is not a quick process where the intended parents can hand over money at the first meeting. It involves several steps, including medical and psychological evaluations, legal representation for contracts, genetic screenings, and medication protocols, which typically span months before the retrieval procedure takes place. This comprehensive process ensures the safety and well-being of both the donor and the recipient, as well as compliance with legal and ethical standards regarding compensation and donation. It would also be advisable for Jessica to consider all her options before meeting with Bridget, though she had no reason to expect a kidnapping to occur. If money and knowing the donor were the biggest issues to her, her younger sister would have been an obvious consideration as a donor. Jessica ended up meeting Bridget without exploring the egg donation process, where she would learn there are many agencies with donors that she could have contact with during and afterwards. Fertility clinics provide comprehensive support and guidance to assist patients in making well-informed decisions based on their unique circumstances and preferences. Is there any depiction of the legal process of egg donation? There's none. After the meeting with Bridget, Jessica is kidnapped and the movie turns from a comedy-drama into an action-comedy. So no lawyers are involved as the egg donation process does not get further than the match meeting. Is it worth the watch? In the first act, "Good Egg" skillfully addresses sensitive topics like fertility struggles and alternative methods of conception with both humor and sensitivity. The second act, the movie takes a broad turn and focuses on the efforts of Jessica to escape and Gordon to find her. The third act, when they are both trying to escape, gets a bit unrealistic and cheesy. If you were like me, you may find the conclusion puzzling because it never reveals how Gordon and Jessica completed their family building. This might disappoint some, but thanks to a good effort by the main characters, it is a watchable popcorn movie In summary, "Good Egg" gets three-star rating for its frenetic storyline, impressive performances, and its alternate take on egg donation. It’s worth a stream and as of this writing it’s currently free on Amazon Prime Video. If you or someone you know is considering egg donation as a way to start a family, our legal team is available to provide guidance and support. Reach out to us today for assistance.