You’ve Got This Parent Guide

Alejandro (Mauricio Ochmann) has been struck by baby fever. He sees happy families everywhere he goes and dreams of one day being a dad. The problem is, his wife, Ceci (Esmerelda Pimentel), doesn’t have time for kids right now. She’s just been made a partner at a large international corporation and needs to focus on her career. While out drinking with his friends, Alejandro tells a young waitress that he would love to help her out with her one-year-old son sometime. Little does he know that she needs his help more than he thought. Now Alejandro is tasked with watching baby Alan (Matteo Giannini) while also staying caught up with work and supporting his wife in her rapidly escalating career.

I’m going to start off with some advice, if you’re going to watch You’ve Got This, please watch it in the original Spanish with English subtitles. The English dubs are terribly done. I could only handle about five minutes before I switched to the subtitled version. With that out of the way, let’s get to the review.

Netflix has You’ve Got This listed as a romantic comedy, and I would agree with that, for the first hour. There’s a noticeable shift in tone just past the halfway point that takes us from comedy to drama. The first half is mostly baby-related shenanigans, as Alejandro tries to hide baby Alan at work and figure out how to take care of him. The second half dives into some serious subject matter, including terminal illness, alcoholism, single motherhood, adoption, and familial reconciliation. I don’t think that shift is to the movie’s detriment, however. The comedy is fun, but I think the deeper subjects and drama are what set this production apart from its more shallow genre mates. I especially appreciate the frank discussions about the choices women have to make between families and careers, and how not every woman wants children, and that’s ok! Alejandro and Ceci’s relationship is challenged by their different goals and wishes, but they still communicate respectfully and demonstrate healthy ways to handle differences.

Most importantly, the movie navigates complicated issues about gender roles and parenthood without resorting to misogyny. Ceci is never depicted in a negative light because she doesn’t want children, and she has some friends who are moms, and some that aren’t. Alejandro’s masculinity is never challenged because of his desire to be a father and he is nothing but nurturing and loving to baby Alan. The overall message is that a woman’s worth is not determined by her ability or desire to have children. And furthermore, that couples can disagree and have different goals, but they can still respect each other and communicate in a healthy way.

As far as rom coms go, You’ve Got This is comparatively low on content concerns. I still wouldn’t recommend it for children, but mostly because of the subject matter. From an adult’s perspective, I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think it’s a great addition to the genre. It’s well acted, heartfelt, and has a few good laughs along the way. Be warned, however, you might catch a touch of baby fever yourself if you’re not careful!