Agent J’s first days in the Men in Black organisation are full of surprises, but nothing quite prepares him for helping deliver an alien baby on the side of a New Jersey road. While Agent K calmly questions the father, J is left dealing with a birth that involves tentacles, slime and a creature that looks nothing like a human newborn.
Will Smith plays James Edwards, a New York police officer recruited into the secret organisation after showing unusual skill during a chase. He becomes Agent J and is paired with veteran agent K, played by Tommy Lee Jones. K has spent years dealing with extraterrestrial visitors, so strange events rarely change his expression. J, by contrast, is still learning how much of the universe exists beyond ordinary human life.
The two agents are investigating why aliens are suddenly trying to leave Earth. Their trail leads them to an alien named Mr. Redgick, played by Patrick Breen. K questions him about his plans while discovering that Redgick’s wife is about to give birth in the back of their vehicle.
J has to help with the delivery. It is an awkward assignment for someone who has only just joined the agency. The birth becomes increasingly chaotic as tentacles emerge and wrap around him. J struggles to get the baby out while K continues asking the father questions as if they are conducting an ordinary roadside interview.
The scene’s comedy comes from the contrast between the two agents. K is completely focused on the investigation, even while his partner is being pulled around by an alien birth. J cannot believe this is part of the job. When the baby finally arrives, it is a small, multi-tentacled creature. K congratulates Redgick and identifies the newborn as a squid. J, covered in slime, even admits that the creature looks cute before it spits up on him.
Director Barry Sonnenfeld explained in a Directors Guild of America feature that he wanted to keep the camera mostly fixed during the scene. That way, the audience could watch K’s deadpan questioning in the foreground while J struggled with the delivery in the background. The joke works because both things happen at once, without the editing constantly telling viewers where to look.
The moment also gives the film a clue about the larger mystery. K notices that Redgick is planning to leave Earth with a newborn, even though there is no scheduled departure. That raises a new question: what has frightened this family enough to risk a dangerous escape?
Men in Black was released in 1997 and directed by Sonnenfeld. It is based on the comic series created by Lowell Cunningham. The film also stars Linda Fiorentino as Laurel Weaver, Vincent D’Onofrio as Edgar and Rip Torn as Chief Zed. It became a major box-office hit and led to sequels and an animated series.
The alien birth scene is a perfect introduction to the job J has accepted. He thought he was joining a secret government agency. He did not realise that the job might include delivering a squid-like baby while his partner continues an interrogation.
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