It's been a long time since I've done a movie review but I was compelled to write something after I finally sat down and watched the political and highly relevant dramedy about abortion, Obvious Child.
Beware, there are opinions in this one. These opinions are solely mine and you might not agree with them. As usual, I tried to look at everything with an open and thoughtful mind but opinions are opinions and sometimes they're right and sometimes they're wrong.
Read at your own risk:
Obvious Child made only one thing obvious to me and you're not going to like it. It seemed to me that this movie was a blatant advertisement paid for by Planned Parenthood (their logo was everywhere). When I turned it on, I was hoping for thoughtful discussion of the painstaking process of getting an abortion from the point of view of a woman who many people believe shouldn't be allowed to have one. What I got felt like an advertisement. Have an abortion! It's easy! It's painless! No one will blame you or be upset at you! The man who knocked you up will be very supportive! Don't worry!
You have got to be kidding me.
I think I should make something else clear: I am definitely pro-choice. I believe that women should be allowed to make this decision themselves after being presented with all of their options and taking the time to carefully think about the consequences of their actions. I am also pro-education. It is very important to educate people before they make such a potentially life altering decision. In fact, it's even more important to educate people before they even make the thing that might cause them to have to make this potentially life altering decision. That is, sex education is a very good thing.
My biggest problem with this film was the obvious lack of emotional fallout that this decision often causes. If you get pregnant and decide to get an abortion, not everyone is going to agree with you or be relieved as Donna's mother is. In fact, most people are going to disagree with you and you may have to do it all alone because no one wants to help you commit an act that they view as murder. In Donna's case, she comes to the conclusion she is pregnant (merely by saying she has sore breasts, which is silly in itself) and is mortified, as any single and struggling 28 year old might be. But from there, the movie seems to go further and further off track. Her sister is supportive but doesn't encourage Donna to take a moment to think about anything. She pushes her to immediately get an abortion. So Donna doesn't think, she just acts. She isn't sad or nervous or upset. She is just taking care of business. And while this might be the way some women cope with the idea of getting an abortion, I'd wager than many of us would not react this way. Donna goes on to tell her mother, father, and eventually the man who got her pregnant and none of them react negatively. They don't even touch on the option that one of these people might possibly be against the idea of her having an abortion. Her mother is almost excited that Donna is getting an abortion. I know my mother would not react that way.
I was so disappointed in this film. I wanted it to be a great social and political commentary about an issue that is close to all of us. And while I have never had an abortion (yes, we do exist! Even though this film wants you to believe we don't.) I have been faced with the reality of it. Twice even. There have been two instances in my life where I have believed I might be pregnant and, at both times, I was unable to support a child and thought my only option would be abortion. Luckily, I was not pregnant either time but even the thought of having to go through that made me horribly emotional. The fact that Donna doesn't face any struggle for the entire film makes it completely unbelievable. No one's life is that easy.
(Just in case you're wondering, she isn't sad about the abortion in this picture. She's sad her boyfriend left her for someone else. Gag me.)
As a small end note: could you lay off the gross vagina and fart jokes, lady comedians? You don't have to be shocking in order to get laughs. Stop trying to compete with male comics and just be yourselves! We'll back you up.
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