If you have some time today, check out this short film called Obvious Child from Gillian Robespierre about a one night stand that results in pregnancy and abortion, featuring Jenny Slate, of SNL (and f-bomb dropping ) fame.
The film presents a subversive alternative to the Juno model, in which abortion is a quickly glossed over road-sign on the highway from CasualSexville to Babyland.
It's something of a relief to see a short, snappy, and funny film that deals with abortion head on, without ignoring, exoticizing, de-politicizing, or otherwise undermining the idea and reality of abortion as a political right, a medical procedure, a health outcome, and of course a woman's experience.
Plus, the main characters have a quirky indie likability, even if their relative privilege goes unchecked throughout the piece (the film makes no consideration of the costs related to abortion, doesn't even attempt to address the obstacles to abortion so many women face in the US and all over the world, and includes some potentially offensive ableist language.)
Despite its flaws, I appreciate the film for telling the story of one woman's abortion experience in a relatable way. I generally think boiling hot political topics down to the human level is a good thing, and that's something this film does quite well. Though I should add that I personally find the real thing a lot more valuable. For more on stories about abortion from real women, please see related posts below.
If you're interested in more opinions on the film, Sarah Seltzer of RHRealityCheck has a roundup of reactions from the blogosphere, which range from amusement to praise to "meh" criticism.
Related posts:
What makes for a good abortion?
Not Oprah's Book Club: Abortion and Life
And be sure to check out Courtney's coverage of Jennifer Baumgardner and Gillian Aldrich's documentary film, Speak Out: I Had an Abortion.
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I'm amazed that abortion has become an almost taboo subject in Hollywood. Remember "Maude" in the early 70s? Today that's unthinkable of even writing an abortion (or pro-choice) episode for a TV show.
I remember when "Degrassi The Next Generation" (a Canadian show) had a controversial episode about one of the characters who got an abortion, and the N network refused to air it in the States. Lame.
that was really good and i was definitely surprised when Peter opted to go with her to the clinic. Gillian Robespierre ftw!
I am still shocked time and time again, how a LEGAL MEDICAL procedure is completely black listed from conversation, TV Shows, magazines,Google searches in countries where it's legal, you name it.
On a side note, I was disgusted by Juno on so many levels, the number one reason being the complete lack of an open discussion about abortion as an option. It would have been fine if she hadn't chosen that option, but it wasn't even touched on, and I thought that was just up and out irresponsible. But then again, I am not the person who made that movie. But still....
Sorry for the rant.
LivingOutLoud -- I know, right? I didn't watch Juno after I found out that they make her decision a result of being "bagged" by a clinic protester. Reprehensible--don't encourage these douchebags! She could have gone in, had the counseling from the PP worker and made the decision as a result of trained, disinterested professional help, not because someone scared her with fingernails.
I saw this video a couple of weeks ago--I thought it was pretty good but not great. It definitely did a good job of showing that abortion doesn't need to be some huge traumatic experience and that every woman views her abortion differently but I found some of the dialog to be a little stilted.
I wasn't paying close attention when I saw the movie, but I'm fairly certain she makes her decision to continue the pregnancy in an abortion clinic. I think that's pretty far from "wasn't even touched on". I know a lot of people don't agree with the character's reason, but a lot of people decide not to terminate for reasons I may think are silly. Besides, it was a story about teenage pregnancy. They gave the quirky girl a quirky reason to continue the pregnancy as a plot device while giving a nod to the fact that abortion is an option.
What I like: a) the fact that it is about abortion, something that even in 2009 ppl are not willing to talk about openly and b) the fact that they do address that at one point getting a safe abortion was not an option and c) the portrayal of the clinic as friendly but not over the top.
What I don't like: a) that this is obv a very privledged take on abortion, b) the hipster irony speak that all the characters talk in c) the whole "warm and fuzzy" relationship with they guy (why would she need to go through this alone when duh duh duh! the baby-daddy can swoop in and help her through and tell her how special she is!)
Well, her friend was going to go with her, so she wasn't going to go through it alone. And while this is a romantic comedy, they definitely show that she didn't "need" him-- she was totally fine forgetting all about him 'til, hey, he showed up and he's awesome and they get along great. I never got the impression he was rescuing her from anything. And yeah, it is a privileged take on abortion, but it's a twenty minute short film. There's not necessarily time to get into the "how am I going to pay for this?," etc., that often goes along with the subject, if that's not the main idea of the film.
meh. this felt like LATFH and the more you know had crazy casual one night re-bound sex got pregnant, and didnt abort.
That wasn't even coherent.
LATFH - www.latfh.com
the more you know - http://www.themoreyouknow.com/
It's still not coherent. This character did abort.
Uberhausfrau is playing on the phrase "It's like _____ and _____ got together and had a baby." But she's using the plot of the movie to make a joke. In other words, the film looks likes the offspring of LATFH and a The More You Know ad.
thank you. thats exactly what i meant. sometimes i forget everyone isnt in my head.
I thought this was a wonderful film. I feel like a lot of commenters here expect every pro-choice piece to be perfect and to touch on every option, argument, and difficulty in the abortion debate. This movie isn't about abortion...it's the story of ONE woman's abortion. Yeah, she was white and privileged and a hipster. Yeah, the guy went with her. That doesn't mean the filmmaker is only supportive of young white hipster abortions...that's just the character she chose to make the film about.
And in the same vein, I was fine with Juno. Yeah, I wish there were more movies out there that really address abortion as a viable option, but that doesn't mean that lots of people wouldn't react the same way Juno did -- and it's okay to make a film about those people, that specific character. At least she didn't seem completely against abortion from the start -- she fully intended to get one and just changed her mind. It wasn't because of some huge heavenly moral mandate, either, it was just because it didn't feel like the right decision for HER at that time.
I think this filmmaker did an amazing job. Period. The End.
I agree. I liked Juno. The movie explored one option among many.
There needs to be more conversation and media about this issue. Then, one movie or one short indie film doesn't have to speak to ALL of the issues of unwanted pregnancies. We can see the well-off hipsters and their abortions, the poorer, rural women and their decisions, and the teenage girls and the different issues they face.
It's one movie. It doesn't (nor should it) speak to all experiences. There just need to be more movies that attempt to speak for other experiences, too.
Agreed, I thought the criticism was odd considering this short film tells an individual story, not an overall history of abortion. When someone is drinking water in a movie, I don't need them to have a long discussion about the fact that some people don't have access to clean water.
Ellestar has already covered what I wanted to say, so I'll just echo it. Rather than expecting a film that tells one person's story to cover all experiences, we should encourage more stories (in any medium) to reflect all of the unique experiences individuals have.
Bah. I concur. Juno wasn't about whether she got an abortion, it was about a smart girl (any smart girl) who got pregnant, made a choice (key word), and stuck out nine months of ridicule by her classmates and society to do something she believed in. I'll never understand how so many people can insist that a whole 6 minutes of a fictional film negates the other 90. sheesh.
i love this film.
I really wanted to like this. I put off watching it because I really wanted to like it. And I just didn't (also hated Juno). The boy swooping in to save her (I would argue that it shows she doesn't need him), what about the same hipster-privileged thing, and the woman goes through it by herself? So many representations of abortion are about some sort of social relationship, I don't think I've seen anything that addresses going through it totally alone, no bf, no friends, no mom. Does anyone have any recommendations?
I appreciate what the film is doing, but I really didn't like the characters or the acting. It's probably because I already agree with the premise, but the half-hearted acting really caught my attention and annoyed me.
I liked the scene after the procedure with the other girls.
I liked that scene too. She seemed about to make a joke or light-hearted comment but saw the other woman crying and, seeing that her experience was different than her own, kept silent.
That was a great film. Jenny Slate is wonderful.
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I liked this. I agree that the acting was not all that great, though it picked up as it went along. I also didn't like the fact that the boy happens by and takes her there, though if this were to be an abortion wish-list, that would be on mine. The fact that he was there wasn't helped by the fact that she asked if it was ok with him, but i appreciated the fact that he was eager to help and agreed with it whole-heartedly.
It's hard to judge the 'ease' of the procedure depicted in this film. When I was watching it I was wondering, where is the waiting room full of women? Where is the recovery room full of dazed women? Where was the pain involved. It's hard to judge because it should be honest without putting a negative spin on it, as abortion has such an enormous amount of negative judgment already spun around it. This movie did just that. However, as was mentioned above, there is an underlying privilege with this film that can be a bit off-putting.
All in all it's a good film with a good message. I'm glad I took the time to watch it.
ok...first time posting...i had to post again without all that other stuff...
I liked this. I agree that the acting was not all that great, though it picked up as it went along. I also didn't like the fact that the boy happens by and takes her there, though if this were to be an abortion wish-list, that would be on mine. The fact that he was there wasn't helped by the fact that she asked if it was ok with him, but i appreciated the fact that he was eager to help and agreed with it whole-heartedly.
It's hard to judge the 'ease' of the procedure depicted in this film. When I was watching it I was wondering, where is the waiting room full of women? Where is the recovery room full of dazed women? Where was the pain involved. It's hard to judge because it should be honest without putting a negative spin on it, as abortion has such an enormous amount of negative judgment already spun around it. This movie did just that. However, as was mentioned above, there is an underlying privilege with this film that can be a bit off-putting.
All in all it's a good film with a good message. I'm glad I took the time to watch it.
(does all of that site advertising come up every time you post on this site?)
I really liked this one, it was cute and silly and not terribly deep but I liked it all the same. The only part where the acting didn't work for me was the reaction to her mother's story - that sounded fake. The whole kind of dorky rest? I liked, I'd watch again.
In comparison, I didn't dislike, but wasn't overly thrilled with Juno. There were lots of very funny moments, but I felt like the main issue was not so much how the abortion was glossed over as the adoption was glossed over. It kind of came across to me as "abortion is weird - adoption is freeing and happy! Yay!" Which is not my perception of reactions to adoption vs. abortion.
Loved it. As someone who had an abortion and always felt kind of weird about it, watching this was...just great! I'm glad to see some of the seriousness lifted from the "very serious issue" that it is usually portrayed as.
As for the film, the character kind of reminded me of Sarah Silverman, which is cool cause I like her. I don't understand why everyone is calling her a hipster though...am I missing something?
"As for the film, the character kind of reminded me of Sarah Silverman, which is cool cause I like her"
I agree. I thought the character looked a bit more like her sister (or the woman who plays her sister on The SS Show).
understandably, this is one woman's experience. i really didn't like, however, the conversation between the women in the theater (even if it was supposed to spoof the candid quirky style of juno)...i feel like even though this is one woman's experience...the supporting character, friend should express something different, maybe empathize a bit more...not just joking, flippant banter. one of my closest friends had an abortion this past weekend, and her experience has not been easy in any way. she can make jokes (and does) because she needs to get through it, but she also breaks down in emotional pain. that's her experience, which is not everyone's, but i just feel that not enough inward, ALONE, self-discussion went into this portrayal, nor juno either, nor 'knocked up', ETC. just inspires me to make my own film, where you can spend an hour filming a woman in her room, talking to herself about her own ethics, beliefs, decisions, responsibilities, fears, strengths. and yeah she can still be funny and ironic too. because that's what's real, to me. then of course the film was funny and poignant in ways, and i enjoyed watching it. i just wish more sides were represented - but in reality, there are many different women in the world, with many different situations and perspectives, that all process this life experience in their own way (also in shared ways). though especially after this weekend where i bonded with 2 young women who've gone through it, it's hard not to feel the psychological weight.
i'm sorry, but that would be the worst film ever. that would be better suited for an ethics textbook, or maybe a novel. even then you have to SHOW not TELL what you want to portray, and they do this by having her say to her mom that she's not going to have a kid at this point in her life, portraying that she didn't even know the guy, and showing her seeming uncertainty and sadness at the abortion clinic. no one wants to watch someone talk to herself about her abortion--this is why films now have people talk with other people to convey ideas, and have shots of their emotions/actions when alone not out loud monologues. the short shows her alone sometimes, thinking about her decision (pacing after/before her conversation with her mom, looking nervous during the abortion). your comment displays the problem with talking about every tiny issue like some commenters want you to do.