OBVIOUS CHILD: UNFUNNY TOPIC

When I first heard about the movie OBVIOUS CHILD I thought for sure someone had gone crazy. That was based on the subject matter and how the promotional department decided to handle it. It described the movie as a comedy about abortion. Being the touchy and topical subject that this entails I could not believe anyone could find some way to make the killing of a child funny. Even those who have no problem with abortion I would assume would find it hard to find humor in the subject matter. So going in a part of me was all ready to slam this movie. What I found was a serious film on the topic that delivered near non-existent humor. Whoever promoted it this way needs to find another job.

The story revolves around Donna Stern (Jenny Slate), a young stand up comedian by night and book store employee by day. Donna dreams of stardom and seems to be headed that direction by the popularity of her act at a local club. As the movie opens though she finds herself in the midst of heartbreak. Her boyfriend dumps her for one of her friends, partially unhappy at the way she uses their relationship for the material she performs on stage. Rather than take this mildly she begins to stalk them with the intent to confront her but instead hits the bar at the club instead.

Clearly intoxicated she takes to the stage to perform but instead offers up more of her life, this time without any sort of humor attached, leaving an uncomfortable audience. Her choice to handle this is to drink more. And then she meets Max (Jake Lacy), a young businessman who missed her performance but finds her interesting. Before the night is over the couple share some interesting intoxicated moments and head back to his place for a roll in the hay. Waking the next morning and regretting the night before, Donna heads home.

A few weeks pass and after feeling ill Donna talks to her best friend and after taking a pregnancy test discovers that she is indeed with pregnant. Being a modern woman there is no talk at all of having the child and the decision to abort seems to be made immediately. As we have already witnessed, Donna is not a woman who is ready for any sort of commitment let alone having a child. Scenes between her and both of her parents reveal this in situations rather than words.

Eventually Donna has discussions about the abortion with most of the people she knows, her divorced parents, her best friend, her gay friend, her doctor and eventually the audience that comes to hear her comedy based on her life. It is during her performance that Max shows up and discovers what happened. Again we're presented with a modern man, someone who doesn't discuss any option other than having the abortion. The question that rises from what has happened is will she actually go through with it or will she find some reason to change her mind?

The good parts of this movie were the performances by all involved. There was something real in each of the characters and how they were portrayed. Of course the mind set was definitely stereotypical New York, that kind of group where everything performance yields art and its fun to snipe at anyone who doesn't see it your way. Slate and the writers do a good job of making you actually consider the topic. There is nothing wrong with being pro or anti abortion and yet watching a woman who isn't sure enough of herself or her position in life enough to take on having a child. Whichever belief you have will certainly help to form your judgment on the topic at hand and this movie won't change your mind. It will make you think though.

The bad parts are the treatment of abortion as a wonderful thing as if there were no consequences to having one. One scene *spoiler alert* even has her mother laughing it off saying she had an abortion long ago when she was a young woman as well prior to meeting Donna's father and then describing the horror stories we've all heard about backstreet abortions. The other bad part of the film is actually the comedy. I've always felt that movies that tried to show a stand up comic performing always get it wrong. This movie helps prove that point. There was no time during Donna's stand up performances when I found myself smiling let alone laughing. Slate is an actual stand up comedian and I hope her performances are better than this.

In the end I can't hate this movie with the venom one would think that someone who is anti-abortion might have. Sorry but we all walk into this movie with our own preconceived notions. At the same time I can see where the story makes an interesting drama. As I said, your mind won't be changed by the movie but perhaps the strength of your argument might.

Click here to order.