Let’s answer your most pressing question about Obvious Child: Yes, Paul Simon’s song “Obvious Child” appears in the movie. Twice.
Unless you’ve been avoiding press about movies since January, you know Obvious Child is a romantic comedy in which the main character, Donna (Jenny Slate), has an abortion. But that’s not entirely what the movie is about; it’s a complete tale of a woman at an important point in her life. The decision to have an abortion is just one of many things that happens in Donna’s life throughout the movie.
But with that plot point comes a lot of baggage. There hasn’t been a movie since roughly 1982 (Fast Times at Ridgemont High for those keeping score at home) that treats abortion as a judgment-free fact of life. Slate used the phrase “matter-of-fact” in a recent interview with Canada’s Q Radio, and that’s the best way to describe the movie’s handling of Donna’s decision. (Alexander Payne’s 1996 film Citizen Ruth treats abortion as spectacle.)
And here’s the kicker: Obvious Child is funny as shit. It’s possibly the most laugh-out-loud comedy of 2014. The fact that it features a character who terminates a pregnancy will no doubt piss off a lot of people. And maybe it will change minds about abortion (though I doubt it), but it does something important: It treats women and their health decisions with respect. It’s worth noting that Obvious Child is written and directed by Gillian Robespierre (a woman, in case you’re wondering).
Donna is a struggling stand-up comedian who works in a bookstore during the day. After one stand-up set when she reveals too much about her personal life, her boyfriend dumps her; he’s been resenting her openness on stage for months. Then she loses her job when she’s told the bookstore is closing. Then she has a one-night stand with Max (Jake Lacy), a guy she meets after a show. They’re both so drunk she can’t remember whether they used a condom (her hazy recollections make for a few good scenes).
When Donna discovers she’s pregnant, she decides almost immediately—though not without serious consideration—to have an abortion. Slate’s performance in the doctor’s office is award caliber; she schedules the procedure for Valentine’s Day.
Donna leans on her friends for support, including her roommate, Nellie (Gaby Hoffman). Her mother (Polly Draper), with whom she usually butts heads, also becomes a source of support.
Then Obvious Child goes on being a movie about a human woman living her life. It can’t be overstated how refreshing it is to hear characters in a movie use the word “abortion” without shame or judgment, or to use the word at all (I’m looking at you, Knocked Up).
Romantic comedies seem to feature two jobs for women: Successful magazine writers who never seem to report and world-class PR mavens (does any Hollywood screenwriter actually know anyone in PR?). It’s a boon to the genre to see someone real, flawed, and whole. But Obvious Child isn’t just a romantic comedy, and it’s not just about abortion. It’s about time someone made a funny movie that reflects real life.
Playing this week
22 Jump Street
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX
Belle
Regal Downtown Mall Cinema 6
Chef
Regal Downtown Mall Cinema 6
Edge of Tomorrow
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX
The Fault in Our Stars
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX
The Godfather (Wed.)
Regal Downtown Mall Cinema 6
The Godfather Part II (Wed.)
Regal Downtown Mall Cinema 6
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Regal Downtown Mall Cinema 6
How to Train Your Dragon 2
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX
Ida
Regal Downtown Mall Cinema 6
Jersey Boys
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX
Maleficent
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX
Million Dollar Arm
Regal Downtown Mall Cinema 6
The Rover
Regal Downtown Mall Cinema 6
Think Like A Man Too
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX
Words and Pictures
Regal Downtown Mall Cinema 6
X-Men: Days of Future Past
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX
Movie houses
Regal Downtown Mall Cinema 6
979-7669
Regal Stonefield 14 and IMAX
244-3213