The LA Times hearts a new indie romantic comedy because it makes abortion a happy ending. Yay.
Comedian and former “SNL” cast member Jenny Slate stars in “Obvious Child” as a woman who has an abortion after getting pregnant accidentally. The movie, which just premiered at Sundance Film Festival, takes a departure from the usual cinematic story line that includes abortion. It subverts the trope that the procedure is tragic, something to be ashamed of or painful, and does something we rarely see on screen: makes it OK.
Director and screenwriter Gillian Robespierre wanted to tell a story about unplanned pregnancy differently from movies such as “Juno” or “Knocked Up,” in which unplanned pregnancies end up being carried to term. Robespierre told Salon she “wanted to write a story about how abortion doesn’t have to change a woman’s life forever.”…
Slate’s character struggles with how to tell the nice guy who got her pregnant about her plans to get an abortion. She decides that it is what’s best for her. And though she isn’t thrilled at the prospect of getting one, it doesn’t ruin her life. She is able, like many women who have an abortion, to walk away unscarred.
Typically, romantic comedies don’t have body counts. Unless it’s Julia Roberts dying then I’m willing to make an exception.
I’m thinking that other romantic comedies could’ve used a little abortion. Maybe “When Sally Impregnated Harry” or maybe “You’ve got a Male.”
