Title: Unpregnant
Distributor: HBO Max
Director: Rachel Lee Goldenberg
Production Companies: Berlanti Productions, Picturestart, and Warner Max
Release Date: September 10, 2020
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Rating: PG-13
Format: Feature Film
Run Time: 1 hr, 43 mins
Reading Level/Interest Level: N/A
Awards or Honors:
ReFrame Stamp Winner: Narrative & Animated Feature (2021)
Imagen Foundation Award Winnter: Best Actress for Television (Comedy) - Barbie Ferreria (2021)
Plot Summary
When Ivy-League-bound student Veronica finds out she is pregnant, she is desperate to preserve her perfectly planned future and decides to get an abortion. Needing to travel from Missouri to New Mexico, where she can legally get an abortion at the age of 17, Veronica recruits her former best friend, Bailey, to join her on the road. Along their journey, they must contend with Veronica's boyfriend who continues to plead with her not to get the abortion, a hot racecar driving lesbian who offers them a ride, and an anti-abortion couple who picks them up along the way. Things, of course, don’t go as planned, and the two find themselves caught up in a series of more and more complicated shenanigans as they try to make it to the clinic.
Director Background
Rachel Lee Goldenberg studied film at Ithaca College before going on to work on mostly genre films, shooting all over the world. She won an Emmy for her work on the show Between Two Ferns With Barack Obama and has directed over a dozen shows (Rachel Lee Goldenberg, n.d.).
Critical Evaluation
This film takes the difficult topic of abortion and handles it realistically but with a comedic twist. I don’t usually like comedies, but this film was laugh-out-loud funny, especially considering the subject matter. What I think makes this movie really special is the matter of fact way it treats Veronica’s decision to get an abortion and her unwavering stance, even in the face of her boyfriend begging her to change her mind and various forces on her way to the clinic that tries to make her reconsider. It also spotlights how difficult it is in some states for women to get an abortion. As a road-trip comedy, the plot does introduce quite a few wild situations that probably wouldn’t happen in real life, but the delivery by the actresses makes it a fun ride, regardless. I also found the ending a little odd, mainly when Veronica reunites with her mom, but overall I really enjoyed this movie.
This movie is a solid choice for teens because it normalizes abortion and shows a young girl making a decision for herself and following through with it. I think teens should be aware of what their options are and this movie does a great job at exploring that. Especially in a time right now when our country is on the verge of overturning Roe v Wade, it's important for teens to understand where their state stands on reproductive rights and I think this movie will spark those conversations.
Creative Use for a Library Program
Organize a fundraiser designed and run by teens to raise money for a local women’s health center.
Speed-Round Book Talk or Short Book Trailer
A road trip comedy about friendship and abortion, strap in for the wild ride that is Unpregnant. Two teens must make their way across the US to secure an abortion for minor Veronica, and meet a wild cast of friends and foes along the way.
Potential Challenge Issues and Defense Preparation
While there are no library challenges to this film, abortion is obviously a hot-button issue for a lot of people and I can imagine the concept of this movie might be extremely offensive to some. My argument is that this is one side of the topic and teens should understand the reality of teen pregnancy. As librarians, we do not censor materials in any way, including films with controversial content like this.
Reason for Inclusion
Aside from the comedy and friendship aspects of this movie (which were very strong), I especially loved the way this film normalizes abortion. I was surprised by how much I liked this movie and wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who enjoys buddy comedies and strong female characters.
References
HBO Max. (2020, September 25). Unpregnant official trailer [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEchWX525Es
IMDB. (2020). Unpregnant [Image]. Retrieved from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10556022/
Rachel Lee Goldenberg. (n.d.). About. Retrieved from https://www.rlgoldenberg.com/about
Skcgsra. (n.d.). Nature and magic [Image]. Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/350928995975675107/
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