Film review
Obvious Child
Obvious child, described as an “abortion rom-com”, is ground-breaking cinema not because of special effects, but because it’s a realistic portrayal of a woman deciding on and getting an abortion.
A film discussing a procedure that one in three women will have in their lifetime is too much for many cinemas apparently – only three cinemas across London are showing Obvious Child.
Compare Obvious Child’s character deciding to have an abortion to Knocked Up, where the characters refuse to even say the word “abortion” as it’s too horrible to contemplate or Juno, where there is a pro-life protester outside the dark, cold clinic. Obvious Child’s producers asked Planned Parenthood for advice to make the scenes realistic.
In the last century only 300 abortion stories have been seen on film and TV. Of characters who obtain abortions, a huge 9% are killed off in the show.
Obvious Child is a funny movie about a 20-something comedian making her way in the world. But it’s unmissable because it depicts a part of life that many women are told they should be ashamed to discuss.
