Obvious Child Film Review: It's Obvious

In a society that spends more time debating the moral compass of abortion rights, and distrusting women of making their own decisions about their bodies, the film Obvious Child is an unapologetic and honest motion picture of a woman making that choice without a stance of preaching for or against either side.

Indeed, that very aspect of the film is what makes it refreshing. The film is not about whether the protagonist should or should not get an abortion, nor is it about shaming her choice, but that a of a single woman coming to terms with the path she decides to walk. Abortion is not a decision any woman wants to make in her life, but many women find themselves walking over that bridge in their lifetime. This is the most vulnerable a woman can be, and yet it is not about regretting the choice, but making peace with it.

The beauty of this film is beyond the genuine approach of the topic. It is in each relationship held by the main character; healthy and supportive. You might walk into the theater anticipating a film about a woman getting an abortion - and to many degrees it is - and you might want to see a debate play out or see a woman be disowned by her friends and family because in many ways a massive life choice like this is heartbreaking,and serious, but in her unwavering, challenging decision, the main character, Donna Stern finds a healthy dose of support, love and respect through comedy.

I appreciate the sense of normality that centers the film in an even pace. It is emotional, but far from draining. The comedic elements creates a straightforward reality of a version of womanhood in society today. Donna makes her choice and stands by it. Her joking demeanor is her way of making sense of an existential experience. the film carries itself with a warm affectionate compassion that is beautiful in its subtlety. A charming scene with Donna and her mother propels a dialogue out in the open about the frank and intimate generational experiences of mothers and daughters in a rigid patriarchal society. It is a connection hardly seen, and worth more than a hundred others; a bond between women solidified in complex choices.

I give Obvious Child a 2/3 on the Bechdel test. There are more than two named women in this film who discuss more than just a relationship, and though a romantic relationship is part of the story it is not the main focus. I recommend this film for all to see, and even make the plea for more films that are grounded in intricate options of women’s lives. I want more, I need more stories about women, and this is the way to go about it. Go see Obvious Child now.