For aspiring comedian Donna Stern, everyday life as a female twenty-something provides ample material for her relatable brand of humor. On stage, Donna is unapologetically herself, joking about topics as intimate as her sex life and as crude as her day-old underwear. But when Donna winds up unexpectedly pregnant after a one-night stand, she is forced to face the uncomfortable realities of independent womanhood for the first time. Donna's drunken hookup - and epic lapse in prophylactic judgment - turns out to be the beginning of an unplanned journey of self-discovery and empowerment. Written by

----------------------------------------
Thomas Drufke
----------------------------------------

Making a movie that seems authentic is hard in this day and age considering what films make money and what films don't. Most of the time audiences don't feel like watching a film deal with real issues when they can just watch a summer blockbuster, but Obvious Child is an incredibly effective real film.

Jenny Slate gives an incredible lead performance of a woman who is a struggling stand up comedian and dealing with personal issues to go along with it. After going through a break up she has a one night stand with a complete stranger, who also happens to be a charming and genuinely nice man. Slate and Lacy have great chemistry together on screen, even if it's dependent upon dirty and crude humor. Speaking of dirty, if the films opening doesn't have you laughing than it's probably not for you. The jokes can be a bit much at times but that speaks to the bond these two strangers have built over a short period of time.

It also treats abortion with care while never really leaning to one side of the spectrum or the other politically wise. Comedically it's on par with a lot of straight up comedies, but it separates itself by having true moments of drama. Props to the entire cast for creating these real characters who everyone can relate to. I think Jenny Slate will be a powerhouse in comedy if she chooses the right roles for herself. Obvious Child is a great short little indie film that's definitely worth watching.

+Slate's star making performance

+Real characters

+With real dramatic situations

+Good mix of comedy and true emotion

-Humor a bit over-the-top at times

8.4/10

----------------------------------------
Brent Hankins from www.nerdrep.com
----------------------------------------

Over the years, the film industry has churned out plenty of comedies about the perils of dealing with unexpected pregnancy, but never has the subject been approached from such a refreshingly different point of view than in Gillian Robespierre's Obvious Child.

Donna (Jenny Slate) is an aspiring stand-up comedian whose relationship with her long-term boyfriend has just come to a screeching halt, courtesy of his philandering. Angry and despondent, Donna unleashes her frustration onstage, crashing and burning in front of the audience before finding solace in genuine nice guy Max (Jake Lacy), with whom she shares a few drinks - and a bed.

When Donna discovers a few weeks later that she's pregnant, her life is thrown into upheaval. A child certainly isn't on her list of desired acquisitions, and after evaluating her options with best friend Nellie (Gaby Hoffmann), she elects to have an abortion. There's just one problem: Max, the one-night stand who also happens to be the sweetest, most courteous person Donna has ever met, and is obviously interested in more than just a casual fling.

Obvious Child differs from other pregnancy rom-coms by approaching a uniquely feminine issue from a decidedly feminine point of view. This is Donna's story, and while the film is most definitely a comedy, it treats the subject matter with respect and dignity. It's also a standout performance from Slate, who runs the full gamut of the emotional spectrum, gleefully reveling in Donna's raunchy stand-up act one moment, and losing herself in a tearjerking scene between Donna and her overbearing (but not unloving) mother in the next.

Obvious Child will likely bear the unfortunate distinction of being known as "the abortion movie," but to oversimplify the film and marginalize it in such a manner is a huge disservice. Yes, it deals with abortion, but more importantly, it deals with womanhood in a way that few films have ever dared. It's an authentic, emotional, and yes, hilarious portrait of a young woman trying to find her way, and should be considered a landmark achievement in feminist filmmaking.

-- Brent Hankins

----------------------------------------
Argemaluco from Argentina
----------------------------------------

I hated Jenny Slate when she incorporated herself to the cast of Saturday Night Live in 2009. I deeply disliked her style and attitude, and I didn't even notice when she left the programme one year later (it is said that producer Lorne Michaels never forgave her for saying the "F" word during her first sketch). However, during the following years, my opinion about this comedienne changed very much, because I saw her flourish in supporting roles or as a guest actress in TV series such as Married and Parks and Recreation, in which she stole her scenes and left me wishing to see her starring in some project which would take advantage of her talent. And well, that project has finally come in the shape of the film Obvious Child, quite an interesting romantic comedy/drama about the abortion. It would seem difficult and even tasteless to find humor in that subject, but the screenplay takes the premise seriously and doesn't trivialize it for the sake of humor; on the opposite, the comedy naturally flows through the contradictory emotions generated by the main character's situation. Slate brings a brilliant performance in the leading role, and the rest of the cast also makes a solid work, highlighting Gaby Hoffman and David Cross. In conclusion, I can recommend Obvious Child as an incisive film, which, despite not being something brilliant, entertains and offers sincere emotions.

----------------------------------------
Steve Pulaski from United States
----------------------------------------

Jenny Slate plays a twenty-eight-year-old by the name of Donna Stern in Obvious Child, who makes a living working in a bookstore and performing irregularly at some of Brooklyn's seediest comedian clubs. Her humor reminds of Sarah Silverman, as its punchline, regardless of the joke, is that a woman can be just as crass and dirty as a male comedian can. The problem is it results in little that is actually funny and more of Slate, and writer/director Gillian Robespierre, pushing the envelope and seeing how far they can go with their jokes in order to achieve something that is allegedly funny. It's not that Slate isn't a gifted performer - she's sly and has mastered the art of being able to throw herself in a plethora of different situations and remaining believable throughout all of them - but that consistently tries to be funny by using excessive vulgarity and sexually-explicit scenarios that are ineffective and lifeless.

Obvious Child, however, is more than just my brief summation; it's actually a millennial romantic comedy with a shockingly nonchalant and comedic look at abortion. Donna winds up being dumped by her longtime boyfriend, who finds their relationship stagnant and her jokes about their love-life quietly offensive, as he hopes to turn over a new leaf with the woman he has been cheating on Donna with. On top of that, she loses her job and gets pregnant by sweet and well-meaning Max (Jake Lacy), whom she had a one-night-stand with in light of her breakup. With this, Donna, a free-spirit and a fly-by- the-seat-of-her-pants woman, is forced to seriously contemplate single motherhood in a way she never had to before. She schedules an abortion and, ironically, gets scheduled for February 14th, further plunging her into a realm of contemplation she never foresaw herself entering.

Obvious Child plays a lot like Lena Dunham's directorial debut Tiny Furniture, but doesn't find itself as incessantly artificial as it. The film is corrupted because it takes the annoying traits of its characters and makes a film that functions like one of them, as well, including being mixed with frustrating conversations that reveal nothing about the characters, dodging and weaving through motivations and internal-thoughts of the characters, empty attempts to humanize these people outside of the quintessential idea of a liberal millennial caricature, and making every other character in the film besides Donna a faceless soul.

What results is a film that lacks any form of engagement to the audience. A film where abortion is taken in a simultaneously comedic but contemplative light is ripe for a wealth of intriguing commentary (Juno toyed with the concept and did a fairly nice job), but Obvious Child exercises the idea in a way that I find indistinguishable. I cannot tell if I'm supposed to sympathize with Donna, or scoff at the way she can write off big life decisions or simplify their significance.

This is the same issue I took with the aforementioned Tiny Furniture; I'm unable to tell if I'm supposed to recognize that the world created in that film was artificial or regard it as an accurate depiction of contemporary Brooklynites. Was I supposed to be inherently detached from the main characters of the film or was I supposed to try and form some sort of connection to them as their asinine lives unfolded. While Obvious Child at least finds itself with an idea it wants to execute - the comedic or, at very least, light-hearted portrayal of abortion - despite not finding an adequately funny or thoughtful way to explore it. For a film proclaiming a character in it to be "obvious," I strangely found the film to be anything but.

Starring: Jenny Slate and Jake Lacy. Directed by: Gillian Robespierre.

----------------------------------------
Larry Silverstein from United States
----------------------------------------

Why does a movie do a 180 in the final 15 to 20 minutes and give us something worthwhile, with the first hour here devoted to cringe inducing and painfully unfunny situations and dialog. Also, I found this film to be filled with lots of anti-male stereotypes as it progressed.

Jenny Slate stars as Donna Stern, a part-time stand up comic and part-time bookstore employee, in New York City. After her boyfriend dumps her, she ends up having a one night stand with the super nice guy Max Brown, portrayed by Jake Lacy.

In a few weeks Donna finds out she's pregnant from their sexual encounter, and begins to move forward to possibly have an abortion, suffering through all the emotional turmoil that accompanies such a decision. Things get even more complicated when Max comes to the bookstore, and asks her out again. Donna also must decide if she wants to tell her mother (Polly Draper) and father (Richard Kind).

This movie seemed to be trying so hard to shock the viewer with raw language, as well as a myriad of scatological and sexual jokes, which fall as flat as a pancake. As mentioned, only in the final minutes did I get a sense that I was watching an actual story that might have some entertainment value. Sorry, overall, this film has to be rated poorly in my book.

----------------------------------------
Nicole of ArchonCinemaReviews.com from United States
----------------------------------------

Gillian Robespierre makes an endearingly funny film about unplanned pregnancy and abortion with Obvious Child. Don't believe us? Watch it! Obvious Child, written and directed by Gillian Robespierre, is the breakout indie comedy that swept up audiences hearts at both Sundance and SXSW festivals.

Obvious Child follows a stand up comedienne named Donna Stern, played by Jenny Slate. Donna was recently dumped, and not just dumped, but had her heart ripped out and stomped on by her now ex-boyfriend and needless to say she is going through a rough patch. What does one do when one is heartbroken? Well, dancing in her underwear to music, one-night stands and maintaining a certain level of drunkenness seems to be the remedy for her. Unfortunately for Donna this leads to further complications when she finds her uterus fertilized which forces her to address aspects of her life she's been avoiding.

It is incredibly difficult to tell where Donna Stern ends and Jenny Slate begins in Obvious Child. All the characters written by Robespierre are realistic, engaging and fully formed, especially Donna's best friend Nellie (Gaby Hoffmann) and straight-laced paramour Max (Jake Lacy). Whether it be from the actors' talents or the superior writing, either way, Obvious Child is a fast-paced film with entertaining and intellectual dialogue.

Obvious Child is not a film for everyone. If you gripe about the sanctity of marriage and have considered or participated in a pro-life rally then this film is probably not for you. You've been warned. Obvious Child is definitely slanted toward the liberal agenda and lucky for this film, so am I.

Please check out our WEBSITE for all the REVIEWS of recent releases, indies and awards contenders.

----------------------------------------
mamlukman from United States
----------------------------------------

I see only one woman has reviewed this, so that partially redeems women, who seem largely responsible for this mess. This story seems to have been told and re-told lately, and I'd like a new one, please. Late 20s-something female in the Big City is adrift, playing at "comedy" (although neither my wife nor I saw anything to laugh at), rejected (quite rightly) by her boyfriend, and has a nothing job in a bookstore that's going out of business. New guy inexplicably falls for her, they have sex, she gets pregnant, decides to have an abortion, eventually tells him, he says nothing but supports her by going with her to the clinic, and then they start to watch Gone With the Wind (although where are the bells in the opening soundtrack of GWTW?). Sadly, the Jenny Slate character doesn't seem to have any redeeming qualities. Self-pity is not a redeeming quality. There is no indication whatsoever as to why the guy falls for her, other than the fact that she seems to be available and drunk. And I have to say the abrupt ending threw me.

So…after spending almost two hours of my life, what's my takeaway here? Abortion good, hard work bad? Some guys will date almost anyone? What's the point in trying because I can't be as good as my mother? If this was indeed about abortion, as some seem to think, it doesn't get much air time…Jenny says "I thought about it" and leaves it at that. We have no indication as to what thoughts entered her mind. The guy has no say. Really? The only likable character was her mother: was this to remind us that that "Thirty-Something" (where the actress gained fame and fortune) was actually a far superior show about young people? And I'm sorry, but why the title? "Obvious Child"? Who's the child? Jenny? If it's the aborted baby, why on earth is he/she obvious? And if it's Jenny, are we supposed to celebrate that fact that she's 28 or so and totally clueless? Is that a good thing? Sorry, thumbs way down from me.

----------------------------------------
jm10701 from United States
----------------------------------------

It's amazing when a director's first movie is as nearly perfect as this one is. It's a marvel. It's richly funny and touching and entertaining, but it's also exactly what we as a society need right now.

Until I saw this, I hadn't noticed the extent to which the conservative nuts have turned abortion into something so vile that even its supporters are afraid to talk about it as anything but an evil last resort. It's unbelievably refreshing to spend an hour and a half in a world in which abortion is not only an acceptable alternative to childbirth but the healthy and valuable medical procedure it is in fact.

Thank God for Gillian Robespierre and the wonderful people who helped her make this movie. Jenny Slate (obviously) and Gaby Hoffmann, whose strength as an actor grows with every movie she makes, deserve special praise for their fantastic performances.

The trouble with conservative Christians is that they don't believe their own religion. If they did, they would have no objection to abortion, because it delivers the unborn child from this painful and dangerous world directly into the arms of their loving Father forever. Christians preach that God, but they don't really believe in him.

If Christians believed their own religion, they would not reject or judge anybody; they'd embrace everybody, because that's exactly what Jesus did. Jesus welcomed everybody who came to him, especially sinners; he judged and excluded nobody. He preached love and healing, not judgment and condemnation. Christians have traded their loving God (the only true god) for a false god of vengeance and terror who's no better than Allah or Kali.

----------------------------------------
bob the moo from United Kingdom
----------------------------------------

Donna is a stand-up comedienne who is about to have quite the life upheaval; her boyfriend dumps her after a show, and the bookstore she works at is shutting down. In a fit of rebound, she has a one- night stand with a guy she meets at the comedy club. She slips out of that scenario in the morning, but some weeks later finds she is pregnant. With her abortion booked, Donna tries to figure out the other aspects of her life.

Depending on your politics I guess there is the chance that you will either hate this film or love it, simply based off the way that it presents abortion as something useful and generally a good thing to have on a list of options – reading critics and message boards it is pretty clear that some viewers did not watch the film so much as just see the issue. This is a shame because, although the politics of the film are very clear, it is not as blunt as a message film, but rather it plays around the edges and makes quite a natural little drama/comedy out of it. The material is often a bit too "Williamsburg" for its own good, and is prone to moments of knowing cuteness and smugness, but generally the tone is light and accessible. In terms of plotting I am not sure if I totally bought the stand-up (since we never see it be really funny) or the potential relationship (he just seems boringly nice, like they forgot to write him a character), and these are pretty big weaknesses, but they are just about carried by the lead actress.

Slate's performance is very natural, very engaging – this is not to say that elements of her do not grate at times, but when they do they feel like they do because they are just the way it is. She gives her character quirks, but again they seem fitting rather than overly quirky things written for the target audience. I also liked that she was deeply flawed as a character, and that a lot of the messes were of her own (at least partial) making. The rest of the cast are unfortunately not as good, even though there are some decent faces in there – many of them did not have too much room to expand out their bits and the film as a whole.

All told though, it is energetic, engaging, amusing, and is driven hard by a very good performance from Slate; it is not as good as some would suggest, and does have weaknesses that really do limit it as a total film, but for what it does well it is worth a look.

----------------------------------------
theSachaHall from Australia
----------------------------------------

When asked about my 20s, I tell people it's a decade-long roller-coaster of mayhem, mistakes, memories and maturity. The decade where you learn about the real world, learn from one's actions and its consequences. Oh, and learning that ex-boyfriends don't really pine over you for the rest of their lives.

This is where we find Donna Stern (Jenny Slate) in OBVIOUS CHILD. Fidgeting at the gates of the dirty thirties, Donna's in an emotional crisis right now. Her boyfriend just dumped her for her girlfriend (whom he had been seeing behind her back). The bookstore where she works is closing down, placing her in the unemployment line and she's worried about not being able to afford her rent. In addition, the relationship with her mother Nancy (Polly Draper) is still complex but luckily, Donna's relationship with her dad Jacob (Richard Kind) keeps her balanced. And last but not least, Donna's recently discovered she's pregnant. With Max's (played by Jake Lacy) baby. He's the one-night-stand 'piss-farter' she met at the bar where she's performs her stand-up comedy routine.

As a way to figuring out everything in her life right now, Donna talks about these relationship issues with her friends both on and off stage. And like any irrational, insecure woman who has recently been dumped, Donna also tortures herself by drunk dialing her ex-boyfriend and 'stalking' his house to see if he'll exit with her ex-friend. 'Just one more sip' she says after each sip of her coffee until Ryan (Paul Briganti) emerges with said friend in tow.

Donna finally turns the maturity corner after inadvertently meeting preppy nice guy Max following her disastrous stage performance, and subsequently falls pregnant from their one- night-stand. The surprise pregnancy steers the film in a more controversial direction when, after carefully considering her circumstances, responsibility and readiness to be a mother, Donna decides to abort her pregnancy.

Don't think this subversive rom-com makes a mockery of abortion. It doesn't. In fact, first feature director Gillian Robespierre handles the abortion plot point with finesse: placing it in a relatable context that seriously considers the consequences of the protagonist's actions whilst weighing it against the reality of responsibility and unstable circumstances. And despite the stigma surrounding such a decision, Slate's character remains resolute in her choice throughout the rest of the film. It strengthens the ideal that it is okay to make such difficult decisions particularly when it's in one's own best interest.

It's not often one has an opportunity to watch a film about abortion that is so refreshingly candid, yet comically relatable, that you can't help but praise Robespierre and her perspective of a late 20s woman whose life so far, isn't turning out quite the way she thought it would. Literally. And like Donna's temporary spiral out of control in OBVIOUS CHILD, that's okay because eventually, you'll manage to steer yourself back on track.

In a nutshell, OBVIOUS CHILD is a sharply written comedy that unashamedly addresses real life issues with a walk down memory lane moment in there for everyone.

Shot in 18 days.
------------------------

The title comes from the eponymous Paul Simon song, which was the first track from Simon's 1990 album The Rhythm of the Saints.
------------------------

abortion|pregnancy|pregnant|divorced parents|standup comedy|one night stand|painful humor|scatological humor|love|mother daughter relationship|comedy club|title based on song|excrement|restaurant|book store|roommate|valentine's day|pregnant woman|boyfriend girlfriend relationship|boyfriend|infidelity|peeing in the street|gone with the wind|first date|puppet|divorce|new yorker|condom|reproductive rights|low budget film|new york city|brooklyn new york|planned parenthood|

AKAs Titles:


Certifications:
Australia:MA15+ (2014) / Canada:PG (British Columbia) / Canada:14A (Ontario) / Canada:13+ (Québec) / Ireland:16 / Singapore:NC16 / Singapore:M18 (Blu-ray) / UK:15 / USA:R