Obvious Child (2014) Reviews

• A genuine and authentic look at womanhood, featuring a truly star-making lead performance.

  BrentHankins2014-06-12

  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

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• Anything but its title

  StevePulaski2014-11-14

  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.

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• Wonderful little Indie Comedy but Pro-lifers and Conservatives might wanna skip it

  ArchonCinemaReviews2015-02-04

  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.

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• Was there a point?

  mamlukman2014-06-24

  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.

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• Obvious Child

  Argemaluco2015-01-24

  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.

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