Obvious Child

Obvious Child, on the surface, is just a simple and well-written indie comedy with charming performances and modest laughs. I walked out of the theatre with a smirk on my face and a slight (if awkward) skip in my step. I decided to hold off on writing a review until it could really marinate with me. My thoughts were essentially that it was “Good, but, nothing special”. Then, this whole fracas with the Supreme Court and the Hobby Lobby took centerstage in the news and on social media, and slowly, I came to the conclusion that: Even if Obvious Child might not be hilarious, it might just be one of the most important and groundbreaking little films in recent memory.

Obvious Child centers around Donna Stern (Jenny Slate), a struggling stand-up comedian who descends into a spiral of self-loathing and drunken voicemails after her cheating boyfriend dumps her in the bathroom of a bar right after one of her sets. After a particularly jarring and uncomfortably self-deprecating stand-up performance, she meets and goes home with Max. (Jake Lacy, or Plop from The Office). Max is an affable All-American type who just might be the sexual pick-me-up that Donna needs. Shortly after their drunken and dance-fueled one-night-stand, Donna discovers that she is pregnant and shortly comes to terms with the fact that the most responsible thing to do, is have an abortion.

This movie handles the touchy subject in a manner that I have not seen before. It is not meant or even suggested to be a source of political debate, it is not a set-up for a punchline, It isn’t even a source of personal confusion or conflict for Donna. She is confident and calm in her decision. The only concrete objection that she expresses is the procedure’s cost as compared to her monthly rent. This is not to say that Donna does not acknowledge the sensitivity of the topic. She does, but her misgivings come in the form of her struggle to inform the people she loves of her decision. Her best friend, Nellie (Gaby Hoffman, who is proving herself to be a goddess of indie comedies) is nothing but supportive of Donna, providing her with confidence informed by her own experience with abortion. Even her parents are understanding of her decision. Her main obstacle is whether or not to tell Max. Donna’s journey from her ultimate decision to the procedure is revolutionary in the sense that she is never portrayed as a victim of circumstance. She is in control of her life and of her body in every sense. With all of her neuroses and awkwardness, Donna is one of the strongest female characters in the realm of modern cinema. Abortion isn’t so much a theme of the movie as it is a plot-device. It is just a given circumstance that serves as a through-line for Donna’s quest for independence and self-assuredness.

The film astutely uses Donna’s stand-up sets as checkpoints for her journey to adulthood. Donna is not a great comedian, and her routines do not illicit a lot of big laughs from the audience (both onscreen and in the theatre). Donna’s comedy has more of a stream-of-consciousness feel to it, than actual set-ups and punchlines. A lot of her struggles as an artist come from her unwillingness to completely let go and be herself onstage. This is pretty fascinating, because as an actress, Slate is as down to earth and honest as it gets. She is truly wonderful and this performance will prove to be the first of many for this relatively new actress.

The film pulls a few punches with the ending. It all wraps up a little cliched and nicely, given the overall tone of the film and its subject matter. Also, at only 81 minutes, it all feels over way too soon. However, that speaks more of the film’s charm and watchability more than anything else.

I really hope that some of the more conservative fundamentalists of this country see this film. It has the power and potential to inspire a lot of empathy and understanding regarding this hot-button issue. We all have a Donna in our lives, and even the most cold-hearted of our species will be able to connect with Slate’s performance enough to quell their ignorance, if only for 81 minutes.