By now, you've likely heard of Obvious Child. Its reputation as the "abortion comedy" proceeds it, particularly in this part of the world, where, we are told, there is "no appetite" to consider such matters, least of all in a humorous light.
That's too bad. There is, indeed, an abortion procedure in Gillian Robespierre's funny, profane debut feature. But, crucially, it's not that big a deal. Don't expect 4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days or Vera Drake.
Obvious Child's radicalism lies in its lack of radicalism: there is no grandstanding in the manner of If These Walls Could Talk, no naughty trolling à la Sarah Silverman.
That’s as it should be. Whatever one may feel about the topic, there can be little doubt that for someone like Donna Stern (the wonderful Jenny Slate), the film’s jobless, broke heroine, such a decision requires a little girl-talk before pulling down one’s knickers and getting on with it.
A struggling, Brooklyn-based comedienne, Donna delivers Seinfeld-like comic monologues that frame and hurry the narrative along. Having recently broken up with her long-term boyfriend, Donna embarks on a drunken one- night stand that leaves her pregnant and properly freaked out. Any attempts to talk around the issue of abortion – including her roommate Nellie’s rant against the old white men who would “legislate their c**ts” – are quickly shot down with eye-rolls and defused with good humour.
This is not a manifesto; it's a messy, imperfect romcom. The father (The Office's Jake Lacy) reappears and turns out to be a thoroughly decent chap. Donna may not be emotionally or financially stable enough to become grade-A mom material, but she makes for loveable, potty-mouthed company.
A marvellous supporting cast includes Richard Kind, thirtysomething's Polly Draper, and the incomparable Gaby Hoffman. The film makes beguiling use of the titular Paul Simon song from The Rhythm of the Saints.
It would easy to tut and wonder why Hollywood Central never makes movies such as Obvious Child. The truth is, nobody does. Even in the indie sector, a girl such as Juno will always have the baby in the end. Writer-director Gillian Robespierre is a brave soul and a name to watch.
