Photo courtesy: A24 Films
Written by Sommer Rusinski
Obvious Child stars Jenny Slate (Saturday Night Live) as Donna Stern, a struggling, late 20-something standup comic too deep in the Brooklyn bar scene for her own good. The film opens with Donna onstage delivering a raw, honest set to a sizable crowd. Then she gets dumped in the bar bathroom. After having a one-night stand with a stranger who was “nice enough”, she learns she is pregnant and opts for an abortion. We are instantly sucked into her little world and big problems. Other standout performances include Gaby Hoffmann (GIRLS) as Donna’s roommate and Jake Lacy (The Office) as the one-night stand.
Although labeled as an “abortion comedy” according to the movie poster, Obvious Child doesn’t dwell on it. It doesn’t explore consequences and it doesn’t push any beliefs. We’re simply observing a moment in this woman’s life and watching all of her choices unfold.
Instead of seeing the same conflict over “will she or won’t she?” when it comes to the decision, there was never a question for her. And in turn, we see a very real story that hasn’t been shown on screen before. Donna’s feelings are true to life and her one-night stand, Max (Jake Lacy), is respectful and understanding. It’s a fresh change from the overwrought and semi-realistic characters in other movies dealing with unwanted pregnancy (Juno, Knocked Up, etc.)
Slate shines in this role, bringing to it something we never got to see from her during her stint on Saturday Night Live– depth. She seamlessly transitions from giving us laugh aloud comedy to heartbreak, and it’s a welcome change to have an former cast member play someone who’s not hyperbolized in any way. No wigs, no accents, no abnormalities.
The movie ebbs and flows, with small victories peppered into the brooding yet charming feel-sorry-for-me tone that first-time writer/director Gillian Robespierre has created. For some reason, the theme of moping around and whining about wasted potential is the latest trend for millennials, particularly in indie films and indie-flavored television shows. Donna Stern doing standup would fit perfectly as a scene in GIRLS, for example. In fact, there is some casting crossover between this film and GIRLS, as many of the actors have appeared in both worlds.
We have become the disciples of women like Lena Dunham and Greta Gerwig, who consistently play characters floundering through adulthood, refusing to get any job that is remotely “beneath” them and their creative writing degrees, and still managing to live in prime Williamsburg apartments and drink fancy craft beer.
Not that I’m complaining. It has been this uprising of comediennes like Dunham, Gerwig, Slate and beyond, that have made it possible to have an interesting and flawed female lead. They have carved out a small niche that plays to a big-time audience. Instead of showing a woman who needs saving, we’ve shifted to showing women who save themselves, who figure it out along the way.
Obvious Child is on par with new releases Frances Ha and In a World, and it’s unfortunate that it hasn’t been receiving the same accolades. The style of comedy is raw and refreshing- something I can’t wait to see more of in the years to come.
