Delayed Reaction: Obvious Child

The Pitch: An abortion romantic comedy...That's about it.

This is a loaded movie, or rather, a loaded topic in an otherwise simple movie. Jenny Slate is better than I've ever seen her and does a wonderful job showing the complexity of the character. She and Jake Lacy have good chemistry that's purposely awkward. I'd watch a straightforward romance with them as the leads in a heartbeat. Richard Kind and Polly Draper do a lot to convey a full relationship with their daughter. Overall, this is a pretty average indie movie with above average performances.
Except, you know, for the one thing.

It's tricky to talk about abortion in a movie. It's more than a little politicized and is a complete non-starter for a large amount of the population. All things considered, it's handled well in the film. The director made this as a direct response to movies like Juno and Waitress (it took a while to get this made) and that shows. You generally don't see a relationship starting after an abortion in a movie and Obvious Child does it convincingly.

Having a stand-up set be a major moment of realization. Is that a trope? It's super specific, but I feel like I've seen it several times before. I didn't love it here because it was more sincere than funny. At that moment in the film, I get that making sure the emotion works matters more than jokes. I guess, I just didn't buy why that had to be the moment of self-discovery. I think I have too many residual Punchline vibes that any time I see stand-up in a movie, I get scared.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend