PUBLISHED March 2nd, 2021 10:00 am | UPDATED July 25th, 2024 02:31 pm
Rachel Lee Goldenberg’s adaptation of Ted Caplan and Jenni Hendriks’ novel, Unpregnant, deals with a heavy subject matter. But at its heart, it’s a film about one girl’s life (and choice) to do what’s best for her. Sometimes that means doing what’s best for others as well – and we couldn’t have another film more apt for International Women’s Day coming up next week.
Veronica Clarke (played by Haley Lu Richardson) discovers she’s positive for a pregnancy test, and decides to get an abortion. Realising that she can’t go to her so-called best friends – who essentially talk, dress, and act so similarly they might as well be the same person – and after rejecting an ill-timed proposal from her boyfriend, Veronica turns to her ex-best friend, Bailey Butler (Barbie Ferreira).
The two girls are polar opposites, and always have been. Veronica is meticulous and ambitious, an overachiever in all aspects, a point driven by the framed awards that we see hung around her house. Bailey couldn’t care less about what others think. She has her own tough choices to make as well, as we soon find out. Despite this, the chemistry between the two makes it evident that their old friendship hasn’t fizzled out, as they set out on a road trip to the nearest abortion clinic.
And of course, as with any road trip movie, it’s about the journey, not the destination. Although a little stereotypical, the format works all the same. There’s even a witty one-liner about one of the most iconic female road trip films (Thelma & Louise). Suddenly, the film you thought was just about how one girl deals with an unexpected pregnancy, becomes an extension of how each girl has grown without the other.
Even with the life-or-death subject matter, a road trip plot allows comedic aspects to come through easily. Bailey’s don’t care-attitude and sarcastic quips balance out Veronica’s cautious actions, which includes calculating out the cost of the abortion appointment like it’s a calculus test.
It seems Veronica’s efforts are in vain, because the trip quickly goes awry. Among the obstacles are Veronica’s ‘stalker’ boyfriend and a seemingly sweet married couple, who turn out to be anti-abortion activists. Meanwhile, the road trip naturally brings the two girls closer together – blasting Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone” as they drive, a fitting song to symbolise their friendship.
But the two aren’t without their faults. The entire premise of the movie (not to mention the reason for Veronica and Bailey’s end of friendship) rests in Veronica’s obsession to maintain her perfect life. Veronica not only lies to her friends back home but also throws Bailey under the bus at one point. Bailey on the other hand, beneath her nonchalant demeanour, struggles with an absent father, and steals a car without thinking about the consequences.
Through it all, the two stand by each other till the end. Veronica impulsively tases Bailey’s father for rejecting his own daughter. And Bailey comes through with her mission to get Veronica to the abortion clinic, even when Veronica is ultimately faced with the decision to choose herself, or the baby.
The film doesn’t make you ponder where you stand on the debate, but it does make you empathise with the situation. Light and funny, Unpregnant deals with the choices we face in life, for better or worse.
Stream Unpregnant on HBO Max.
Top image: Unpregnant promotional poster, courtesy of HBO Max