Movies: Never Rarely Sometime Always, Unpregnant
You know how some years two movies are released that have strikingly similar plots? Think: Dante's Peak and Volcano (both released in 1997) and The Prestige and The Illusionist (both released in 2006). Well, 2020 was the year of the abortion film, with two films that have nearly identical plots, yet couldn't be more different in tone being released. Those two films are Eliza Hittman's Never Rarely Sometimes Always and Rachel Lee Goldenberg's Unpregnant. Both films are about a 17 year old girl who must travel to a different state in order to have an abortion without parental consent. In both situations, the girl travels with a female friend and finds help in the form of a man or men along the way. Both films feature crises pregnancy centers or people who are anti-abortion attempting to manipulate the main character into deciding not to terminate. Both films end with the young women going through with the procedure.
But whereas Unpregnant is a wacky comedy, Never Rarely Sometimes Always in an unflinching drama that shows how incredibly draining the process is to get this medical procedure when you are underage and living in the good 'ol US of A.
Reproductive rights is my most passionate cause. I believe that the right to bodily autonomy is the most sacred, intimate right one has. Access to abortion and contraceptives is tied to greater levels of education and social/political freedom for women. Being anti-choice is anti-feminist, full stop. While it certainly is understandable for an individual to choose *not* to abort personally, and I strongly believe that we should have a HUGE support system in place for mothers and parents of all ages and income levels, if you actively vote against another woman's legal right to terminate her pregnancy, you are not a feminist because you are putting the rights of a fetus ahead of the rights of a woman. Additionally, providing access to abortion is objectively more ethical than outlawing the procedure, since doing so endangers women's lives. Ironically, the "pro-life" contingent is quite comfortable with maternal death when it really comes down to it.
Ok, off the soapbox and onto the films!
Never Rarely Sometimes Always follows Autumn Callahan (Sidney Flanigan in a breathtaking breakout role), a 17 year old living in Pennsylvania. When she discovers she is pregnant (by taking a test at a crisis pregnancy center, where they lie to her about how far along she is--a tactic such centers use in real life), she and her friend Skylar (Talia Ryder) steal money from their job at a supermarket and take a bus to New York City so that Sidney can get an abortion without her parents finding out.
Sidney (and Skylar, to an extent) encounter so many lies, horrible adults, and indignities along the way. Nothing that happens is anything out of the ordinary or played up for drama. To just name a couple things that clearly affect Sidney's life, and her ability to receive adequate medical care in this life-changing situation:
1) Her dad is unkind to her, and does this thing where he calls the family dog a "slut" when she wants pets. It's clear that Sidney's parents are not only unsupportive, but might in fact be emotionally abusive to her. The scene where that dad says "you're a little slut, aren't you?" to the dog in front of Sidney comes only hours after Sidney herself was called a slut while performing in a school production. It honestly says so much about why Sidney can't tell her parents about her predicament.
2) The crisis pregnancy center tells her she's 10 weeks along, but when she gets to the clinic in New York, it turns out she is actually 18 weeks. Because of this, she needs to go to a different clinic to receive a two-day long procedure rather than a simple abortion using a pill. This leads to Skylar and Sidney not sleeping for two nights in a row and running out of money. If y'all don't know what crisis pregnancy centers are, look them up because they are so evil. They actually do stuff like this because it makes it harder for a pregnant person to make an informed choice. They will lie to women because they believe the ends justifies the means, and damn the consequences.
3) Sidney and Skylar running out of money leads Skylar to sweet talk an older boy the two met on the bus to New York into giving her a loan so they can buy tickets back to PA. There is a scene where Sidney catches Skylar and Jasper, the young man, kissing--and it's clear that Skylar is only doing it for the loan Jasper is giving them. While it's not quite as heartbreaking as sexual coercion in exchange for money, food, or a safe place to stay (as seen in this week's episode of The Handmaid's Tale, which--surprise--also featured a crisis pregnancy center and an abortion!), it's still sad to see a young girl feel she has to make out with a boy in order to help her friend.
But in addition to the above indignities, the movie just shows how tiring (literally) this process can be, with all the barriers in place, especially for women who don't have access to funds, transportation, and/or a place to stay. After the abortion, Skylar asks Sidney how she feels. "Just tired" Sidney replies. You and me both, girl. I'm tired of living in a country that treats women like sex servants and children at the same time. A country where adult men who literally think babies grow in stomachs make and pass our laws.
Everyone should see this remarkable, powerful film. There are a lot of great films about abortion, but I think that Never Rarely Sometimes Always captures the spirit of abortion in the United States the best.
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Grade: A
Now, on the other side of the tone spectrum is Unpregnant. Starring Haley Lu Richardson as Veronica, a young woman who finds herself in a similar situation as Sidney. She is 17, pregnant, and living in Missouri with a pro-life mom and a terrible (really, this guy is just The Worst) boyfriend. She ends up reaching out to ex-friend Bailey (a hilarious Barbie Ferreira, an actress who is going places) because Bailey has a car. Although Bailey isn't thrilled that the girl who dumped her once she got a little more popular is now calling in a favor, it's hoes before...FOEtesus (see what I did there?), and she agrees. The two young women have to drive all the way to Albuquerque, New Mexico because that's literally the closest state where Veronica can get an abortion without parental consent.
Along the way they encounter shenanigans and twists of fate that make up the bulk of the plot and the comedy. It was kind of charming to see these two girls escape from the clutches of a psychotic anti-abortion couple (Sugar Lyn Beard and...Breckin Meyer?! Travis Birkenstock, noooo!!) by stealing the couple's SUV and faking their own death. WACKY! The movie almost kind of has a Juno-like feeling to it in it's turning what would actually be an incredibly difficult decision into comedy gold. Only in this case, Juno doesn't let that chick who tells her that babies have fingernails get in the way of her decision.
Unpregnant is clearly using comedy to stick it to the Man, and I appreciate that. But it can be a little too loose and irreverent at times, and has a couple gaping plot holes. Additionally, it does this weird thing where the only black people in the movie serve to help the white teen girl. Like, there are three black characters who each play a big role in helping out Veronica and then...disappear from the movie. 'K. Not really into that. But overall, it's a funny movie that takes a serious subject and uses comedy to teach us all that women deserve better in this country. But mostly, I just liked Barbie Ferreira in it.
Unpregnant
Grade: B+
Thanks for reading. By the way, both of these movies are rated PG-13, and if you have teenagers, these are good movies to watch in order to discuss the issue of abortion with your teen.
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