A twenty-something comedienne's unplanned pregnancy forces her to confront the realities of independent womanhood for the first time.
Director:
Gillian Robespierre
From metacritic.com
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Title: Obvious Child (2014)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Jenny Slate | ... | Donna | |
| Paul Briganti | ... | Ryan | |
| Gaby Hoffmann | ... | Nellie | |
| Stephen Singer | ... | Gene | |
| Richard Kind | ... | Jacob | |
| Polly Draper | ... | Nancy | |
| Gabe Liedman | ... | Joey | |
| Jake Lacy | ... | Max | |
| Cindy Cheung | ... | Dr. Bernard | |
| Ernest Mingione | ... | Waiter | |
 |
Cyrus McQueen | ... | Stand-Up |
| David Cross | ... | Sam | |
|
|
Maciek Jasik | ... | Cabbie |
| Jennifer Kim | ... | Female | |
| Suzanne Lenz | ... | Female #2 | |
For aspiring comedian Donna Stern, everyday life as a female twenty-something provides ample material for her relatable brand of humor. On stage, Donna is unapologetically herself, joking about topics as intimate as her sex life and as crude as her day-old underwear. But when Donna winds up unexpectedly pregnant after a one-night stand, she is forced to face the uncomfortable realities of independent womanhood for the first time. Donna's drunken hookup - and epic lapse in prophylactic judgment - turns out to be the beginning of an unplanned journey of self-discovery and empowerment. Written by A24 Films
The romcom Obvious Child has been hanging around Netflix for a few years, and rightfully so, for it tackles with comedic insight another enduring cultural staple, "the one-night rebound stand after the breakup." It will take only 84 min to see how writer-director Gillian Robespierre can make this serious subject and its constant companion, abortion (Will she or won't she?), comedic and socially acceptable to discuss on a casual date.
Of course, the other reason Obvious Child is a success is its lead, Jenny Slate, playing stand-up comedian Donna Stern. Slate is natural, self-effacing and cute, not quite smashing but attractive enough to make our experience pleasant and sympathetic without being awestruck by abnormal beauty and charisma.
Besides giving varying degrees of standup, from bright contemporary topics to her abortion, funny to bomb, Slate has a sweet charm that makes you want to be a part of her life while she also makes you chuckle. Not hilarious, just smile inducing as we get used to her candor with her anecdotes that make us sometimes uncomfortable but always empathetic.
The boyfriend who dumped her, Ryan (Paul Briganti), is scruffy and unfaithful while one-night-stand Max (Jack Lacy) is all-American and much nicer than he has to be, probably one of the best rebounds in romcom history. You could do worse than watch this on a pandemic night; it sure will take your mind off our viral reality.