Obvious Child

Obvious Child

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A comedy that dares to go where few have gone before.

By now, most have heard the buzz about “Obvious Child,” the new romantic comedy tackles a subject that few movies-much less comedies-dare to tackle: specifically, that subject is abortion, and the women who chose to make that decision.

The plot of “Obvious Child” is relatively straight forward. It follows the life of struggling New York City stand-up comedian-slash-used bookstore employee, Donna Stern who, after a one-night stand, finds herself with an unplanned pregnancy. Like many 20 somethings, Donna’s life is far from perfect. It is obvious is that she is neither emotionally nor financially ready to be a parent. With the support of her mother and her sympathetic roommate/best friend, played brilliantly by Gaby Hoffman, Donna never waivers from her decision to terminate the pregnancy. However, she does grapple with whether or not to pursue a relationship with the father and whether or not to share her decision with him. Thus it is that, rather than any doubts about her decision, which lies at the crux at the movie. While that alone is causing many who haven’t even watched the film to hail it as a ground-breaking and provocative, the real question still remains: Is “Obvious Child” any good?

In a word, yes; however, the movie is not without its flaws. The weakest parts are those when Donna takes the stage as a comedian. The material tries its best to come across as funny and provocative, but most of it is crude and sophomoric. Also, there is an odd subplot with David Cross starring as a would-be boyfriend that just seems to come out of nowhere and distracts rather than adds to the overall plot.  Despite it’s shortcomings, “Obvious Child” is the obvious choice for those who are looking for a romantic comedy without the clichés.