Abortion and comedy shouldn’t go together right? Obvious Child tests this theory directly, trying to mine dark humor amidst a weighty drama. Much like its main character, Donna Stern (Jenny Slate), Obvious Child sporadically finds something real and human in this terrible predicament, but just as often rings as false and self-fulfilling.
Donna Stern is a struggling comedian living in New York City (another one? I’m reaching my breaking point here). In addition to her rut, Donna’s about to lose her job, breaks up with her boyfriend, and her parents (Richard Kind and Polly Draper) stopped giving her money. Trying to drink her way out of rock bottom, she hooks up with Max (Jake Lacy), a nice guy at the bar after she bombs a show. Due to condom mishaps, Donna ends up pregnant, forcing her to confront her issues with the help of her family and friends (Gabby Hoffman and Gabe Liedman).
At times Obvious Child plays like an episode of Roseanne. The show was famous for finding humor amidst constant sadness which Obvious Child does so well. Specificity is key here: moments like choosing your abortion outfit, and if you want to schedule it on a holiday may be off-putting, but damn if they aren’t biting if executed well. Because Donna is such a basket case and open book, these bits of humor fit her character and the story well and even get some big laughs. Donna’s personality also helps put a person behind the act of abortion; Donna, despite her support structure, would not have been able to take care of a baby at this time. You may have issues with Donna’s decision, but Obvious Child makes you understand the weight of such a decision on the expectant mother.
The strength of the story revolving around Donna’s big decision undercuts dramatic momentum in the rest of Obvious Child. Jake Lacy and Jenna Slate are very cute together, but she makes so many contradictory choices that Jake feels less like a character and more like a stable counterpart to Donna. Her struggles financially are brought up but never really explored: a scene watching Donna ask for abortion money would have been very compelling. Donna’s comedy act is a vent and showcase that she is an open book, but peripherally are involved in the story and give little new information as time goes on. There are elements in these scenes that could have supported Obvious Child’s main story, but instead these sequences are given equal screentime to the discredit of the material.
Jenny Slate has bounced around the periphery of media, particularly on Saturday Night Live and Girls. Her comedy is hit and miss at about a 50/50 clip, but her dramatic skills are shockingly adept. Slate’s highlights are a scene revealing information to her mother and the fateful day. Slate may never become a household name, but she has enough chops to become a solid character actor. Jake Lacy is pretty adorable as Max, though he doesn’t get a lot to do aside from being cute. Gabby Hoffman and Polly Draper are very good here as Donna’s roommate and mom, respectively. Richard Kind and Gabe Liedman aren’t given enough material to make a great impression, and David Cross’s character is unnecessary and unmemorable.
Obvious Child takes another spin on the struggling NYC entertainer by tying in abortion to attract attention. The attention is mostly well deserved due to the unique material present in the screenplay, but the generic material doesn’t differentiate itself enough to elevate the movie. Also, we learn to never use the phrase “murder-suicide” in a comedy act: really torpedoes any fun the audience was going to have.