Obvious Child - B

Rated R, 83 minutes

"Obvious Child" tackles sensitive subject with grace and wit

Up front, the new movie "Obvious Child" is widely known as "the abortion comedy." That misplaced notion should tell you right there it's going to be interesting, to say the least. With sensitive subject in hand, the heartfelt "Obvious Child" is a witty and often touching comedy about navigating life challenges, and regardless of where you might stand on this issue, you'll find it relevant. For aspiring New York City comedian Donna Stern (Jenny Slate), everyday life as a female twenty-something provides ample material for her incredibly relatable brand of humor. Donna is unapologetic in most area of her life, but when she gets dumped, loses her job, and finds herself pregnant just in time for Valentine's Day, she has to navigate the murky waters of independent adulthood for the first time. Directed and written by Gillian Robespierre (in her feature film debut) and based on a short film of the same name by Robespierre, "Obvious Child" is a keen, contemporary and often insightful comedy for these ages in which women must make some crucial choices. The choices espoused in the film are certainly controversial, often hotly debated ones, but "Obvious Child" is less about preaching and politics than about maturity and adulthood, and while this review will not debate the issues, I can say that much of its observations are very sharp. The quick-witted and charming Slate (a familiar face of many TV shows and movies, including "Saturday Night Live") is a genuine talent and she grounds the film well along with Jake Lacy ("The Office") as her clean-cut, opposites-attract Gentile boyfriend who is a little unsure of it all. Director and writer Robespierre is also a solid talent, with her thin storyline pleasantly thoughtful, while occasionally meandering NYC skyline in a Seinfeld or Woody Allen-esque manner. "Obvious Child" is most moving when it focuses on the complexity and pain of our relationships and decisions; if you agree or don't agree with it that's fine, but life is filled with growing pains, and on that level it works far better as a unique coming-of-age comedy than as an "abortion comedy."

Wes's Grade: B