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Wednesday 23 May 2012

What To Expect When You're Expecting: Review


The movie 'What To Expect What You're Expecting'... what to expect?

Those who know the book - you know, the pregnancy bible written by Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel - understand that it's the go-to guide for all things with-child.

Originally published in 1984, the book still tops The New York Times Best Seller list in the paperback advice category, and is one of USA Today's "25 Most Influential Books" of the past 25 yearsAs of 2008, over 14.5 million copies were in print.

So, it's the definitive baby book.

But how to turn an instructional, info-based, medical book into a Hollywood movie, with a cast of popular actors and actresses?

Well, it's loosely based on the book, and yes, it's as light - on plot and laughs - as you expect.

What I absolutely did not expect was to shed some tears.

But wipe away some tears I did when, after one of the births (of course all the characters give birth on the same day, at the same hospital), one of the women lose a lot of blood and is in dire  circumstances. This brought me back to my own experience and dammit... I cried.

I also shed a few hastily wiped away tears when the same woman (Elizabeth Banks's character - that doesn't give much away, really) bonds with her newborn after a traumatic birth.

And maybe even a few teeny tears again when Jennifer Lopez's character meets her new adopted son.

And it was amusing to see Brooklyn Decker's character give birth to twins and not have a hair out of place, let alone not have to exert herself too hard (from personal experience - I am calling 'bullshit' on that one).

The men get some love on-screen, too - with Chace Crawford, Matthew Morrison, Chris Rock, Dennis Quaid, and hello, Joe Manganiello. Those abs. 'Nuff said.


Will you learn much about parenting watching this movie?


Well, not really.


One thing you'll soon learn is that kind of men's and bubs club depicted in the film does not exist. And if it does, the men can't possibly be that witty.


Also, I liked that many aspects on the road to motherhood were covered: an unexpected pregnancy, a miscarriage, a pregnancy after trying for two years, a multiple pregnancy, the trials of adopting a child, and more.


And one of my fave lines of the film is when one of the guys declares that after a woman gives birth, down-there becomes known as a 'vagina' - the correct name is used as opposed to anything remotely sexy.


Perhaps the truest [though brief] scene was seeing the parents of the newborn twins struggle to settle them (ohhh, yes - more of the mammoth difficulties after the birth would've been more realistic).


Who should see the movie? Expectant, new, and seasoned mums; girls in groups wanting a bit of a laugh; couples who are contemplating kids [though maybe they should look at this, too: http://josiesjuice.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/shit-my-kids-ruined-tumblr-site.html]


And here is an interview with the female leads in the movie, and gorgeous magazine spread in US magazine Redbook: http://josiesjuice.blogspot.com.au/2012/05/i-thought-i-was-going-to-be-married-and.html


The film may not win any awards but it was a treat to watch so many much-loved actors on screen, including Aussie star Rebel Wilson (last seen in 'Bridesmaids'). She's very good at being inappropriately vulgar.


Here is the movie trailer:





And here are some fun interviews with the cast, with 'Jake The Movie Guy':





'What To Expect What You're Expecting' is in Australian cinemas Thursday May 31.

1 comment:

  1. Lightweight flick but really enjoyed it...

    Phillipa K

    ReplyDelete