When I saw a trailer for What to Expect When You’re Expecting months ago I thought it looked cute, but I also thought it was mostly about a bunch of yuppie friends who expressed disdain for parenthood until they accidentally got pregnant. So that’s not what it’s about at all. It’s actually five couples in almost completely separate plot lines who all seem to relish being in the family way. Sorta like Valentine’s Day but for the mom demographic.
The movie has a really great cast with standout performances by Elizabeth Banks and Rebel Wilson. Jennifer Lopez is good but not too unlike most of her other roles and Chris Rock is fantastic being…well…Chris Rock. Anna Kendrick is pretty terrific but that’s no surprise if you’ve seen Up In The Air. Cameron Diaz is pretty much an extra muscular version of herself and Dennis Quaid is hilariously obnoxious. Chace Crawford is positively yummy.
From the first minute of the movie I was laughing and I didn’t stop for another half hour at least. Having experienced the joys of pregnancy before there was so much I could relate to. The dads group scenes were by far the funniest, which is why, I’m sure, they focused on those so much in the trailer even though they are not main characters in the film. They served a really important role though, other than humor, and in the end I wanted to applaud their praise of fatherhood.
I don’t want to give away too much of the movie but there are some really important scenes and dialogue that may touch some raw nerves in many mothers or wishful mothers. Keeping in mind that it’s only a two hour movie with five stories to tell, I’m glad they covered as much ground as they did, though many complex issues had to be simplified.
The movie definitely simplified and took poetic license with the process of international adoption, but I’m so glad they gave it so much focus in this movie. Other than making it look too easy and a very unrealistic “gotcha day” scene, the movie did justice to adoptive families. I loved how it explored the couple dynamics and the emotional roller coaster of adoption right along with the other pregnancies. Of course the Ethiopian babies are absolutely precious.
Oh and this movie has a fantastic soundtrack too, if you ask me. Yeah, a good soundtrack can make a movie ya know.
So as a mom who knows a thing or two about trying to conceive, pregnancy, birth and adoption, I could not have liked this movie more. Well ok, maybe if all the couples were married I would have liked it more, but that wouldn’t be very realistic would it? Yes and I did have to suspend my critical nature for some rather unrealistic moments but hey…it’s a comedy. I would definitely see it again.