Donna Stern, who makes people laugh as a profession, must stop joking and face her problems.
“Obvious Child,” an indie film written and directed by newcomer Gillian Robespierre, premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival as part of its NEXT section, a non-competition category that showcases American films with bold storytelling. It tells the story of a 20-something stand-up comedian who is dumped, becomes pregnant from a one-night stand and decides to have an abortion, all in time for Valentine’s Day.
While the film’s story follows a modern rom-com plot trajectory and contains some oft-recycled elements of the genre, its down-to-earth characters and take on comedy are diversions from its moderate predictability.
“Obvious Child” begins with a stand-up performance by the main character, Brooklyn-based comedian Donna Stern (Jenna Slate). The scene reveals her preference for bathroom humor and her honest, warm style of delivery.
After Stern’s show, her boyfriend (Paul Briganti) dumps her for one of her friends, a plot point that may look familiar to the rom-com enthusiast.
The shock from the breakup sinks Stern into an ungraceful depression. The film proceeds to reinforce Stern’s quirkiness through a sequence that has Stern drinking wine from a mason jar and ranting about her breakup onstage, which is at first endearing but eventually seems excessive.
She eventually has a one-night stand with a stranger, Max (Jake Lacy), whom Stern thinks looks “Christian” and not at all her type. They dance to Paul Simon’s “Obvious Child,” an upbeat song that reflects the tone of the film. When Stern realizes that faulty condom use has caused her to become pregnant, she decides, without hesitation, to have an abortion, a decision that is met with support from her friends and family.
Stern’s friends are played by Gaby Hoffmann and Slate’s real-life comedic partner Gabe Liedman. With his humorously awkward style of stand-up in the film, Liedman is an interesting alternative source of humor in “Obvious Child.”
Despite Stern’s blunt on-stage personality, her character is depicted as complex and imperfect when she cannot discuss her problems seriously and often ends up cracking jokes instead, including when she delays telling Max about her pregnancy.
Starring opposite Slate, Lacy appears gentle, simple and moderately hunky, providing Slate’s character with a comfortable romantic option that we would enjoy seeing her end up with. Unlike Slate, Lacy’s acting is slightly more reserved, providing an interesting contrast with the main character.
Fans of the rom-com genre may be disappointed at the lack of development of the romantic relationship between Max and Stern. While they encounter each other several times, Stern is ultimately made the focus of the film. Conversations consist of Stern cracking jokes instead of real getting-to-know dialogue. Max does not come into his own as a dynamic character, instead appearing only to respond to Stern’s spontaneous jokes during conversation.
The comedy aspect of “Obvious Child” proves much more satisfying, mostly in the form of Stern’s bizarre comments and jokes. It develops through the characters’ personalities instead of through contrived screenwriting.
Stern’s sense of humor in the film, however, is not for everyone. Many of her lines, including bathroom and sexual humor, fall into the sophomoric humor category.
Overall, the film is deeper than both its romantic and comedic components alone. Like Ellen Page’s “Juno,” Stern represents the modern, independent woman who has the right to decide the fate of her pregnancy. She, her mother and her friend Nellie are depicted as strong, individualistic women. Despite being a romantic film, “Obvious Child” lets romance take a backseat to Stern’s personal journey.
While “Obvious Child” is slightly predictable in incorporating plot elements reminiscent of the typical romantic comedy, it boasts an innovative and realistic take on the comedy aspect and will have audiences rooting for the Brooklyn comedian at its center.
– Eileen Li