Unpregnant follows Veronica (Haley Lu Richardson, Edge of Seventeen) as she finds out that she is unexpectedly pregnant. No one knows her secret, except for her former childhood friend Bailey (Barbie Ferreira, Euphoria), who happened to see the pregnancy test when “V” drops it the school bathroom. The former friends embark on a journey across state lines in order to get Veronica to New Mexico where she can legally terminate her pregnancy without needing her parent’s consent. As it turns out, Bailey’s estranged father also lives in New Mexico, so this trip will have both girls facing their fears.
We can’t proceed without mentioning the selfish actions of V’s boyfriend, Kevin (Alex MacNicoll, 13 Reasons Why), who decided not to inform her that the condom broke during sex. While this mishap can be very scary, there are ways to be proactive and make sure that this instance doesn’t lead to an unplanned pregnancy. Many women could relate to Veronica’s anger and frustration upon finding out this information from her soon to be ex-boyfriend.
This film accurately depicts the reality of how much social media plays a massive role in the lives of teenagers (and all of us, really), and how misleading our accounts can be. Veronica has literally just found out she is pregnant, but stops to take a picture of a heart on the wall and post “vibes” despite having her world literally turned upside down. This theme continues, with Veronica constantly posting idyllic images of her current situation in order to maintain the persona she has created, instead of showing her reality, or simply not posting at all- in part because “colleges look at those kind of things.” That being said, younger generations get a bad rap for relying on social media, but these characters were also thoughtful, intelligent, resourceful, and responsible- Veronica literally plots an entire road trip with planned stops, budgets, and timeframes and with Bailey’s assistance, makes a life-changing appointment.
Unpregnant is filled with a ton of unrealistic, though thoroughly enjoyable, detours and roadblocks over the course of two days as the girls try their best to stay on track and on budget. Between having Bailey’s car impounded because she “borrowed’ it from her mom’s boyfriend, and running into a “God fearing” Breckin Meyer (Clueless) at a carnival who proceeds to abduct the girls to prevent Veronica from going through with her abortion, there’s definitely no lack of excitement. There’s even a cute storyline with Betty Who playing a very handsome racecar driver, Kira Matthews, who Bailey can’t take her eyes off of. To which Veronica feels honored that Bailey “came out” to her first, which Bailey promptly corrects and states that she has actually been out for a while, really emphasizing just how far removed these former friends truly are from each other’s lives.
Luckily, they still care for each other deep down and we see both characters show up for one another when it really counts. We also see by the end that they have found their way back to that weird and wonderful friendship of their youth.
In order to truly understand the basis of this plot which requires Veronica to travel 996 miles from her home in Minnesota to a clinic in New Mexico to legally receive this procedure, let’s talk about access to abortion in America. In the simplest of terms, according to Guttmacher.org, 45 out of our 50 states have laws currently in effect that “allow health care professionals and institutions to refuse to provide services related to reproductive health without facing legal, financial, or professional consequences.” And of those states, “37 require some type of parental involvement in a minor’s decision to have an abortion.” So, when Veronica has the cathartic moment in the desert about her current situation and the absurd lengths she has to go to in order to terminate her pregnancy, it is a soberingly realistic statement amidst the manufactured chaos of the film.
Unpregnant perfectly addresses a controversial topic and presents it in such a way that allows for further discussion, and I love the fact that it didn’t back away from the topic of abortion. So many times in movies have we seen where a character changes their mind last minute to keep the baby; which is a totally valid option, however it seldom shows the plight of those who do choose to go through with terminating their pregnancy- a choice we see play out towards the end of the movie. When the girls return home, Veronica’s mother (Mary McCormack, The West Wing), embraces her daughter with tears stating that although she will never understand her decision, or agree with her decision, she loves her daughter so much more than their differing opinions and choices.
This story, despite the embellished Hollywood antics is something that 1-in-4 women will face in their lifetime. It is so important to remove the stigma surrounding abortions and normalize discussing the facts and options that are available to women. Screenplay writers Rachel Lee Goldenberg and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson manage to do just that with Unpregnant in a way that is approachable, entertaining, enlightening and honest.
