Unplanned film review
Unplanned is a 2019 film written and directed by Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman. It is based on the memoir Unplanned by Abby Johnson. The film stars Ashley Bratcher as Abby Johnson, Brooks Ryan as Doug, Abby’s husband and Robia Scott as her boss. The film follows Abby Johnson's life as a clinic director for Planned Parenthood and her transition to an anti-abortion activist.
The film was a financial success, making 21 million dollars against a 6 million dollar budget. Even with massive disruptions from organisations refusing to air trailers and misnaming the type of film it was.
There was also difficulty in showing it in some cinemas, as well as twitter shutting down the film account for a short time. The film was panned and received poor reviews mainly based on the subject matter.
The films timeline and structure is very good, it is a heart jerking and informative film. The writing is good, however, there is some lack lustre dialogue in the film at times and some of the acting was be a bit rigid, however overall, the writing and performances are good, and the issues do not hamper the enjoyment/drama of the film. With many very well acted and written scenes in the film.
The is not only a good film to watch as entertainment (even though it is emotional and serious) but it does a decent job of explaining the anti-abortion stance, mainly because the main character Abby, is learning the stance for the first time. So, you get to join her on her journey, through this very emotional and difficult subject. Certainly not the perfect argument against abortion, but it is a film showing someone’s very personal journey though the early stages of their awakening.
The film is well worth watching. You can watch several YouTube videos with the real Abby Johnson, which are more structured around information giving rather than an entertainment based film. I also recommend looking into Stephanie Grey Connors who does several debates and talks on the subject.