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a14 people & arts
Friday 11 September 2020
Review: 'Unpregnant" is a teen road movie with personality

By LINDSEY BAHR manity, except for pro-life
AP Film Writer Christians that is.
Films dealing with repro- Richardson is, unsurprising-
ductive rights don't often ly, quite winning as Veron-
announce it in the title. ica who easily could have
But " Unpregnant " is not a been a caricature of a
by-the-numbers entry into Type A woman. One does
this genre and it is not coy wonder how much longer
about its subject matter. the 25-year-old actor will
Based on a novel by Jenni have to keep playing high
Hendricks and Ted Caplan, school students, though.
this film is very unambigu- And she has a fun coun-
ously about abortion and terpart in Ferreira's Bailey,
what an ambitious 17-year- who also is more nuanced
old Missouri girl must go than her styling might sug-
through to get one without gest. It's clear, in the best
her parents' permission. possible way, that these
But while abortion is the characters were adapted
goal, it's not the focus. Ve- for the screen by women.
ronica, played by Haley The script has moments of
Lu Richardson, is never in real humor, heart and wit,
conflict about her decision. too. But it's also a little over-
Director Rachel Lee Gold- stuffed and goes off the
enberg's film is very much This image released by HBO Max shows Haley Lu Richardson in a scene from "Unpregnant." rails with one over-the-top
a coming-of-age buddy Associated Press complication that it never
comedy that's a little tam- boyfriend (Alex MacNicoll) and she happened to walk from the unceremonious quite recovers from. The
er than "Booksmart" and isn't being helpful (he im- into the girls' bathroom end of their friendship to third act also turns into a
a little more raucous than mediately proposes mar- while Veronica was taking resolve. Their trip gets much kitchen sink mish mash of
"Juno," which is even refer- riage) and her girlfriends the test so in no time they're more complicated, how- plot contrivances including
enced in the pop culture- also don't seem to be em- escaping in the middle of ever, when their car is tak- a very random Giancar-
heavy script. pathetic types. So as a very the night to journey from en out of commission and lo Esposito cameo that
For Veronica, a put-togeth- last resort, Veronica calls on Columbia, Missouri to Albu- they're left relying on the doesn't exactly add any-
er student with a pink back- Bailey (Barbie Ferreira), her querque, New Mexico. little money they have and thing. There is a redemp-
pack, magazine-ready childhood ex-best friend Naturally things aren't the kindness of strangers to tive and touching finale
curls and an acceptance who now with her anarchic smooth on the road. The get them to their end point. that will pleasantly surprise,
letter to Brown University in attitude, dark lipstick and detail-oriented Veronica And for the most part, the though.
hand, the how is the prob- goth-punk vibes could not has to learn how to loosen strangers are really, very Earlier this year there was
lem. Her religious parents be more of Veronica's op- up a little and these two kind. "Unpregnant" has a another similarly themed
are out of the question, her posite. But Bailey has a car have some open wounds nice view of much of hu- film in Eliza Hittman's poetic
"Never Rarely Sometimes
Kevin Hart to host famed Always." "Unpregnant"
takes a much lighter ap-
telethon long hosted by proach, but they both ar-
rive at the same, important
Jerry Lewis place: Demystifying the
decision and giving the
agency back to its hero-
ines.
By J. LANDRUM Jr. return is an "incredible op- "Unpregnant," an HBO Max
AP Entertainment Writer portunity" to bring back release, is rated PG-13 by
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kevin the work of Lewis, who the Motion Picture Asso-
Hart will host the return of helped make the Labor ciation of America for "for
a popular telethon once Day Muscular Dystrophy mature thematic content,
spearheaded by the late Association telethon a sexual content, strong lan-
Jerry Lewis to fight muscu- television tradition for de- guage and some drug
lar dystrophy. cades. Lewis died from Kevin Hart poses for photographers at the premiere of references." Running time:
The Muscular Dystrophy natural causes in 2017. "Jumanji: The Next Level," on Dec. 9, 2019, in Los Angeles. Hart 103 minutes. Two and a
Association announced Lewis was known as the will host the return of a popular telethon once spearheaded half stars out of four. q
Wednesday that Hart will ringmaster of the MDA by the late Jerry Lewis. Solution Sudoku
host the MDA Kevin Hart telethons, which raised Associated Press
Kids Telethon. The two- billions of dollars with his the Hart charity. MDA president and CEO
hour, star-studded virtual support since the 1960s, "I'm honored to collabo- Lynn O'Connor Vos praised
fundraiser event will air including more than $60 rate with MDA and my Lewis for establishing a
Oct. 24. Celebrity guests million in 2009. organization, to educate foundation of "help and
will include Michael B. Jor- Lewis stepped down as and entertain the public hope" for the association.
dan, Eva Longoria, Jack host in 2011 and the as- about the need to sup- She hopes the telethon
Black, Usain Bolt, Josh Gad sociation held its last tele- port people with disabili- can continue to help raise
and Jillian Mercado, who thon three years later. ties and disadvantages, awareness to therapies for
was diagnosed with mus- The October show will because we are all in this muscular dystrophy and
cular dystrophy as a child. benefit the association's together," Hart said in a other related neuromus-
Hart said the telethon's work and Hart's Help From statement. cular diseases.q
Puzzle on Page 13