Unexpected pregnancies create an unexpected friendship between an ambitious inner-city high school teacher and one of her promising students as they both tackle the hilarious realities of pregnancy and their upcoming challenges with motherhood. An inner-city high school teacher discovers she is pregnant at the same time as one of her most promising students and the two develop an unlikely friendship while struggling to navigate their unexpected pregnancies.
A well-intentioned snooze. ... The script's high point for adrenaline is when Samantha and Jasmine make the impulsive decision to - wait for it - litter.
Except for a bit of contrived conflict that arises toward the end, the connection between these two expectant mothers-who are at vastly different points in their lives-rings with a mutual kindness and compassion.
Thanks to an intelligent script and the performances of Cobie Smulders, Gail Bean and Elizabeth McGovern, the minutiae of everyday life in this small, lovely film will capture your interest.
While Unexpected doesn't actively pursue a greater conversation on race and privilege, or even the state of Chicago's education system, it does spark a conversation.
Painfully earnest, Unexpected dances around some interesting issues - race, class, poverty, bodily autonomy - without ever grappling with them in any meaningful or dramatic way.
With a 90-minute running time, Unexpected would fit comfortably, with room for commercial breaks, in a two-hour network time slot. How did it ever find a theatrical release?
