What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012)

When it's over, not what I expected. I was expecting another crude comedy, but got something entirely different. This was a woman's film. Although men may watch this film, it will not connect with them the way it does with women. The film follows five couples as they experience the highs and lows of pregnancy and the road to parenthood. Each couple represented different aspects of becoming a parent. Topics of adoption and miscarriage were included, along with the myth of “the glow” and easy versus hard pregnancies. There were five sub-plots in the film, and with so many characters, I feared the story would lose its way, but surprisingly, the stories converged and transitioned without confusing the viewer. By no means was this film realistic or a model of what pregnancy is, but rather a commentary on the emotional and physical behaviors toward impending parenthood. Some of it was emotionally moving, and there was that occasional “reality check” where the characters had to accept that things don't always work out as they planned. Most of the film was funny and heartwarming, and as a viewer, you just feel good. And if you are a parent or was almost a parent, you will most likely relate to some of the scenarios in the film. I cried. I laughed. I connected. 

My rating: 4 out of 5