I wasn't sure what to expect from the movie Unexpected. It's billed as a comedy but the subject matter suggests high drama, so I wasn't sure how the filmmaker intended to make that funny without a high cringe factor. It's about an urban high school teacher who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant at the same time as one of her star students, and how they navigate that. What Unexpected actually is, is a feel good dramedy. I like that the script didn't attempt to solve every problem in these women's lives. It focused on what each of them stood to give up for deciding to go through w ith becoming a mother, and on how each of them felt as they came to terms with why they wanted to do it and how they would perceive their futures because of it. Some parts of the movie really shone, like a hilarious scene where Jasmine gives into a craving that Samantha's nose cannot handle. Other scenes felt like the camera test was used because they ran out of time or funds, like Samantha and her husband arguing on a park bench, and neither looking comfortable with the dialogue. Not in the way of two people having an uncomfortable argument, but more in the way of two actors trying to feel their way into the scene. Speaking of the husband, Anders Holm was excellent as John, usually hitting just the right note for the scene he's in. Elizabeth McGovern was genius casting as Samantha's mother. She resembles Smulders, they act well off each other, and she played an expectant mother in a very similarly themed movie in the 80s, that casting just could not have been more perfect. Overall, Unexpected is well worth a spot in your streaming queue if you're looking for a dramedy.
Review of Unexpected
