Unplanned

This movie shows some of the practices of the abortion industry and the grotesque nature of their work. This movie is good for anyone who is pro-choice. This will be uncomfortable for them to watch but good for them to see. It is also good for pro-lifers to watch as a way to affirm their beliefs. Great acting and good progression. Perhaps people who are not religious may find it too heavy handed on the faith perspective, but this is Abby's story. She is a religious person so it works as her personal testimony.

At the beginning of the movie, there is an amazing ultrasound scene of an abortion that will stay with you forever. It should have been repeated later in the movie for dramatic purposes. Script, acting, and direction are all solid if uninspired, but there is surprisingly little emotional impact until the very end. The material is so powerful that the movie should be a must see. Despite "R" rating, should be shown to all teens in high school.

Before I write this review, I want to explain a bit about my background. Unlike the target audience for this film, I am not a religious Christian. I am from a secular-Jewish family and consider myself an atheist. I've been pro-choice for most of my life, but I realized last year that I was only pro-choice by default. My opinion on the topic was based on only hearing one side of the story for my whole life. Everything I read and saw was pro-choice. Every person I knew was pro-choice. A couple of years ago, I met some pro-life women, and I was surprised that they were not the "ignorant" people I've always been told they were. These were competent, educated, professional women, some in medical fields. I was told that they were against women's rights, but they were mothers who had been through pregnancy and childbirth; they had daughters who could be affected by the abortion issue in their lifetime. They weren't "anti-woman" by any means. So, I decided to do more research and consider the other side of the story.

I encourage other pro-choice people to do the same by viewing this film. You can not have an informed opinion on controversial issues without researching both pro and con points of view. I have not read the book "Unplanned," but I have viewed several of Abby's Johnson's speeches, and this film stayed true to her account of her experience working for Planned Parenthood. Although I expect, like all biopics, some artistic license must have been taken with the story.

I'm a screenwriter who has had films optioned and I have worked in development as a full-time Story Analyst. Cary Solomon and Chuck Konzelman have crafted an engaging adaptation. Since I had prior knowledge of Mrs. Johnson's story, the film was predictable for me, but I was still emotionally involved in the main character's journey from start to finish. The dramatization puts you in Abby Johnson's shoes, in the way that listening to a speech can not. It's never easy to take someone's real life and put it into a three-act structure with a satisfying character arc. but Solomon and Konzelman were up to the task.

At this point, I am not going to label myself either pro-life or pro-choice. Whether you think abortion should be legal or not, Abby Johnson's story reveals that Planned Parenthood is not perfect and needs improvement. Profits from abortion are a priority, so counselors are less medical professionals than salespersons. The counselors do not always give accurate information to the pregnant women who come in, and they mislead them, or withhold information about fetal development and the actual abortion procedure. I have spoken to women who had abortions as teenagers, who now regret it, and some of them have told me that they felt Planned Parenthood misled them and did not help them make an informed decision about their pregnancy. This film is important because it brings those issues to light. You don't have to be a religious person to appreciate that no woman should undergo a medical procedure without being fully informed about it.

I took my 4 kids, age 16-9, & I read the parental guide before hand. I was surprised at how good this movie was and how well such a horrific topic was scripted. It was not as bloody or graffic as most videos, games, or anything else kids see daily, other than the fact that it was about a real life issue that most would rather not discuss. It's not a film just for religious people or Christians. It's a movie for all people because all lives, especially the unborn, matter because they are our future.

To start with this never should've been rated R. It was a good story base on Abby's life. They did not portray Planned Parenthood in a bad light. They just told the story from abey's Point of view. It Was a good movie.