Doula

I was worried I'd come across a "granola" take on pregnancy, culminating in the glorification of home births. It was anything but. Doula is an intelligent film. The characters are real in their depth of feeling, and Troian Bellisario is a tour de force, occupying the screen in a raw, tender, and relatable way. How do you deal with all the pressure coming your way when you are pregnant? How do you ensure your partner feels involved while maintaining your autonomy of decision? How do you sort through all that advice when you're the only one who is pregnant and risking your life to give birth? As someone trained in public/reproductive health, I can tell the Doula team did its research, and the conclusion is spot on! This is not your mainstream Hollywood depiction of pregnancy and childbirth. With reproductive rights being eroded at lightning speed, Doula is timely. I highly recommend it!

THINGS I LIKED: I adore Chris Pine, so as soon as I found out that he produced this movie, I wanted to see it. DOULA marks the first feature film produced by Chris Pine and his new production company called Barry Linen Motion Pictures, produced in association with Vacation Theory and Universal Pictures Content Group. Producer Chris Pine adds, "Making Doula was a dream come true. It's written by one of our best friends, directed by one of our best friends, starring a bunch of our best friends. The film was a ton of fun to make and we hope audiences see that when they're watching it." In real life, Chris Pine has appropriately hairy and manly arms, but in this movie, they're SUPER hairy. Two of the characters in the movie mention it. Ha ha

Troian Bellisario plays Deb. She's the real-life daughter of Deborah Pratt, who plays Deb's mother. Deb's character is super obnoxious and has a terrible potty mouth.

The film shows the emotional ups and downs of pregnancy, as well as the toll it can take on relationships.

THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE: Most of the movie was a slog to get through, mostly because I didn't enjoy spending time with any of these people. None of the characters are very appealing. Some are downright annoying.

So many scenes could have been edited completely out.

Why don't people lock their bedroom doors? Seriously.

The movie makes doctors look like quacks.

TIPS FOR PARENTS: Kids will be completely bored. So will some adults.

The very first word we hear is an F-bomb. After that, there are plenty more, as well as other kinds of profanity and crude language.

Talk of prostitution You see an unmarried couple go at it in bed with skin and sound effects.

A woman masturbates.

People smoke weed, including a pregnant woman.

People get drunk, including a pregnant woman.

A woman flips the bird.

THEMES: Motherhood Pregnancy Doulas Support Step-parenting Relationships Choices

YouTube channel.

Thought it was gonna be goofy in a non serious way but it was goofy in a serious way. It's believable and I really got into. Placed my cellphone down liked it. Terrific acting everyone was into it. Some famous actors too. Captain Kirk had a hairy cameo which was really the only time I was transported out of the film because I recognized him but still was funny bit.

This was so painful to get through that I seriously considered not finishing it. Giving it 2 stars only because technically there is nothing wrong with the movie. Creatively, on the other hand, this is one big disaster. Horrible performances, extremely annoying characters and script that tries so hard to be funny all make this project one big waste of your time. There are so many scenes that I wish were just cut and left on the cutting floor or never even made it past the first draft. Sorry, wish I could say anything nicer. This was just very uncomfortable to watch and made little to no sense throughout.

I am confused why so many people have literally panned this film. Look, it is a film about a woman giving birth and a man who helps her through it. If you think having a baby should be without cursing, sex, masturbation, and basically strictly one way or another you won't enjoy this film. If you are looking for a funny, touching take on real life and a peek into one woman's experience you will really enjoy it. If you don't like women and men to have depth you should probably avoid it. I loved how the Doula continually shares and advocates for absolute agency for women giving birth. It is HER experience and each one is unique. This film really underscored that and it was a joy to behold! Acting was great. I loved all the leads and it was refreshing to see lots of new faces. I gave it nine because occasionally it was a bit corny rather than emotional but overall I loved this film!