The Back-up Plan

Zoe's a woman who has a hard time letting anyone into her life. She has a habit of pushing people away when they get close. She also wants to have a baby but because she has no man in her life decides to be artificially inseminated. Shortly after having the procedure she meets a guy named Stan whom she connects with. But she's still afraid to let him in and when she tells him about her pregnancy thinking he would bail but he sticks with her.

Most of this was pleasant, just nothing new, and recycled formula. Lopez is a charmer, but let's face it, she can do this sort of stuff in her sleep. I don't remember laughing out loud. The chemistry between O'Loughlin and Lopez is professional and solid, If nothing memorable.

Bottom line. Watchable, but just barely above the Mendoza line. Really mediocre stuff, and nothing I haven't seen before. Take it or leave it, your not really missing anything.

4 ½ 10

The most difficult thing about story telling is the ending, especially so in a movie script. Now I am not going to reveal anything about the ending of this film except to say the last sixty seconds or so is very cleverly worked, and I am not speaking of the crazy credit outtakes.

So what about the beginning and middle? The plot setting and cast introduction is well worked with the main leads giving energetic and enjoyable performances throughout. I am not going to agree with those who may feel the single mum group is a mistake since the film is a comedy, and there is plenty of comedy within the group even if it may offend some. But I do feel as if the idea of the group was a filler which may have gotten out of control - no real back-up plan perhaps.

The film overall is entertaining and although the idea of "insemination" is not as fully explored as it could have been because of where and how the film begins, I feel it does what it says on the tin and ends very well indeed.

So I liked it, and whilst it is not a must see movie it is certainly worth watching. Six out of ten and a star for Ms Lopez for doing such wonderful things with some stew and half a loaf of bread.

I don't get it why people so undermine this movie. It was indeed predictable most of the time but come on, there were many moment of laughter.

I saw this movie with an ex girlfriend and we were seeing many moments we had on our first dates and we enjoyed to see it was inspired from real facts. Many of the comical situations do happen in real life and it really gets to you when you see it from outside.

The main plot may be a little exaggerated, how everything comes together but it's a classic date movie and you cannot have such high expectations from it.

The cast is OK, even though Jennifer Lopez is a little overpowered by her role, but she manages in the end to pull it of. Alex O'Loughlin is the perfect "I don't know if I want to be a father but I love this woman" guy and makes every moment a real delight.

Everyone gives it a 4 or 5, I give it an 8 because you can have a blast if you watch it with your girlfriend or ex.

I really wanted to like it. I talked to Alex O'Loughlin about the movie over a year ago, I think. And, this was Jennifer Lopez' big return to film, after a 5 year absence. Both of their characters in The Back-Up Plan are very likable. She is a successful businesswoman who has decided she's done waiting for Mr. Right and a family. She goes ahead and gets inseminated. That day, she bumps into Stan, a gorgeous funny guy who has his own farm (note the cheese, above) and dreams of owning a sustainable food shop. He pursues her, she resists. All sorts of clumsy, weird things happen along the way. Honestly, these characters and their relationship is really interesting. It's all the other junk the filmmakers put into play that I found distracting and distasteful and unbelievable. For instance, Zoe has an upscale pet store with a couple of interesting employees who have realistic questions about her and for her, but we barely see them. Instead, we're subjected to a strange single mother's group that is stereotypical and offensive. It's like the writer and director are trying to straddle a line between a sweet rom-com, like Sweet Home Alabama, and something more crude, like Knocked Up. There were so many likable and believable story threads that were just dropped, in favor of the gross out scene or something silly that just didn't make sense for the characters. I didn't hate it, because I liked the leads, I was just really disappointed and not satisfied. I give The Back-Up Plan a 6 out of 10.

(Synopsis) Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) has decided that she has waited long enough looking for Mr. Right to come along before she becomes a mother. Her clock is ticking, and time is running out for her, so Zoe makes an appointment with the doctor to become pregnant without a man. Within hours of the procedure, Zoe meets Stan (Alex O'Loughlin) an attractive and charming man who has caught her eye. Soon a budding relationship between them becomes a full blown courtship. Then Zoe finds out that she is pregnant after only one try at the doctor's office. She must find a way to tell Stan that she is pregnant without his walking out of her life. Stan is not sure at first, but he fully commits to Zoe and says that he is in. As the pregnancy comes nearer to the birth, both of them are unsure about the future and their relationship.

(My Comment) "The Back-up Plan" is a light-hearted romantic comedy that shows what can happen in life when you start a family in the reverse order. This movie is funny, a bit touching, and a family tale about trusting the partner you love and accepting the things he or she does. It is a feel good movie that lets the women of the world know that there are still some good men out there. The women in the audience can relate to the story, because it presents the crazy and tough times, and all the moments in-between that women go through during a pregnancy. Jennifer Lopez and Alex O'Loughlin had very good "couple chemistry" as the relationship developed. Be sure to watch the credits, because there are some hilarious out-takes. This is a movie that would be best seen when it comes out in DVD; however, if you want to see Jennifer and Alex on the big screen, go ahead. (CBS Films, Run Time 1:46, Rated PG-13) (5/10)