Episode 15: Ian and Cassie talk about how season two of Orange is the New Black made an already great show even better and why Obvious Child is a breath of fresh air in a crowded summer movie season. Plus, what we’ve been consuming (watching, reading, listening, etc.) this week.
Tag Archives: Gillian Robespierre
Movie Review: Obvious Child
Obvious Child has been labeled as “that abortion movie,” which is the equivalent of labeling Trainspotting as “that heroin movie.” Obvious Child is not a film about a controversial topic, it is a film about people dealing with issues and, well, being people.
Obvious Child is the feature film debut of writer-director Gillian Robespierre who, despite sharing the last name of an evil historical figure, has a gentle touch in dealing with tough and sensitive issues. Sometimes, Obvious Child feels so naturalistic that it resembles something that is not even a film at all. It tells the story of Donna Stern (Jenny Slate), a Jewish comedian (I have to point this out, given that this movie is Cultural Judaism incarnate) going through a millennial crisis, which is a midlife crisis that somebody in their 20s might go through. Her stand-up is funny and honest, yet it isn’t getting her much work.