“What to Expect When You’re Expecting” definitely does not sugarcoat pregnancy, childbirth or raising a child. But this is what makes the film so riveting and exciting. Everyone thinks babies are cute, and they are, but films don’t often truthfully portray the agony of the time leading up to their birth. @@http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1586265/@@
Based on Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel’s best-selling pregnancy guide, “What to Expect When You’re Expecting” portrays the problems of five couples as they deal with pregnancy, adoption and miscarriage. With A-listers from Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Lopez to Chace Crawford and Matthew Morrison, the cast does a superb job representing impending parenthood. @@http://www.amazon.com/What-Expect-Youre-Expecting-Edition/dp/0761148574@@
“What to Expect When You’re Expecting” also represents almost every pregnancy demographic. Fitness guru Jules (Cameron Diaz) represents what happens when you are not really expecting to expect. Throw in another couple struggling to conceive (Elizabeth Banks and Ben Falcone), and you have quite an ensemble and a comedic performance of how each couple prepares for the birth. Perhaps what makes Banks and Falcone’s performance so hilarious are her embarrassing in-laws (Brooklyn Decker and Dennis Quaid) who always seem to be competing with their son over everything. This component adds a comedic and irritating element to the film.
If you are ready for something a little more sentimental, look no further than the couple trying to adopt (Jennifer Lopez and Rodrigo Santoro). Both Lopez and Santoro do an excellent job portraying the defeat of being unable to conceive but also demonstrate the hilarity of being new parents. The “not a couple” (Anna Kendrick and Chace Crawford) offer a stunning performance of the consequences of one-night stands.
In the midst of the five couples demonstrating what pregnancy is really like, we cannot forget the “dude’s group,” whose members include Chris Rock, Rob Huebel, Thomas Lennon and Amir Talai. While the majority of the film seems to deal with how couples handle the trials and tribulations of pregnancy, this group of dads represents what happens after birth. With babies in strollers and hanging from carriers on their shoulders, this gang is an example of how some dads deal with the aftermath of pregnancy.
Unlike most romantic comedies, however, this film does not focus on how the couples fight and make up again in the end. It focuses more on the hilarity of brand-new parenthood and how the birth is what brings everything back together again. At times, it can be a little clichéd, but overall, it does a great job at truthfully showing the misery of pregnancy but also the beauty of birth.
“What to Expect When You’re Expecting” is no “Bridesmaids,” as many people had hoped. But the protagonists do make a trip to the movies worth your while.
Grade: B+