Obvious Child

Obvious Child is a 2014 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Gillian Robespierre (in her directorial debut) and stars Jenny Slate, Jake Lacy, Gaby Hoffmann and David Cross. The story follows Donna, a stand-up comedian, who has a drunken one-night stand with a man named Max after breaking up with her boyfriend. She subsequently finds out she is pregnant and decides to have an abortion. Obvious Child originated as a 2009 short film which was written by Robespierre, Anna Bean and Karen Maine, and also starred Slate in the main role. By making the film, Robespierre hoped to remove the stigma surrounding abortion and to correct what she perceived as a misrepresentation of unplanned pregnancy in earlier films. She finished the feature-length script in 2012. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 17, 2014, and was released in theaters on June 6, 2014. It grossed $3.3 million and was well received by critics. David Edelstein, Mick LaSalle and Dana Stevens praised the film's portrayal of abortion, while A. O. Scott and Ty Burr highlighted its realism and humor. The film won numerous accolades, including two awards from the National Board of Review and two Independent Spirit Award nominations.