While paging through yesterday’s New York Times, I came across a fascinating piece on abortion on the silverscreen — or rather, the outright lack of abortion in the world of mainstream movies. Though nearly two-thirds of unwanted pregnancies end in abortion, in Hollywood (where abortion is rarely mentioned, let alone seriously considered) it’s closer to zero-thirds (and even when abortions are extensively discussed, or occur, within the realm of a movie, it’s rarely in a positive light).
After reading this article, I tried to think of some movies that depict abortions in a positive light (or at least, as an unpleasant, but sometimes necessary, option). When that failed, I tried to think of movies that show or discuss prominent characters having — or at least seriously considering, or discussing — abortion. I came up with three: “Palindromes,” “Citizen Ruth,” and “Cabaret.”
Movies that feature abortion providers seem more common (”The Cider House Rules,” “Dogma,” “Vera Drake“) — but these movies tend to treat actual abortions as a side note, as just so much back story to give context to the character (much in the way that movies about lawyers are rarely movies about the law). Abortion as a film’s centerpiece — or even substantial subplot — seems to be a rare thing.
We all know that abortions happen (some of us have even had them). Why can’t we show them in the movies?
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Dirty Dancing.
I know, I know. I’m just saying, that’s all.
June 12th, 2007 at 1:44 amOh my god, I can’t believe I forgot “Dirty Dancing.”
That was totally my favorite movie when I was six. Of course, when I was six, I didn’t understand that Penny was having an abortion.
June 12th, 2007 at 8:47 amDamn it, this is what I get for reading late. I was gonna say “Dirty Dancing.”
June 15th, 2007 at 11:56 amOh, and Clerks 2.
June 18th, 2007 at 2:25 amWhat about “Fast Times”?
Hal Hartley’s “Trust” has many scenes involving whether or not the main character will get an abortion.
“Pro-Life”, by John Carpenter, is about a demon gestating inside a Christian girl, and her father going apesit and killing people at a clinic trying to stop her from getting an abortion. There’s probably a lot more similar stuff in the horror and sci-fi genre that slips my mind.
“Splendor”, Gregg Araki’s “heterosexual” movie, does mention abortion as an option.
“Saved”, a movie that was really disapointing, only touched on abortion in one line, where the goth girl says, “I guess it’s too late for the big A.”
In the category of abortion clininc workers as characters, there’s “Happy Endings”.
Oh, and “The Opposite of Sex” also mentions abortion.
Many TV shows have had abortion episodes and sub-plots, like “Party of Five” and “90210″.
I’ll stop rambling now…
June 18th, 2007 at 10:06 pmGood list, Furry Girl — though I think it’s important to differentiate between movies that list abortion as an option and movies where the characters actually go through with having an abortion.
I feel like a lot of times, even when abortion is presented as an option, it’s one that the characters immediately dismiss, because they’re “not that kind of girl” — because, of course, only a certain type of girl gets an abortion.
June 18th, 2007 at 10:15 pmYeah, I know what you mean, I was just brainstorming.
In “Splendor”, the female lead declines to have an abortion because she’d already had one in the past and found it a frightening horrible experience.
Great site you have here- I just discovered it tonight. Is the writing all yours?
I like the article about Herpevac- I’m doing that too, but I only started a year ago. Nowadays, though, you are allowed to be in the study if you’ve been vaccinated for Hep A already. They said that getting two Hep A series in my life isn’t going to harm me.
June 18th, 2007 at 11:10 pmLeave a reply :