Review // Unexpected

Kris Swanberg’s Unexpected is an honest, heartfelt exploration of what it means to be a mother. The film tackles impending motherhood with a frankness that’s refreshingly unromantic.

Cobie Smulders stars as Samantha Abbot, a high-school science teacher at an inner-city school who discovers she’s pregnant. It seems like perfect timing, however with her school closing at the end of the school year and the teachers set to be laid-off, being pregnant is far from perfect for Sam. Unable to see herself as a mother, let alone a stay-at-home mother, Sam struggles to come to terms with her impending motherhood. I imagine Sam has the reaction most unexpected mothers have but would never tell their kids, quietly proclaiming “f*ck” at the sight of the pregnancy results. Despite being a happy thing, it’s hard to get over the initial shock, especially for Sam who doesn’t really believe it until the 20-week ultrasound. On the flip side, her loving, live-in boyfriend John is quick to adjust to his impending fatherhood and unexpected future. A whirlwind proposal and wedding later he’s on cloud 9.

Soon after Sam’s pregnancy is revealed to her students another pregnancy is discovered at the school. Jasmine – one of the most promising seniors in Sam’s class – is due a few weeks after Sam. As the pair bond over their unexpected pregnancies, you can’t help but cringe at the thought that this film will go the way of The Blind Side, and become a “white woman does good” tale. Thankfully, it does not. Although there are moments when Sam makes obliviously rude comments, like asking if Jasmine’s boyfriend was mad when she told him she was pregnant, Jasmine is quick to call her out with a curt, “why would he be mad?” And while Sam is determined to help Jasmine get into Illinois State (her own alma matter) she is completely ignorant to Jasmine’s situation: she will be a single mother relying on financial aid to go to school and take care of her family. Meanwhile Sam applies to her dream job even though the start date is just weeks after she’s due. Naturally, this leads to some hard truths as both woman realize some dreams might have to be sidelined in favour of motherhood.

Unexpected has a great grainy image quality that brings a warmth to the screen much like the actors do to the characters. There’s an instant connection with the characters, and its easy to get caught up in their remarkably unremarkable lives. The story isn’t inspired, it doesn’t have huge reveals or thrilling plot twists, but it is refreshingly sincere. Kris Swanberg explores emotions that aren’t often associated with pregnancy on the big screen: the fear, the anxiety, and the guilt. Don’t worry, there’s also excitement and the usual sentiment that motherhood is the best, but at its core Unexpected addresses a concern many woman must have about becoming a mother and that is losing a sense of self in order to be someone’s mom.

Reviewed by Vithiya Murugadas.