October Baby

October Baby

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Andrew Erwin
Jon Erwin
Produced by Dan Atchison
Justin Tolley
Jon Erwin
Andy Erwin
Screenplay by Cecil Stokes
Jon Erwin
Starring Rachel Hendrix
Jason Burkey
John Schneider
Jasmine Guy
Music by Paul Mills
Cinematography Jon Erwin
Edited by Andrew Erwin
Production
company
Distributed by Provident Films
Samuel Goldwyn Films
Release dates
  • October 28, 2011 (2011-10-28)
Running time
 107 minutes
Country United States
Budget $1,000,000[1]
Box office $Lifetime Gross: $5,357,328[2]

October Baby is a 2011 American Christian-themed dramatic film directed by Andrew Erwin and Jon Erwin and starring Rachel Hendrix in her film debut. It is the story of a woman named Hannah, who learns as a young adult that she survived a failed abortion attempt. She then embarks upon a road trip to understand the circumstances of her birth. October Baby was inspired by a YouTube video chronicling the life experiences of abortion survivor Gianna Jessen.

Plot

Hannah is a 19-year-old college freshman who suffers from epilepsy, asthma and depression. On the verge of her theatrical debut in a university play, she collapses on stage. Hannah meets with her parents and a doctor, who quotes passages from her journal that she has been feeling lost and unwanted. She learns that she is adopted and her biological mother tried to abort her.

Hannah seeks out her best friend, Jason, for advice. After sorting through her feelings and her options with Jason, she decides to find her birth mother. Jason invites her to go on a trip for spring break with a group of his friends who are going to New Orleans, Louisiana. Hannah's father, Jacob Lawson, is reluctant to let her go, because of her illness. Hannah decides to go because she says she wants answers. She sets out on a journey that leads her to her birthplace, Mobile, Alabama. Jason helps her find the hospital where she was born, but it is vacant and locked up. Hannah pries the back door open and they are arrested. The sheriff lets them go when she tells him her reason for trying to get in. He gives her the name and address of the nurse who signed her birth certificate. She locates the nurse, who assisted in the abortion, and they have an emotional encounter while the nurse describes the circumstances behind not only her birth, but that of her twin brother, whom Hannah knew nothing about. She leaves the nurse's apartment with the changed name and workplace of her birth mother.

When she finally meets her biological mother, she is overwhelmed by anger and hatred because of her mother's rejection. Her father arrives to take her home, having found out she lied to him about being with others beside Jason, and about checking in with her doctor. He discovers their arrest for breaking and entering and tells Jason he is not permitted to interact with Hannah. Jason returns to the hotel where his friends are staying. He breaks up with his girlfriend, Alanna, and returns home. He phones Hannah's father and apologizes for lying.

Hannah's adopted parents go through their own pain and suffering, deciding to tell Hannah the details of their choice to adopt both her and her brother, who died months later. Her adopted mother had been pregnant with twins and lost them at 24 weeks. They saw an adoption request for Hannah and her brother at a pregnancy crisis center where she had volunteered.

Hannah wanders aimlessly until she sees a Catholic Church and goes in. She seeks consolation from a priest Hannah experiences an epiphany and finds she is able to forgive her biological mother and forget about the botched abortion.

Jason takes Hannah back to the theater where she'd collapsed and says they should finish the play together. Hannah realizes he wants to be more than a friend and starts to fall in love. The movie ends with them leaving to go to their college dorms. Hannah hugs both her parents and thanks them for wanting her when no one else did. She is seen smiling at her father and holding Jason's hand.

Cast

Production and release

The film was inspired by a YouTube video chronicling the experiences of Gianna Jessen.[3] At a preview of the film at the Heritage Foundation, director Jon Erwin stated that prior to making the film he "never knew there was such a thing as an abortion survivor." He decided to make the film after Christian filmmaker Alex Kendrick challenged him: "What is your purpose?"[4][5]

October Baby had a limited release on October 28, 2011, in the states of Alabama and Mississippi and the city of Memphis. One reason a limited release was favored over a wide release was to highlight an upcoming ballot initiative, Measure 25, a Mississippi personhood amendment to determine if life begins at conception (the initiative failed).[6] The U.S. national release was scheduled for March 23 in approximately 360 theatres. The Hunger Games was expected to release at the same time on ten times as many screens. When asked how the film would fare against this daunting competition, Rachel Hendrix said, "there will be all these teenage girls waiting in line to see 'Hunger Games,' and they'll see the poster for 'October Baby,' and they'll want to go see our movie, too."[1]

The film, which is being released by the Samuel Goldwyn Co., is expected to expand into 200 or more new locations on April 13. “And the good news is that we have retained all of our theaters” from the first weekend, said Meyer Gottlieb, Goldwyn’s president.[7] Released on DVD September 11, 2012. Eric Wilson wrote a novel based on the film which was released September 2012.[8]

Reception

The film received poor reviews from critics, scoring a 22% favorable rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 36 reviews and an average rating of 4.4/10. However, the film received an 82% favorable rating among non-critic Rotten Tomato users based on 31,118 user ratings and an average rating of 3.5/5 [9] It also found some praise within the media. Gary Goldstein in the Los Angeles Times wrote that October Baby is "a film whose poignancy is hard to deny whatever side of the abortion debate you fall on." While he found fault with the script, he praised Jasmine Guy's performance, saying she was "superb in one beautifully wrought scene as the ex-abortion clinic nurse who later witnessed Hannah's birth."[10] Roger Ebert also praised Guy's performance, but overall found the film wanting, writing: "the film as a whole is amateurish and ungainly, can't find a consistent tone, is too long, ... and is photographed with too many beauty shots that slow the progress."[11] Allison Willmore in The A.V. Club described the film as a "virulent pro-life tract" and "revenge fantasy" that, rather than being a film, is "propaganda for the already converted." She particularly criticized the film's medical claims, saying that it depicted late-term abortion and poor conditions in abortion clinics as the norm.[12]

The film's pro-life message was received well by pro-life organizations. Endorsements include Ron Anger, Alex Kendrick, Stephen Kendrick, Dennis Rainey, Richard Land, Ted Baehr and Charmaine Yoest.[5] Joni Hannihan of the Florida Baptist Witness wrote, "the movie sends strong messages about the beauty of life, the importance of each life—but it’s not preachy" and found the film "young" and "refreshing."[13] World magazine observed that the film is "polished" and "a more-than-worthy viewing experience." However, the romance between Hannah and Jason was found to be lacking in depth and one of the characters on the road trip unbelievable. But the highlight of the film was portraying "how liberating and joyous forgiveness is—both giving it and receiving it—without putting implausible, sermonizing dialogue into their characters' mouths."[14]

The October Baby filmmakers believe the gulf between the reviewer and the ticket buyer scores dramatizes a rift between critics and conservative moviegoers. "What it tells me is that there’s a gap in values", Jon Erwin said. "There's a large group of people who don’t see their values reflected in most movies."[15] In selecting the film for its "Worst of films of 2012" list, staff of the The A.V. Club explained that "what makes the film so insidious and upsetting is the way in which it’s understood that the reluctant birth mother deserves what she gets" and "It’s a cinematic encapsulation of a worldview in which a woman’s rights are widely understood to be secondary to those of her offspring, both in the womb and years later."[16]

Awards

The film won the Grand Jury Prize as the Best Fiction Feature at the 2011 Red Rock Film Festival. At the festival Rachel Hendrix won the Special Achievement Award for Acting.[17]

References

  1. 1 2 "CNS STORY: Message of 'October Baby' film hits close to home for one of its stars". Catholicnews.com. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  2. ↑ "October Baby (2012)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  3. ↑ "‘October Baby’ Captures Abortion Survival Story | Gianna Jessen & Erwin Brothers | Video". TheBlaze.com. 2011-12-04. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  4. ↑ "Human Events". Human Events. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  5. 1 2 "'October Baby' film spotlights abortion survivor". Townhall.com. 2012-03-06. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  6. ↑ "Pro-Life Film 'October Baby' Seeks to Change Hearts, Hollywood, Christian News". Christianpost.com. 2011-10-27. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  7. ↑ The Los Angeles Times
  8. ↑ Wilsonwriter.com
  9. ↑ "October Baby (2012)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 4, 2013.
  10. ↑ Goldstein, Gary (2012-03-23). "Movie review: 'October Baby'". Los Angeles Times.
  11. ↑ "October Baby". Chicago Sun-Times.
  12. ↑ Willmore, Allison (March 22, 2012). "October Baby". The A.V. Club.
  13. ↑ "First Person: October Baby a refreshing film about coming of age & life's choices — Florida Baptist Witness". Gofbw.com. 2012-03-12. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  14. ↑ "October Baby | Megan Basham | Dec 03, 11". WORLDmag.com. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  15. ↑ The Los Angeles Times
  16. ↑ The worst films of 2012, The A.V. Club, December 20, 2012, accessed December 20, 2012.
  17. ↑ "6th Annual International Red Rock Film Festival — Southern Utah". Redrockfilmfestival.com. 2011-11-14. Retrieved 2012-03-19.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, May 01, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.