What to Expect When You’re Expecting (2012)

Directed by: Kirk Jones | 110 minutes | comedy, drama, romance | Actors: Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, Ben Falcone, Anna Kendrick, Matthew Morrison, Dennis Quaid, Chris Rock, Rodrigo Santoro, Joe Manganiello, Rob Huebel, Tom Lennon, Amir Talai, Rebel Wilson, Wendi McLendon-Covey

The title makes no bones about it: with a film such as ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’ you know what you will be faced with: all the ins and outs of pregnancy. There is a lot of nice things to tell about that, because of course it is not a pink cloud in which a couple has been for about three-quarters of a year. There are countless funny situations that lend themselves perfectly to a comedy. And to be able to laugh about that, you don’t have to be in that phase of life yourself. ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’ is loosely based on Heidi Murkoff’s self-help books. The film follows five couples who all become pregnant at the same time.

Jules (Cameron Diaz) is the first and also the oldest pregnant lady on the screen. As a presenter of a weight loss program, she stands her ground and she continues to maintain that strong attitude throughout her pregnancy. The main stumbling block she and her partner Evan (Matthew Morrison) must face is whether or not their son should be circumcised.

Gary Cooper (Ben Falcone), whose name is not the only thing he blames his father, was once a participant in Jules’ reality show and – after two years of unsuccessful trying – is expecting a child with his wife Wendy (Elizabeth Banks). Wendy owns a baby supply store and is a strong supporter of breastfeeding. Her romanticized ideas about pregnancy don’t seem to correspond with the harsh reality: at each stage she experiences new physical discomforts.

Gary’s father Ramsey (Dennis Quaid) is a wealthy retired NASCAR race car driver whose girlfriend could have been Gary’s younger sister. This Skyler (Brooklyn Decker) is also expecting twins. Despite this, being pregnant is very easy for her. In addition, Ramsey seizes every opportunity to compete with his son, so a confrontation is inevitable.

Young Rosie (Anna Kendrick) becomes pregnant after a one-night stand with Marco (Chace Crawford), the boy who left her on prom night and whom she meets again after a long time. Can a relationship in which a number of crucial steps are skipped survive?

Finally, photographer Holly (Jennifer Lopez) has longed for a baby for years, but because of her infertility, adoption is the only option. A good financial basis is actually lacking and her wife Alex (Rodrigo Santoro) is not really sure about his business either. But it seems that soon a child will be picked up from Ethiopia… To help Alex, Holly advises him to talk to The Dudes, a group of four fathers, who walk around the park for an hour every week, with baby carriers and prams. This group, led by the uncrowned king of one-liners Chris Rock in this film, has a number of rules à la Fight Club. The advice given by the gentlemen to the father-to-be is obvious and it is therefore not surprising that Alex has his doubts about his future role.

In itself it is a smart move to turn it into an ensemble film. After all, no pregnancy is the same and by following several big bellies, many different aspects can be treated. However, ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’ is not only a film in which several storylines touch each other sideways, various genres are also mixed. And that results in a somewhat unbalanced whole. Unnecessary over-the-top slapstick (what is it with American comedies and golf carts?) is interspersed with dramatic fragments that actually deserve a feature film instead of a few minutes of playing time in a half-hearted comedy. The “bromance” scenes in the park are quite nice, but we would have preferred to spend more time with the couples to get to know them better. The cutest and most convincing scenes are for Elizabeth Banks and Ben Falcone and along with those of Anna Kendrick and Chace Crawford, their storyline is the most interesting. Yet you don’t have to get bored during ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’. While the film isn’t nearly as fun as it could have been, time flies by unnoticed. Unless of course you have continuous pressure on your bladder…