The story about here is simple; often maybe seen as formulaic. But Kris Swanberg's third feature film, UNEXPECTED soars higher than I thought it would be.
Here, we have a white, 30 year-old teacher, Samantha (Cobie Smulders) and a black 18 year-old student, Jasmine (Gail Bean) who are in the same situation; with child on their way. And as the school's being closed after the graduation, Samantha's naive husband, John (Andres Holm) acting up, and chances for both Samantha to get a new job and Jasmine to go to college, those situations are seem to be a bit, unexpected.
As the tale unfolds, the inevitable situations are now foreseen with Samantha determined to help Jasmine to go to college, leaving them arguing over misunderstandings (this is one of the best scenes as it's both raw and fervent), and along the problems with her husband about jobs and her mother (Elizabeth McGovern) being judgmental about her pregnancy, married life, and the friendship with the student. It all felt so real since the building up to those moments on the film are sweetly steady, and unexpected as they are charming.
Cobie Smulders shines as Samantha, her performance is a tour de force. The kind that's sometimes being looked down since it doesn't show off the breakdown or climaxes. Her take on this role is very simple, and natural. Gail Bean, a newcomer to the film scene, is equally brilliant as she embodies the pregnant student with dreams and desires to go to college and have the education that she wants to have. Her performance is intense and genuine as it can be. Andres Holm is surprisingly good since he's known for comedy and not roles like this, and Elizabeth McGovern leaves a mark for her role as the ingenuously mother who always wants best for her daughter.
The applaud goes to Kris Swanberg as the director, along with Megan Mercier as the co-writer of the screenplay. The whole journey of watching this film gives the unbelievably real-lifelike, eye-opening experience about pregnant women in different situations. There's no race or social differences being paraded out of the film because the narrative of this is mainly about representing women that they do have choices even when they're pregnant.
Watch the trailer below:
As the tale unfolds, the inevitable situations are now foreseen with Samantha determined to help Jasmine to go to college, leaving them arguing over misunderstandings (this is one of the best scenes as it's both raw and fervent), and along the problems with her husband about jobs and her mother (Elizabeth McGovern) being judgmental about her pregnancy, married life, and the friendship with the student. It all felt so real since the building up to those moments on the film are sweetly steady, and unexpected as they are charming.
The applaud goes to Kris Swanberg as the director, along with Megan Mercier as the co-writer of the screenplay. The whole journey of watching this film gives the unbelievably real-lifelike, eye-opening experience about pregnant women in different situations. There's no race or social differences being paraded out of the film because the narrative of this is mainly about representing women that they do have choices even when they're pregnant.
Watch the trailer below:
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