Good Movie
I don't expect much from Lifetime Movies but I did like this one.
The casting was good and acting was believeable.
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MovieChat Forums > The Pregnancy Project (2012) Discussion > Good Movie
I didn't like the fact that they kind of glossed over the fact that being a teen mom IS hard. The things that people were saying to and about Gaby when they thought she was pregnant were cruel and mean and stereotypical to a point. But it IS hard to go to college when you have a baby. It's hard to take care of an infant when you're still basically a child yourself. I'm not forgiving anyone for looking down on her (that was jacked up), but to pretend like "I'll still go to college and there's no reason to think that I won't" is just false. Of course young mothers can and do go to college. But the fact is that it's a LOT harder for them than it is for girls who don't have babies. It just is.
Instead of just saying, "Why wouldn't I go to school?" (which was a simple-minded response, IMO) I would have appreciated it if she talked about a plan. When she wasn't "pregnant" she had a plan. Having a baby means adjusting your plan and acting accordingly. Is she going to live in the dorms with a baby? Who's going to watch the child when she's in class?
Yes, stereotypes are bad. I don't think you should give up on anyone. I'm a teacher, and I support all of my students pursue their goals, regardless of their personal situations. But this movie should have been more balanced about the reality of being a teen mom.
I saw [vampires] before they were trendy!
Her sister-in-law brought up the point about how she wanted to go to college and couldn't because of her baby. I thought Gaby was being way too naive about the situation. Just like when I watch 16 & Pregnant (which I admit I've only seen a handful). ALL the girls say, "It's harder than I thought."
I think that's where most people are coming from. Yes, they can be offensive, especially if they aren't saying it directly to a pregnant girl's face. But having a baby is hard, it causes challenges. There's reasons why, statistically, pregnant teens are less likely to finish high school, go to college, get/stay married, get on welfare, etc. Everyone knows this which is why they say those kinds of things. I guess the problem is people need to learn to filter their thoughts. You shouldn't just blurt out whatever negative thing comes to mind.
Her teacher said having a baby was an obstacle to going to college but it wasn't impossible. My first thought was he didn't really convey how hard it was going to be. Then I realized that it's not his job to convey how hard it's going to be. She certainly didn't ask him how hard it's going to be. He just offered his opinion out of the air. So when you're going to offer your opinion out of the air, perhaps the best thing to do is be positive. When she first told him she was pregnant, he said if you need a sounding board for options he was there and when she said she wasn't getting an abortion then he said sometimes adoption is the most loving option then she said she was going to keep it. He took it at face value. I liked that he tried but wasn't pushy and accepted her decision. He offered his help, she declined it, and he supported her decision.
When people feel like it's their business to convey their opinion in a couple of sentences, it's probably going to sound mean. Everyone has heard that having a baby is hard, especially when you're a teenager. So if a teenager is pregnant then (people feel) they didn't quite get the message. So they try to convey the message in other, hostile ways. It's all about shaming the pregnant woman for breaking the social norms.