The Back-Up Plan

When I finished watching The Back-Up Plan with Jennifer Lopez (Angel Eyes) I was left with a strange emotion. When I asked myself what that emotion was, the answer came back, respect. I respected this movie. It is not your typical Rom-Com fantasy, I found it a little more substantial than most. This film really tried to get to the heart of the situation and explore the emotional landscape of a woman. It also asked some interesting questions like, what happens when a woman takes her life into her own hands and starts a family on the same day she meets Mr. Right? It also asks the question, do we become the master of our fate, or do we need to learn to be more patient?

Jennifer Lopez plays Zoe, a successful career woman who decided that she no longer liked her life. She quit her high-paying job, cashed in her stock options and started a small business selling pet supplies. When she begins to worry that her window of opportunity for having children is just about to end, she decides to take matters into her own hands and go to a sperm bank. On the way home after being artificially inseminated it begins to rain and she hops into a cab at the same time as another. As they argue over who gets the taxi, they both get out and lose the cab. Alex O’Loughlin (White Out) then notices her for the first time when she calls him a stupid-head. They part ways, but being a romantic comedy they spend the next few days running into each other in the neighborhood. And then the complicated romance begins, does she tell him, or does she keep her news to herself?

In the past I’ve complained when the makers of romantic comedies have treated their target audience like we are stupid. But I didn’t feel that way this time. Some of the supporting characters were a little over the top, but on the other-hand I loved seeing Linda Lavin again and it was great to see Tom Bosley still working. I especially enjoyed Michaela Watkins (SNL) as the voice of reality. She tries to cure Zoe’s baby fever by exposing her to her own kids, but it doesn’t work. As women we have become more empowered and are able to shape our own lives, but wisdom also needs to be heeded. We all need a Mona in our lives to say, “Go back, there be monsters there”. With power comes responsibility and we all need a little support now and then.

Rating: First Run Jo Lo takes things in her own hands