Warning: Spoilers ahead for Kinda Pregnant

Amy Schumer’s Kinda Pregnant is an unusual pregnancy movie for lots of reasons, the most obvious of which is that its protagonist isn’t actually pregnant. What’s more, unlike other films on the themes of pregnancy and motherhood, including Judd Apatow’s 2007 comedy smash Knocked Up, Kinda Pregnant addresses a controversial issue head-on. The movie presents abortion as an option for women with unwanted pregnancies in multiple scenes, whereas other Hollywood releases generally avoid the issue, or portray abortion in a wholly negative light.

The scenes in which Schumer’s character Lainy and others in the film discuss abortion reflect Kinda Pregnant’s overall message about pregnancy, which tries to balance the positive aspects of having a baby with more negative perspectives. In this way, the movie breaks new ground among Hollywood comedies, in particular, by presenting an alternative view of what it means to be pregnant from the narratives more typically depicted.

Amy Schumer’s Character In Kinda Pregnant Addresses Abortion As An Option

She Isn’t Pregnant, But Would Consider Abortion If She Were

In one of Kinda Pregnant’s first scenes, Lainy hears that her best friend Kate is pregnant. “No! Get rid of it!” she yells. While this reaction is designed to portray Lainy’s insecurities about motherhood in a comical way, it also cleverly subverts the typical reaction expected of people when they hear that their friend is pregnant. By raising the option of terminating the pregnancy, even as a joke, the movie shows that there is more than one view of having a baby. Even Kate herself doesn’t respond to Lainy in a positive way about her own pregnancy, simply telling her, “It’s so weird.”

Later, as the film reaches its climax during the scene of Kate’s baby shower, the topic of abortion returns to the table. Kinda Pregnant’s overweening villain, Shirley, takes it upon herself to tell the entire party, “Lainy is pregnant and thinking of terminating.” Although she says it’s “so fine” to have an abortion, and that she’s “pro-choice,” Shirley encourages the crowd to pressure Lainy into keeping the baby that Shirley thinks she is pregnant with. In this context, someone pushing a woman not to have an abortion is portrayed as a morally wrong act.

Of course, Lainy isn’t really pregnant. Yet, she does come out in defense of what she believes is a woman’s right to have an abortion, and suggests that it could be a good move to make. “Jesus, Shirley, I would,” she tells her nemesis, before adding, “Kate has.” This revelation places both Lainy and Kate side-by-side in opposition to Shirley’s attempts to pressure out of a hypothetical abortion. This scene plays out completely contrary to the one scene in which the highest-grossing rom-com about pregnancy, Knocked Up, even mentions abortion.

Knocked Up Generally Ignores The Topic Of Abortion

A Scene With Allison and Ben Discussing Whether To Keep The Baby Was Cut From The Movie

The question of Katherine Heigl’s protagonist Allison Scott having an abortion in Knocked Up features in a brief and inconsequential 45-second scene. Allison tells her mother, one of Knocked Up’s least likable characters, about the pregnancy. Her mother responds that she should, “Take care of it.” Whereas Kinda Pregnant portrays Shirley as pressuring and insensitive for trying to make Lainy keep a baby, Allison’s mother is portrayed the same way for trying to make her daughter have an abortion. “It’s important to me that you be supportive,” Allison tells her, effectively telling her mother that she’s being unsupportive with her suggestion.

This scene is the only time abortion is raised as an option for Allison or as an issue in any way, throughout the entirety of Knocked Up. Interestingly, a three and a half-minute scene in which Allison and Ben discuss in detail whether they should keep the baby was cut from the movie, perhaps to avoid courting controversy. Conversely, Kinda Pregnant makes no bones about its position on abortion, and confronts the issue directly.

Most Hollywood Movies & TV Shows Avoid Bigger Discussions On Abortion In Pregnancy Stories

They Typically Steer Clear Of The Issue

This approach makes Kinda Pregnant almost unique among major Hollywood releases. Big American studios generally like to avoid discussing abortion during pregnancy stories altogether. Shows from Malcolm In The Middle to The Simpsons and movies from Waitress to Bridget Jones’ Baby all steer clear of mentioning abortion as an option when someone gets pregnant. Others are neutral or non-committal on the subject, as is the case with Diablo Cody’s emotional comedy-drama Juno.

It’s only recently that abortion has begun to be presented as a genuine option for women in major movies and TV shows on a more regular basis, in shows like Sєx Education and films like Unpregnant. Decades before these movies and shows, Fast Times At Ridgemont High was a rare exception among Hollywood movies in depicting an abortion. Four decades later, Kinda Pregnant is still bucking the general trend in the way it handles the issue.