Labor Pains Movie Review
Lindsay Lohan Salvages Otherwise Poor Effort
Lindsay Lohan’s latest movie did not make it to theaters, so it wasn’t too surprising Labor Pains did not measure up to even some of LiLo’s weaker theatrical releases such as Just My Luck.
The movie about a woman pretending to be pregnant in order to keep her job, directed by Lara Shapiro, debuted on ABC Family July 19, 2009 and brought in 2.1 million viewers. Unfortunately, the screenplay didn’t deliver many laughs.
It’s generally a bad sign if a viewer checks the time while watching a film, and an even worse sign if after noticing only 20 minutes have passed the movie feels it’s headed for Lord of the Rings length .
Made for Theaters, Feels at Home on TV
Even though Labor Pains was conceived, or to avoid the use of another birth-related pun, originally going to be released in theaters, it has the feel of a made-for-ABC Family-movie, save for a few details questionably for a family audience.
LiLo’s character Thea is seen drinking with a co-worker (Cheryl Hines, who played her mother in “Herbie Fully Loaded”) , another female co-worker tells her she would like some weed to cope with the stress of pregnancy and there are a couple scenes featuring Lohan in her underwear, although the scenes are not gratuitous since they involve her strapping a pad onto her midriff in order for her to continue her ruse.
The only indication the movie was intended for theaters is a scene at a birthing class which the censors clearly removed. In the scene, the instructor at the class requests a male volunteer from the group. The man leaves his female partner and makes his way to the female instructor, who seems to have her eye on him. In just a split second, there’s practically a Godard-style jump cut to the man’s partner giving the evil eye as he begins making his way back to her. The instructor comments aLobout wanting to get with him later, but the audience is busy piecing together what activity they just did which was too hot for ABC Family.
Lohan's Charms are Always Welcome
Lohan is a gifted actress, yet fails to find roles in many good movies and Labor Pains is no exception. She does a fine job most of the time, but there are a couple moments where she seemed to be below her standard. In spite of these small glitches, she manages to achieve what she does with other mediocre movies and makes it a pleasant viewing experience. Her 2007 slasher/psychological thriller I Know Who Killed Me was passable as far as films of the genre go, but her moody portrayal of college student Aubrey Fleming resulted in a richer character than other actresses could create. Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen would be a decent, whimsical story in the hands of another actress, but Lohan turned it into a gem and it’s one of those films which lifts spirits on a dreary day.
Labor Pains isn’t the career-killing film some might think, but it’s unlikely to lift any spirits. Lohan has other projects in the works, including The Other Side, which boasts Woody Harrelson and Dave Matthews among its cast, so she’s looking at another shot at transitioning from the tabloids to the theaters.
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