Unplanned

I read the book UNPLANNED many years ago and was struck by Abby Johnson's courageous journey as a Planned Parenthood director to the pro-life cause. So many of us, myself included, have believed in a lie, based our lives upon it, but Abby shows that you can turn away from a life you do not want and into a new one. I wanted everybody to read it and did a mini-review here. Now that it's a movie, I hope everybody who is 13 years old and up can see the truth about abortion. It does have a couple of very graphic scenes, but they are not gratuitous. They are absolutely necessary to show the violence of the act, not just against the baby but also against the mother. The ultrasound is computer generated--and not a real abortion.

I didn't know what abortion was until I came to this country and took a mandatory class on Health as a freshman in the public high school. Never mind that I didn't actually know how the baby got to be there in the first place. But my first reaction was horror. Yet, fast forward four years, and by age 18, I had breathed enough feminist and me-myself-I air and was blithely proclaiming that abortion is a woman's right, the baby being a parasite since it takes all its sustenance from the mother. But by my mid-20s I reversed my position because now I had family and friends who'd gone through abortions and I saw their suffering, and my own part in the destruction of their babies. See, I did not want any responsibility for the babies, so I'd say, "I'll support whatever choice you make." Like Abby Johnson, I looked at myself and wondered how I ever became so hard-hearted.


The movie is well-made, true to its characters, and situations. Although it's Abby's story, we get a good glimpse of how a girl raised in a Christian home can make choices that are unchristian. Away from home, she's subject to all the temptations young people face. Her parents are amazing, and a great example to all how to show love even when you disagree with your child. The women working at PP were also well-defined. All of them cared about the women. Except maybe Cheryl, the boss, who made it very clear that what mattered was the bottom line. I also liked seeing the friendship that developed between Marilisa and Abby across the fence. It's what allowed Abby to leave PP. I don't cry much at movies, but by the end I was bawling, thinking of the babies who'd be grown up by now. It definitely packs an emotional wallop. But remember God's mercy.

I could write so much more, but many others have reviewed UNPLANNED and one of the best reviews with extra interviews is by Donald McClarey. The story of the actress who plays Abby is amazing! So read the review, watch the embedded videos. And go see the movie. Bring your friends. This is so timely with so many states trying to pass laws to protect the right to have an abortion for any reason. I think this movie can change hearts and minds. Nobody will be able to say, "I didn't know." Now I have to figure out how to get BOUND made into a movie. I suppose I need to learn how to write a screenplay :) I think writers must have a certain audacity to even begin writing a book that they believe will make a difference. So, go be audacious! Write!!! Because it matters.