What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012)

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Directed by: Kirk Jones

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Anna Kendrick

Running time: 110 minutes

What to Expect When You’re Expecting tells the story of five women of different walks of life going through the process of becoming a mother. What we have here is an ensemble cast telling five different stories that link up to each other briefly at various points in the film.

I thought it was a nice touch to include a case of parents adopting a child from another country in the stories, as it is something that has not been exploited enough in the movies, especially not the right way. Having gone through part of that process with my wife, it really resonated with me, though our story did not end the same way.

The dude group of guys getting together to discuss fatherhood idea was a very funny one in the way they delivered it. It made me chuckle a few times and it offered a nice little comic relief from the sweet stuff.

The actresses were mostly good here, though a bit over-the-top in some cases. For example, I have seen better roles for Elizabeth Banks. Here, she could have toned it down a bit and it would have not come off as so clichéd. Cameron Diaz, whom I had a crush on when I first saw her in The Mask, has given some lackluster performances as of late. Here, she was OK, though her character was a bit one dimensional. I guess the gals had only so much to work with. Jennifer Lopez really surprised me here, I must admit, though Anna Kendrick played my favorite female character, as she had the right balance in her performance. As for the guys, their roles were mostly secondary, though Randy Quaid and Chris Rock both made me laugh in their limited roles.

The stories being told were cute, though a tad clichéd in some cases. What this a great movie? Not by any means. It was good entertainment for what it is: a cute little movie to see as a couple.

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