KINDA PREGNANT

Even though it has its flaws, it’s the perfect film to watch on a lazy weekday afternoon when you’re trying to procrastinate and need something fun and irreverent to pass the time.

Kinda Pregnant opens with Lainy (Amy Schumer) and her best friend Kate (Jillian Bell) playing pretend pregnancy with their dolls. Lainy declares, "Being a mom is the greatest thing a human being can do." Both women are without mothers, which may explain why Lainy's desire to become a mother burns so strongly, while Kate seems to view it as something she’ll address when she’s older.

Call it the post-International Women's Day hangover, but I was drawn to a female-centric (read: chick flick) film as I lazily scrolled through Netflix. Amy Schumer’s sharp humor seemed too tempting to resist on a slow weekday, so I hit play on Kinda Pregnant. The film follows Lainy Newton, a woman in her forties who fakes a pregnancy to momentarily experience the unbridled joy of motherhood. 

Is she seeking attention, trying to give herself a sense of importance, or is this just a practical joke that’s overstayed its welcome?

Kate and Lainy are now adults and teachers at an elementary school, still best friends after all these years. Both are eagerly anticipating Lainy’s boyfriend Dave’s (Damon Wayans Jr.) proposal, with Lainy thrilled about the prospect of fulfilling her lifelong dream of getting married and becoming a mother. Dressed in a sexy outfit, Lainy is blindsided when, instead of proposing marriage, her boyfriend suggests a three-way relationship. Feeling insulted and furious, she storms out of the restaurant. In a hilarious turn of events, Lainy has a meltdown at school in front of her students. I’m not going to lie, I laughed a lot during this scene, especially with Amy Schumer bringing her signature wicked sense of humor into the mix.

To make matters worse, Lainy finds out that Kate, her best friend, and another teacher, Shirley (played by Lizze Broadway), are both pregnant. Lainy feels heartbroken and left out. While visiting a maternity store with Kate, she decides to try on a fake pregnancy belly. When she casually steps out wearing it, she’s immediately met with concerned looks, well-wishes, and even unexpected acts of kindness, like strangers offering her their seats on the subway. Feeling unexpectedly special, Lainy decides to go along with the pregnancy ruse and enrolls in a yoga class for expectant mothers. There, she meets a new friend, Megan (Brianne Howey), and the two bond over their shared "pregnancies."

Megan and Lainy form a strong bond, with Megan inviting Lainy to her home to meet her family—her husband Steve (Chris Geere) and her brother Josh (Will Forte), whom Lainy recognizes from an earlier encounter at the coffee shop. After a minor accident, the two women chat in Megan’s bathroom, where Megan expresses her gratitude for having another "pregnant" friend, saying that Lainy gives her strength.

Feeling touched, Lainy decides to keep up the lie about being pregnant to maintain her new friendship with Megan. At work, Lainy’s colleague Fallon (Urzila Carlson) gently warns her against faking her pregnancy, but Lainy, enjoying the attention she’s getting as an "expecting mother," chooses to ignore her advice. While continuing to enjoy the special treatment, Lainy keeps up the pregnancy ruse around Megan and Josh but remains her usual self around Kate, Fallon, and Shirley.

With the pregnancy charade going strong, Lainy and Josh start dating, and a real love develops between them. When Megan asks Lainy to babysit her son, Lainy and Josh share a kiss while putting him to bed. 

To hide her "pregnancy," Lainy convinces Josh they can have sex with his eyes closed and hands tied. Awkward about the proposition but wanting to be with Lainy, Josh agrees, and they proceed to have a very strange sexual encounter in his garage-turned-house.

Of course, everything eventually goes wrong. Lainy gets as far as the baby shower (stuffing an entire roast chicken under her dress to maintain the "pregnant woman" facade). However, the weight of her guilt eventually overwhelms her, and she admits to the deception, Megan and Josh are hurt and betrayed by the truth, and an attempt at reconciliation ensues. 

I enjoyed the movie, even though it has its flaws. It’s the perfect film to watch on a lazy weekday afternoon when you’re trying to procrastinate and need something fun and irreverent to pass the time (I just hope my boss isn’t reading this!). The film offers a thought-provoking and relevant commentary on women of all shapes, sizes, and ages and tackles traditional views on marriage, childbirth, and sexuality. It highlights the societal pressure women face, constantly being told they’re on a ticking clock—there’s a certain age to get married, have children, and settle down.

The film champions several positive messages—women taking control during sex (no matter how awkward that scene was!), promoting body positivity, supporting pro-choice with a straightforward affirmation, and encouraging unconditional, unapologetic self-love, as Megan emphasizes when she accepts Lainy’s heartfelt apology. 

Kinda Pregnant may not be a masterpiece, and it’s fully aware of that. There’s a difference between being self-absorbed and self-aware, and Kinda Pregnant definitely leans toward the former. While it’s undeniably funny (in parts) and lighthearted, making for a fun, easy-going movie to watch, it also fits the description of a “background movie”—a term that’s often seen as an insult in today’s cinema landscape.

What I got from it was that Lainy was in love with the idea of being a mother—having a big round belly and growing a new life—more than actually embracing motherhood itself. There's a difference between wanting a baby (nature) and raising a child, becoming a mother (nurture). It would’ve been refreshing if the film explored options like adoption and emphasized that motherhood is about raising and nurturing a child into becoming a good, responsible individual, not just about getting pregnant!

I get it—Kinda Pregnant isn’t aiming to be that deep, but it feels like a film that was half-conceived, half-delivered, and mostly stuck in the delivery room (or, more accurately, the writers' room), waiting for labor-inducing inspiration to kick in.

Kinda Pregnant is streaming on Netflix.