KINDA PREGNANT

US, 2025, 97 minutes, Colour.

Amy Schumer, Will Forte, Jillian Bell, Brianne Howey, Lizze Broadway, Urzila Carlson, Chris Geere, Damon Wayans Jr, Joel David Moore, Jackie Sandler, Duke McLeod.

Directed by Tyler Spindel.

Quite a facetious tone in the title. And, there is quite a lot of facetious humour throughout this comedy (a variation on a romantic comedy). But, with the addition of “pregnant”, there are also some serious themes.

Before venturing on watching Kinda Pregnant, audiences might like to know that it comes from the Happy Maddison Studios, Adam Sandler’s studios, and this is very much a comedy with serious overtones in the popular Adam Sandler style. In fact, Sandler’s wife, Jackie, appears as a yoga instructor. The film is directed by Sandler’s nephew, Tyler Spindel, his previous film for his uncle was The Out-laws.

But this is also an Amy Schumer film, her kind of comedy style, sometimes down and out, often wishful thinking, touches of concern about her appearance.

This time, she is Lainey, seen in the prologue as a little girl playing with her best friend Kate, and the game is giving birth, energetically. Lanie’s main wish is to become a mother. Skip to the present. She and Kate teach in a high school, some precocious brats in the class, of course, discussions about Romeo and Juliet. Lainey is all excited, invited to a dinner, sure that her partner is going to propose, all eagerly psyched up. Actually, he does propose (he is a smug cad) – but not at all what Lainey was hoping for. She goes into a spin.

So, comedy. But, shopping with Kate, Jillian Bell, who is now pregnant, she steals a pregnancy belly from a shop – and, in a range of circumstances, she becomes kinda pregnant. She goes to yoga classes and actually  meets a very friendly mother, Megan, Brianne Howie. And who should be Megan’s brother, Josh, but the man she met by chance at a coffee shop and who was kind to her, Will Forte.

So, we can anticipate what is going to happen, when Lainey is at school and not pregnant, and when she is meeting with Megan, even babysitting, attending other classes, and pregnant. There are complications are school, especially with the hard-boiled counsellor, played by stand-up comedian from New Zealand (accent and all) Urzila Carlson, contrasting with the ultramodern and flighty teacher, Shirley, who is pregnant!

So, romance with Josh, complications at school, all coming to a head at a lavish baby shower. And, the continual wondering about how she is going to tell the truth and what will be the consequences.

At times the comedy is very broad, plenty of innuendo, a number of topical cinema and television references, and the satire of a sex scene which moves the censor’s classification from M to MA.

Allowing for all that and depending on one’s mood, there is quite a lot to enjoy.

1. The tone of the title? Facetious, ironic? The touch of the serious? This for the style of the film throughout, characters, situations, issues?
2. The comedy principally for the female audience? Identifying with characters and situations, pregnancy, birth, children and family? And the role of men and husbands? The different impact for the male audience?
3. The production company, Adam Sandler, his style of American comedy, aspects of realism, surrealistic humour, jokes, innuendo, topical references, a succession of episodes and events building up a narrative, the past and the styles of stand-up comedy?
4. Amy Schumer and her career, comedy, style, self-image, stand-up comedy?
5. The title and the theme of pregnancy, serious admiration for pregnancy and birth, children, the impact for women, those wanting to be pregnant, those not wanting to be pregnant, and the gallery of mothers throughout the film, the central characters, and the women at the yoga and psychology workshops?
6. The prologue, Lainey and Kate, playing, giving birth, the conversation, giving ground for their friendship?
7. Lainey, in her 40s, at school, Romeo and Juliet, Liam and his crass remarks, Brett and his interventions, Dave and the invitation, expecting the proposal, going to the apartment, the dress, the dinner, the proposal for the threesome, the girlfriend arriving, the cake, her screaming and the scene? Disappointment? And the comic reaction with the class?
8. Lainey, disappointed, going for the, coffee trying to avoid Shirley, talking with Josh, bonding, the discovery that he was Megan’s brother, living in the garage, happy in meeting him, the garage, the date, the ice skating rink, his bad experiences, the sexual encounter – and the farcical aspects of the sex sequence? His continued support, the truth and his disappointment? Garage door sequence, trying to persuade him to forgive Lainey? And the scene with the family who would witness the sex as well as other episodes, passing by?
9. Kate, married, pregnant, sharing with Lainey, Mark and his seeming disregard and preoccupation? The two working at the school?

• The character of Fallon, New Zealand accent, counsellor, vaping pot, the oddball opinions, her behaviour, lesbian, friendship and advice?
• Shirley, the younger generation, oddball, pregnant, her boyfriend, dancing and 21^st-century style? The bond with Fallon, with Kate and the sharing of the baby shower? Antagonism towards Lainey?
• Lainey, shopping with Kate, seeing the baby belly, stealing, pretending to be pregnant, going to the yoga class, the meeting with Megan, Megan friendly, at home with her husband, the young son and his mischievous behaviour? Friendship, the invitation to dinner, the boy with a knife and puncturing the fake pregnancy belly? Lainey always managing despite all kinds of impossible moments, skating, the splits…? Lainey and her loneliness, sadness, desperate for being pregnant? The enjoyment of looking after Megan and Steve’s son, reading to him, the joy of babysitting?
• The psychology class, with Megan, the carry on, the reality and the satire about pregnancy and psychological condition?
• Encounter with Dave, with the girl, seeing her pregnant, her saying triplets, his relief that they were not his? The satire on the callow self-seeking and self gratifying male? Contrast with Mark, absent-minded, yet loving? Steve, the family man, the humour?
• Lainey confiding in Fallon, helping her out, Shirley overhearing, spreading the rumour that Lainey was considering an abortion?
• The lavish baby shower, Shirley and her announcement, Megan and Steve present, Lainey’s speech, admitting the truth, the consequences?
• Lainey back to ordinary, lonely, being present Kate her, Mark present? The news that Megan had had a baby?
• The truth confrontations, the truth for Megan and the reconciliation? And the continued support of Kate?
• And the reconciliation with Josh – and the vehicle, the mad careering and crashing through and the up in the air ending for audiences to speculate on?