By snoadmin
Challenges, some surprises and a load of embarrassing situations are all mixed together in “The Back-up Plan,” starring Jennifer Lopez and Alex O’Loughlin. Even with all of these factors, the romantic comedy doesn’t cause roars of laughter.
Lopez plays Zoe, a pet shop employee who desperately wants a baby but is tired of looking for the perfect guy. After going through artificial insemination with the help of an anonymous donor, she heads home only to meet someone on the way.
Zoe runs into Stan (O’Loughlin), a goat cheese vendor and the man of her dreams. After meeting unexpectedly in the same taxi, the two begin dating. Zoe, afraid of scaring Stan away, tries to hide the early signs of pregnancy.
After realizing she can’t hide a baby forever, she confesses her secret to Stan. Stan, a bit terrified, tries to commit to and support her back-up plan by attending doctor visits and buying items for the pregnancy and baby, all while trying to maintain his career and personal life.
Lopez glows in the movie, and not just from the pregnancy. Her radiance is visible when onscreen with O’Loughlin. She also performs the funniest embarrassing moments. In one scene, she wears a dress that is too tight for her pregnant belly and finds that it is impossible to walk around in it without it ripping.
O’Loughlin is a great onscreen match for Lopez. He seems almost too perfect for her flawed character, but they still share plenty of romance.
There is also plenty of cuteness throughout the film. Babies, kids and a tiny French bulldog are sufficient reasons for girls in the theater to say, “Aw.”
“The Back-up Plan” is also educational. It teaches young women basic things to expect during pregnancy, such as the likelihood of eating gross combinations of food excessively, how to cheat in a relationship — with a pregnancy pillow, of course — and all of the raging hormones that can create excessive hunger and higher sex drives.
The movie also portrays the basic challenges any expecting couple can face. In one scene, Stan goes stroller shopping alone and finds that he must choose among hundreds of different strollers. In another scene, he meets Anthony Anderson’s character at a playground. Anderson explains to Stan that life as a father is a nightmare.
While there is enough romance to satisfy a romantic comedy fan, the film’s humor isn’t satisfying enough. Supporting characters who are supposed to be funny, including Michaela Watkins from “Saturday Night Live” and Anderson, do not provide enough comedic relief. Lopez and O’Loughlin easily take the cake for the best comedic acts.
At first, the movie gives no promise that it will provide good humor for the audience. The beginning is dull and seems to drag on too long. Any attempts at humor are shot down by silence in the theater.
In fact, the movie doesn’t pick up the pace until Stan shows up 20 minutes after the film’s start. It seems almost as if the audience waits for the couple to unite because as soon as Zoe and Stan start communicating, viewers can be expected to let out a few chuckles.
Perhaps watching “The Back-up Plan” may cause a viewer to not want to have kids. Some of the scenes related to childbirth are overdramatic and disturbing, causing some moviegoers covering their eyes.
Nevertheless, the movie is cute and funny overall. The hilariously embarrassing moments and O’Loughlin’s good looks save it from becoming a romantic comedy flop.
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