Review: October Baby

March 16, 2012
by Ed Morrissey

When one hears about a film like October Baby, which deals with the aftermath of a failed abortion and the impact it has on the lives of those affected, certain conclusions about it will emerge before even entering the theater. People will expect it to preach a pro-life message rather than tell a story. The film will manipulate characters so that they are neatly divided between evil and good. Religion will get shoved down the viewers’ throats. All of the loose ends will get tied up in a neat bow. And all of those conclusions will be … wrong.

October Baby tells the story of a young college student, Hannah (Rachel Hendrix), who has had numerous health issues in childhood but emerged as a generally healthy young adult when supported with proper medical care — at least until she collapses during a school play. The subsequent medical tests, and the reading of her private journal by her parents, lead to a clash in which she discovers for the first time that she was adopted, and that she survived an abortion at 24 weeks. Shocked, angry, and lost, Hannah joins her childhood confidante Jason (Jason Burkey) on a quest to find her true identity and some real meaning to her life.

This could have gone the way of a Lifetime movie, or have earnest but second-tier production treatment. Neither happens thanks to expert handling by co-directors Andrew and Jon Erwin, both of whom have a few years under their belts making values-themed entertainment. In fact, both leads appeared in their TV movie/pilot Alumni. The production values in the film are commensurate with theatrical-release drama, certainly on the same level as other romantic dramas for teens. The story itself provides surprises rather than opting for more feel-good resolutions of some conflicts. Religion comes into the story, but much less than one would imagine. the rest