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What to Expect When You're Expecting

Name: What to Expect When You're Expecting
Director: Kirk Jones
Released: 2012
Duration: 110 min

Representation Score

4.5/10

Fair

2012

PG-13

Director

Kirk Jones

Runtime

110 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

This ensemble romantic comedy adheres to conventional narrative structures without challenging social norms. It aims to reflect established cultural hierarchies rather than question them. The film moderately succeeds in including racial diversity through its ensemble cast, enhancing relatability. However, it does not critically examine racial power dynamics. Overall, the film lacks engagement with LGBTQ+ identities and disability issues. It presents a safe, traditional exploration of the biological and emotional aspects of parenthood.

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Category Breakdown

Does What to Expect When You're Expecting have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses solely on heterosexual relationships and biological reproduction. It does not include any same-sex intimacy or characters with non-binary gender identities.

How does What to Expect When You're Expecting portray gender?

Fair

The movie highlights the hormonal changes and stress of pregnancy but often reinforces traditional gender roles and power dynamics in romantic relationships.

How racially and ethnically diverse is What to Expect When You're Expecting?

Fair

The ensemble cast includes actors of various ethnicities, such as Rosario Dawson, which broadens relatability. However, it does not delve deeply into diverse cultural themes.

How does What to Expect When You're Expecting represent religion and culture?

Limited

The story unfolds within a typical Western, middle-to-upper-class setting. It portrays parenthood positively without examining broader societal issues.

Does What to Expect When You're Expecting include disability representation?

Limited

The film does not address visible or invisible disabilities. It emphasizes biological norms and does not explore characters dealing with neurodivergence or chronic illness.

Present on Screen

The ensemble cast includes actors of various ethnicities, avoiding a purely homogeneous white cast.
The film provides a nuanced look at the physical and emotional challenges of pregnancy.
It challenges the 'perfect mother' stereotype by showing hormonal changes and stress.

Limited or Absent

The narrative does not include any representation of LGBTQ+ identities or same-sex relationships.
There is no depiction of characters with visible or invisible disabilities.
The film does not engage with systemic critiques of Western or institutional structures.

Official Synopsis

Challenges of impending parenthood turn the lives of five couples upside down. Two celebrities are unprepared for the surprise demands of pregnancy; hormones wreak havoc on a baby-crazy author, while her husband tries not to be outdone by his father, who's expecting twins with his young trophy wife; a photographer's husband isn't sure about his wife's adoption plans; a one-time hook-up results in a surprise pregnancy for rival food-truck owners.

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