Unplanned: A Review

As previously stated in this blog, I don’t go to many movies. Still, I want to be supportive of quality faith-based films being shown nationally. Pure Flix previously released a number of successful motion pictures including the “God’s Not Dead” series. Their latest production “Unplanned” came out last weekend and finished fourth at the box office. It grossed $6.1 million from only 1,059 theaters. I went to see it two days ago.

“Unplanned” is based on the memoir of Abby Johnson, a young Texas woman who worked at Planned Parenthood for eight years. During her tenure there, Abby went through a divorce and two abortions. Later after remarrying, Abby surprisingly found herself pregnant despite using birth control. Although her supervisor suggested otherwise, Abby went through with the pregnancy and gave birth to a daughter.

Often when Abby arrived at work, anti-abortion demonstrators had gathered outside her clinic's fence. A few of them made harassing remarks while holding “Abortion is Murder” signs. However, one woman reached out to Abby in friendship. Marilisa soon married a man named Shawn who became the leader of a ministry now known as 40 Days for Life. 

Through the persistent prayers of her parents and many of the demonstrators, Abby began to have second thoughts about her work. One day she found the file of one of her unborn children that was aborted at the clinic. The turning point came after watching a client’s abortion on ultrasound. Abby soon resigned from Planned Parenthood and has since helped others leave the abortion industry.

“Unplanned” is rated R for “disturbing bloody images” (reminiscent of what happened to “The Passion of the Christ” fifteen years ago). That shouldn’t stop anyone from seeing this movie. Looking at blood isn’t a pleasant sight but it shows the reality that abortion is the taking of innocent human life. Instead of calling abortion providers and their clients “baby killers” as one man did in the movie, pro-lifers wanting to make a difference need to reach out to them in love.

I know a few people who consider themselves “pro-choice.” Hopefully, they will take time to see “Unplanned” and be inspired to choose life. After all, their mothers did.

“If you are willing to advocate for abortion, but unwilling to actually see what you support, then you and your tiny bun really have no relevancy in this conversation.” -  Abby Johnson

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