This is one serious movie; serious subject, serious story. I probably should have checked some stats but I just didn’t want to be that bogged down in the minutiae.
The opening scene of October Baby is Hannah Lawson (Rachel Hendrix) ready for her college theatrical debut. Her first college play. The curtains open and she is alone on stage. Her leading man enters the scene. She starts her lines and collapses. The movie fast forwards to her in the hospital. Her father (John Schneider) is consulting with a colleague…doctors. After a lot of testing, they tell Hannah that the medical issues that have plagued her throughout her whole life are all part of the same issue. Hannah is adopted and her parents never told her. There is more to the story and her parents finally tell her that not only is she adopted but that her medical issues are due to her birth. Twenty four weeks early and an abortion survivor, the story that was too hard to tell is now being revealed.
Hannah has been haunted her whole life by a feeling of not being wanted. Her parents love her; adore her, so exactly where were these feelings coming from? As the story falls into place her adopted mother breaks down and gives her birth certificate to her. She was born in Mobile, Alabama.
Hannah’s best friend since childhood, Jason (Jason Burkey) finds a way to help Hannah get to Mobile to help her find her birth mother or at least some answers to her many questions. The Spring Break Road Trip ends up being a bunch of college kids in a vintage VW bus on their way to New Orleans with the route through Mobile. With the help of some kind folks along the way, Hannah finds the nurse at the hospital. The nurse leads her to her birth mother. The story has many twists and turns. An angry Dad, a sorrowful Mom, a birth Mom in denial and a friend who stands by her through the whole episode makes for an interesting plot.
I have some observations (don’t I usually?). I know many women who have had abortions. Some have told me early in our friendship, some stay in denial for years. I probably have a few friends that will go to their grave with their secret. One thing I have figured out is that the pain of regret is always there. If you have read my reviews for very long, you have probably figured out that I’m conservative. Do I believe in abortion? No. Do I condemn the women who do? No. Actually, my heart goes out to them because that decision had to have been one of the hardest decisions of their lives and if it wasn’t, that alone is probably haunting.
October Baby is about forgiveness. It’s not preachy and it doesn’t condemn. There’s a line in the movie that says “to be human is to be beautifully flawed” and I think that just about sums it up. I want to let both women and men who may be carrying around unresolved issues that there is help, there is hope. There are many resources. You might want to start with EveryLifeIsBeautiful.com. Choose to Heal. Choose to Love. Choose Life.
October Baby is well done and especially thought provoking. As always I look forward to your thoughts and comments at chastings@rockcliff.com.
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