Obvious Child

Jenny Slate stars along with Jake Lacy and Gaby Hoffmann in an unconventional indie comedy. Broken down to one phrase, the film is a comedy about unplanned pregnancy. It's really a glimpse at the life of a young comedienne at a time in her life when all she is being handed are lemons. The movie title comes from the Paul Simon song of the same name that is featured in the trailer and in the movie.

The cast is very strong. You might recognize Jenny Slate from Parks and Rec or her one season on Saturday Night Live. She infamously dropped an f-bomb in her first SNL sketch. Gaby Hoffmann was thankfully nothing like the character she played on the past season of Girls and is a realistic best friend (Slate too has guest starred on Girls). The love interest in the movie is played by Jake Lacy, who you might recall as "New Jim" from the Office. Slate's character's closest comedian friend is portrayed by Gabe Liedman and he gives a standout performance. Liedman and Slate are the comedy duo Gabe and Jenny in real life and have been friends since college. Richard Kind plays the Jim Henson like dad of the main character, Slate's Donna, and her elegant professor mother is portrayed by Polly Draper. Personal trivia, I actually met Richard Kind in a bar in downtown Portland the week that I turned twenty-one.

I hope that Obvious Child gets some attention at the Independent Spirit Awards. It seems like this year's In A World... Written and directed by Gillian Robespierre, the film was originally shot as a short film in 2009 and starred Slate as Donna. I had never heard of the movie prior to Emily getting screening passes for it but I hope it does well because it is a really good film.



**UPDATE** excellent interview of Jenny Slate on Late Night with Seth Meyers, though the Obvious Child stuff is missing, in its entirety, it's the best Meyers' interview to date.