Unplanned, that opens in theaters March 29, is about the experience of Abby Johnson a former Planned Parenthood clinic director who has a stunning, and some might say miraculous, transformation into a true prolife activist.
The film chronicles her journey from a college student trying to find a job to crusader for the unborn. It is a truly inspiring tale. It is brought to us from the same team that gave us God’s Not Dead and God’s Not Dead 2 and stars the relatively unknown actress Ashley Bratcher in the role of Abby Johnson.
The film is based on Johnson’s book, Unplanned: The Dramatic True Story of a Former Planned Parenthood Leader’s Eye-Opening Journey Across the Life Line (Tyndale Momentum; enlarged expanded edition, 2019). Admittedly I have never read Johnson’s book but had heard of her story before seeing the movie.
Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. I want to be clear from the outset that this film is not for the squeamish or the faint of heart because the abortion industry and the procedure itself are shown for what they are — a way for a large corporate entity to make money. Period.
The gloss is off the idea that Planned Parenthood provides health care once you’ve seen this film. Bratcher portrays convincingly the scene when after taking the so-called “morning after” pill, Johnson is shown suffering terribly with no help or warning from Planned Parenthood. The film also shows the psychological effects that abortions have on women in both the short and long term.
Johnson comes off as a really decent person who got pulled into the pro-abortion movement after believing the lies that were told to her about Planned Parenthood. She was fed a story that the clinics were all about cancer screenings and other female-specific health care options, but over time she came to know the truth, and once she did, she could no longer take part in the evil that is abortion.
As someone who consumes a lot of media, I am exposed to characters in many movies, TV shows, and books, who are portrayed as bad or evil. One of the scariest villains you’ll meet in the movies this year is not Thanos, who will be appearing in Avengers: Endgame, but the real life composite character of Cheryl, played by Robia Scott.
This woman begins the movie as the ruthless director of the clinic that Johnson works at and she rises to a corporate position because she’s good at her job which is making a profit, and that can only be done with a lot of abortions. Her threats to Johnson have the feeling of reality, because they were real. Planned Parenthood wanted Johnson silenced and they tried their best to do that.
In the end Johnson wins the day. It’s an eye-opening film that will make you think. It is my hope that a lot of people see this movie so that the reality of abortion can be shown for what it is — humanity at its worst.
IF YOU GO:
You can find ticket information at UnplannedTickets.com.