Yesterday afternoon, I had the opportunity to see the new Unplanned film. I was interested in the film and believed that, since we’re giving them free advertising here on WeAreEPIC.org, I outta see what we’re advertising.
If you internet search the movie or look for articles about the movie, it is unlikely that you’ll find any that aren’t from Relevant Radio, the Daily Wire, or LifeSiteNews. That is because most major newspapers in the country refused to review the movie. As L. Brent Bozell III, president of the Media Research Center, wrote on the Daily Wire earlier this week, the New York Times (a former newspaper) reviewed 12 movies when Unplanned opened last weekend. Bozell writes that “This included a review of ‘Diane’ (released in only three theaters nationwide), a liberal documentary on former Trump strategist Steve Bannon called ‘The Brink’ (in four theaters) and the French Canadian teen comedy ‘Slut in a Good Way’ (in seven theaters).”
Major cable and broadcast networks have refused to run advertising for the film including USA, Hallmark, Lifetime, the Travel Channel, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network, and HGTV. So that’s where organizations such as EPIC Radio, EWTN, and the 2019 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) stepped in to provide free promotion to the movie on our websites and networks.
But the Unplanned film received two more slaps in the face in addition to these. First, the Motion Picture Association of America gave the film an R-rating. And then, no major record labels would allow their music to be used in the film. Fortunately Matthew West and other independent artists stepped in to make music for the film.
I want to talk a little about the R rating though. I do think that it was a political shot by the MPAA to censor the movie. Not that an R rating will stop people from seeing the movie, but when a movie receives an R rating they are only allowed to show the trailer for their film in front of other R rated movies at the theater. These previews in front of other movies is the number one promotional tool for film distributors. I don’t know about you, but I’m sure the creators of Unplanned weren’t too interested in advertising in front of some of the other filth that receives an R rating.
Initially this R rating annoyed me. But after seeing the film yesterday, I heard an interview with the film’s star, Ashley Bratcher, on EWTN’s The World Over with Raymond Arroyo and said that the R rating is appropriate because “abortion is rated R.” She’s right. Abortion is gruesome and should be rated R. But the R rating is inconsistant with the Left’s argument. One of my favorite authors at the Daily Wire, Matt Walsh, said it perfectly: if abortion is just a normal medical procedure, as the Left claims that it is, why did Unplanned earn an R rating for depicting one?
This is where we enter the review part of the film. The R rating is there because the film does very accurately depict an abortion and it is gruesome. Those of us on the pro-life side of things have been saying that for years. In addition, it does show Abbey Johnson’s hemorrhaging and pain with the abortion pill.
But what I was most blown away by was how powerful the film was. When someone mentions a Christian film, we all tend to come out and support it because the message is good and we just swallow the mediocre acting and writing. Unplanned is not that way at all. Ashley Bratcher knocks it out of the park as she portrays former Planned Parenthood “clinic” director Abbey Johnson. It details her story from college onward as she thought she was working to preserve women’s rights until she saw the abortion performed on the ultrasound machine.
- Read also, What is a viable life? -
Her co-star Robia Scott, who plays a beautiful villain as the Planned Parenthood executive overseeing Johnson, also does a phenomenal job at representing what Planned Parenthood is about. She’s nice and polite about things until Abbey starts to question her motives. Amanda Prestigiacomo said it best on the Daily Wire, “Much like the abortion industry itself, the character on the outside is neat and beautiful, but ugly, vicious, and money-driven just below the surface.”
I have to say that this is easily the most emotionally draining movie I have ever seen. Sure, there are more gruesome, gory movies out there. But none of those show the genocide that is happening here in our own country. None of those uncover the conspiracy that the abortion industry is money driven. None of those come close to showing the evil that is killing an unborn child. Abbey’s boss says it best in the film, fast food chains break even on burgers. They make their money on fries and pop. Abortion is Planned Parenthood’s fries and pop.
On a lighter note, do keep your eyes out for a number of cameo appearances, including Mike Lindell (the MyPillow guy) and Lila Rose (founder of Live Action).
All that being said, I don’t know what age I would recommend this film to. As Bratcher said on The World Over, abortion is rated R. I do think it is important movie for older teens and young adults to see so that they can understand what actually happens in an abortion and see the lies that are told about the pill. But, I would not recommend it to anyone under 15. It isn’t an easy film to watch.
If you are on the fence on the abortion issue, go see this film. Now. And if you know someone else who is, take them too. Thousands of theaters across the country are showing this film despite the best efforts of Hollywood and the Left, and I know of at least two theaters the Wake Forest/Raleigh area that showing this film. For tickets, click the banner at the top or bottom of this post.
EPIC Radio 