It's ironic that I am not a dad (or a soon-to-be one) and the funniest thing is that there are moments in which my mom went through the whole pregnancy issue, but I happen to enjoy a movie called "What to Expect When You're Expecting", based on the self-help book of the same name for soon-to-be mothers by Heidi Murkoff. Here's the good news: For men and women who are mothers and fathers or about to become those parents, you can relate to these certain issues: Miscarriages, infertility, contractions, hormones, adoption....the whole nine yards (or months) of surviving pregnancy. So, how to start reorganizing the plot? I know, how about I'll connect the story by the dots. Dot 1: Holly (The lovely Jennifer Lopez), a photographer and her husband Alex (Rodrigo Santoro) are about to adopt a baby from Ethiopia. Dot 2: Rosie (Anna Kendrick) and Marco (Chase Crawford, one of those heartthrobs from "Gossip Girl") are rival food-truck owners who had a one-night stand that results in a big oops. She does get pregnant until... (I'm not telling.) Dot 3: Wendy (the always lovable Elizabeth Banks) and her husband Gary (Ben Falcone from "Bridesmaids") are about to finally have a baby after two years of trying, only to find themselves competing with Gary's father Ramsey (Dennis Quaid), a race-car driver and his trophy wife, the gorgeous Southern Belle Skyler (Brooklyn Decker, yes, that Brooklyn Decker) who's eating for three. (You get the expression, right?) And finally for dot 4, Jules (Cameron Diaz), a trainer for a "Biggest Loser"-type TV show and Evan (the charming Matthew Morrison from my favorite show "Glee"), a dancer for a "Dancing with the Stars"-type show are expecting one, as well. Only to find their careers in chaos due to the baby issue. Oh, I forgot dot 5: The Dudes Group, run by Vic (Chris Rock) and his buddies (with kids) hang out every Saturday and helping poor Alex (from that first dot) on how to be a man and to become a dad. It's a heavy order to make a movie about the ups and downs of pregnancy, but director Kirk Jones and screenwriters Shauna Cross and Heather Hach walks a fine balance of what makes us laugh, what can we expect to happen and how to relate to those issues. The results for that makes it a very, very funny and unexpectedly moving film. When the pregnancy for the four of the five couples comes kicking in, it's realistic, moving, heartbreaking and utterly remarkable. The all-star cast, also including Australian comedienne Rebel Wilson (also from "Bridesmaids" and the upcoming "Pitch Perfect") as Wendy's assistant, Janice and Joe Manganiello from "True Blood" as the Dudes' Group's other (and hunky) Lone Wolf, Davis, are amazing. The stories that sometimes interconnect with one another are surprisingly good. And by the end, there's always that one movie that's made for adults and how the audience can relate to moments like that, which could happen in real life. I guess this is a movie that's, at least, worth expecting.
