‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’ (2012) Review

What to Expect When You’re Expecting Synopsis: Follows the lives of five interconnected couples as they experience the thrills and surprises of having a baby and realize that no matter what you plan for, life does not always deliver what is expected.

What to Expect When You’re Expecting follows the journey of various couples as they deal with pregnancy and what it takes to conceive. It’s based on the best-selling non-fiction book titled, you guessed it, What to Expect When You’re Expecting!

What to Expect When You’re Expecting (the movie) introduces us to several couples. Jules and Evan meet at a dancing show competition and are surprised when Jules becomes pregnant three months into their relationship. Gary and Wendy have been struggling to conceive for two years and find out they’re pregnant just when they decide to take a break from trying.

Gary’s father, Ramsey, and his younger wife, Skyler, reveal they have twins on the way. Rosie and Marco are rival food truck owners, but one night of passion leads to an unexpected pregnancy. Alex and Holly decide to adopt, something that Alex isn’t sure he’s ready for.

“There’s no such thing as ready. You just jump on a moving train and you try not to die.” – Vic

Generally, I am pretty disappointed with these “A-list” cast ensembles – this movie includes Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chris Rock, Cameron Diaz, Anna Kendrick, Chace Crawford, Dennis Quaid, Matthew Morrison, etc. The movies are usually so congested with characters and storylines that I end up not caring about anyone, as there is no character development whatsoever. And yes, What to Expect When You’re Expecting may have one or two more couples than what feels necessary, but thankfully, the movie itself didn’t feel overwhelming.

It may be because the movie itself is actually funny and does a pretty good job of developing the characters. Most of them, anyway. It hits on pretty much every pregnancy trope out there while also dealing with infertility and adoption. Having dealt with infertility myself for many years before I got pregnant, I found myself relating to Jennifer Lopez’s storyline the most. The moment she held her adopted baby in her arms, yes, I got a bit weepy.

 “I just wanted the glow. The one that they promise you on the cover of those magazines. Well, I’m calling it – pregnancy sucks. Making a human being is really hard. I have no control over my body or my emotions.” – Wendy

There’s too much happening in this movie to explain it all in this review, and all you have to do is watch the trailer to know what’s going on. Honestly, it’s not that deep. Most of the pregnancy timelines don’t make sense, but that would be nitpicky if I went into all that. This is a very predictable comedy with predictable outcomes for every character.

But I did enjoy it. I thought the cast was fantastic, the characters were likable, and Kirk Jones managed to make a fairly straightforward script pretty funny. It helps when you have people like Chris Rock, Rob Hubel, Thomas Lennon, and Amir Talai carrying most of the comedy. I can’t help but think this could have been a really funny, heartfelt look at parenthood if they hadn’t depended so much on overly silly shenanigans. But it is what it is.

You know what you’re getting when you decide to watch What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Don’t expect anything fresh and original, but I promise you won’t be disappointed if you’re looking for something warm and funny to pass the time.

Watched: 05/15/2021
Notable Song: Home by Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros