What to Expect When You're Expecting (film)

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What to Expect When You're Expecting
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKirk Jones
Screenplay by
Based onWhat to Expect When You're Expecting
by Heidi Murkoff
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyXavier Pérez Grobet
Edited byMichael Berenbaum
Music byMark Mothersbaugh
Production
companies
Distributed byLionsgate
Release date
  • May 18, 2012 (2012-05-18)
Running time
110 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$30–40 million[1][2]
Box office$84.4 million[2]

What to Expect When You're Expecting is a 2012 American romantic comedy film directed by Kirk Jones and distributed by Lionsgate. It was written by Shauna Cross and Heather Hach and is based on Heidi Murkoff's 1984 pregnancy guide of the same name. Its story follows the lives of five couples as their lives are turned upside down by the difficulties and surprises of parenthood. It stars Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, Ben Falcone, Anna Kendrick, Matthew Morrison, Dennis Quaid, Chris Rock and Rodrigo Santoro.

The film was released on May 18, 2012 and grossed $84 million worldwide while receiving mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

Prologue

Set in Atlanta,[3] the film opens with TV fitness trainer Jules Baxter and her dance partner Evan Webber performing on the TV show Celebrity Dance Factor. They are crowned the winners of the show, but Jules vomits in their trophy, discovering that she is pregnant.

Jules and Evan

Jules struggles when trying to balance her pregnancy with her normal active life. After being told during the

epidural
. She gives birth to a daughter they name Emerson Jane, ending their debate. After giving birth, Jules and Evan get engaged.

Holly and Alex

Photographer Holly Castillo can't conceive children and decides to adopt one from Ethiopia with her husband, Alex. They decide to buy a new house for the baby. Holly sends Alex to hang out with the "dudes group", a group of fathers who walk around the park and support one another, which was founded by Vic Mac. Alex feels even more nervous to become a father. Holly loses her job and becomes hurt when she realizes how much Alex is unprepared for a child. However, they eventually go to Ethiopia and adopt a baby boy named Kaleb.

Wendy and Gary

Wendy Cooper runs a

cesarean section
, which is against her birth plan. She suffers severe blood loss, but survives and delivers a son named Theo.

Skyler and Ramsey

Ramsey Cooper, a famous race car driver, and Gary's father, is married to a much younger woman named Skyler, making her Gary's stepmother. She treats Gary as her own son despite her obviously not being his mother, much to Gary's annoyance. During a brunch where Wendy and Gary announce her pregnancy, Ramsey and Skyler also announce they are expecting. Unlike Wendy, Skyler cruises through her pregnancy without issues. Wendy envies her and detests her ease; however, soon after Skyler gives birth to twin girls named Aida & Nida, she and Ramsey are shown struggling with the fussy babies.

Rosie and Marco

Rosie Brennan, a food-truck chef, meets an old high school friend, Marco, also a food-truck chef, during a turf war between their food trucks. She believes he is a player and initially blows him off, but the reunion leads to an unexpected pregnancy after sex that night. Worried at first, they eventually adjust to the idea of becoming parents and move in together. However, one night Rosie discovers she is bleeding and they drive to the hospital where they discover she has miscarried. Devastated, Rosie tells Marco to leave, which he does, but he makes several attempts to get back with her. Eventually, they get back together and decide to take things slowly and their story ends with them joining forces to create a food truck together.

Epilogue

At different points in the film, certain characters meet others. Many of the characters are fans of one or both of Jules' two TV series. Gary was on Jules' weight loss program and is a regular customer of Marco's food truck, Skyler is Rosie's cousin, and Holly is Wendy and Skyler's photographer.

Cast

  • Cameron Diaz as Jules Baxter, a contestant on a celebrity dance show and a host to a weight-loss fitness show, who becomes pregnant with her dance partner's baby girl named Emerson[3]
  • Jennifer Lopez as Holly Castillo, a woman who adopts a baby boy named Kaleb from abroad with her unwilling husband after difficulty conceiving[4]
  • Elizabeth Banks as Wendy Cooper, Gary's wife and Theo's mother who becomes pregnant after trying for 2 years. Runs the Breast Choice Boutique.
  • Chace Crawford as Marco, who reunites with an old flame (Rosie) after a turf war between their respective food trucks[5]
  • Brooklyn Decker as Skyler Cooper, the wife of a much older man named Ramsey, stepmother of Gary who becomes pregnant with twins Aida & Nida[6]
  • Ben Falcone as Gary Cooper, Wendy's husband, Theo's father, Ramsey's son, Skyler's stepson, and Aida & Nida's older paternal half-brother[7]
  • Anna Kendrick as Rosie Brennan, who reunites with an old flame (Marco) and fellow food-truck owner and becomes pregnant unexpectedly and has a miscarriage[6]
  • Matthew Morrison as Evan Webber, who teams with Jules on a celebrity dance show and the father of her baby girl named Emerson[8]
  • Dennis Quaid as Ramsey Cooper, Skyler's husband, Gary, Aida & Nida's father and Theo's paternal grandfather[9]
  • Chris Rock as Vic Mac, founder of the "dude group" and father of four.
  • Rodrigo Santoro as Alex Castillo, Holly's husband who's in the music business and is not ready to have an adopted son named Kaleb [10]
  • Joe Manganiello as Davis[11]
  • Rob Huebel as Gabe, a new parent who adjusts to "fatherdom" by bonding with other dads in a city park-based group that is part playgroup, part secret society[12]
  • Thomas Lennon as Craig, a father who joins Vic's "dude group"[13]
  • Amir Talai as Patel, a father who joins Vic's "dude group"
  • Rebel Wilson as Janice, an eccentric employee at The Breast Choice boutique[14]
  • Wendi McLendon-Covey as Kara, Holly's co-worker and friend[15]
  • Dwyane Wade has a cameo as himself[16]
  • Whitney Port has a cameo as herself[16]
  • Megan Mullally has a cameo as herself
  • Kim Fields as Renee Thompson, social worker who helps out a couple with an adoption[17]
  • Jesse Burch as Hutch Davidson
  • Mimi Gianopulos as Molly, Rosie's funny roommate who comforts and supports her[18]
  • Genesis Rodriguez as Courtney, Rosie's roommate[19]

Production

Development

Director Kirk Jones and producer Mike Medavoy at the film's premiere.

Written by Heidi Murkoff, What to Expect When You're Expecting is a pregnancy guide released in 1984. It is a top-selling book on The New York Times Best Seller list[20] and is considered one of the most influential books of the past twenty-five years.[21] Additionally, it was dubbed "the bible of American pregnancy" and has sold over 20 million units worldwide.[22] On January 14, 2010, it was announced that Lionsgate had acquired the book's worldwide distribution rights from Phoenix Pictures. Heather Hach, who was nine months pregnant at the time, was hired to write the film's screenplay "based on her pitch", which would follow the story of seven couples who experience the "ups and downs" of preparing for parenthood.[23][24][25] David Thwaites produced it alongside Mike Medavoy and Arnie Messer. Alli Shearmur, Lionsgate's President of Motion Picture Productions, said the book is "a brand that knows no boundaries" and they were "excited about this film as the first in a potential franchise". Murkoff said she was excited to see Phoenix Pictures and Lionsgate "bring my baby to life". Medavoy, Messer and Thwaites felt that the book provides the "perfect launching point" to tell a funny story.[23]

Pre-production

Ethiopians, for which a casting call was issued as well.[28] Additionally, the film contains cameos by various celebrities including, Dwyane Wade, Whitney Port,[16] and Megan Mullally.[29]

Filming

The film began

High Museum and in Piedmont Park.[31] Jones said it was "tough" organizing schedules because of the number of cast members there were.[26] Having never "shot five simultaneous stories like this", he stated: "Through necessity we had to schedule the film so that I shot everything with Jennifer Lopez in two weeks, everything with Cameron Diaz in two weeks ... because they are not available to keep flying in from another continent for two days work and then flying back again".[27]

Music

Mark Mothersbaugh scored the music for the film and on its soundtrack.

The film's score was composed by

O'Kelly Isley, Jr., Ronald Isley, Rudolph Isley, Chris Jasper and The Notorious B.I.G.

Release

The film was released across 3,021 theaters on May 18, 2012,[8] it closed on August 2, 2012.[32]

Home media

What to Expect When You're Expecting was released on DVD and Blu-ray on September 11, 2012 by

Lionsgate Home Entertainment
.

Reception

Box office

What to Expect When You're Expecting debuted in fifth place with $10.5 million. By the end of its run, What to Expect When You're Expecting grossed $41.2 million domestically, for a worldwide gross of $84.4 million.[2]

Critical response

On the

weighted average, assigned the film a score of 41 out of 100, based on 30 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.[34] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B−" on an A+ to F scale.[35]

Cara Nash of the Australian film magazine

Filmink gave the film a mixed review, criticizing the storyline as not having "complexity" or "genuine conflict", but praised Lopez and Banks who "manage to find the humanity in their clichéd roles but they can't transcend all the surface-level schmaltz on display here".[36] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film a negative review, stating that "the movie itself triggered the vomiting", but appreciated Rock, Kendrick and Crawford's performances "if you dramatically drop your expectations".[37] Simon Miraudo of Quickflix called it "ill-conceived" and gave the film a mixed review while stating: "Despite an immensely appealing cast and a few funny moments, I would only recommend What to Expect at a 'push'. The eggs are there; someone just forgot to fertilise them."[38]

Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times among other critics noted the confusion of the swiftly moving film, writing that "Rather than the engaging enlightenment of the source, the film becomes bloated by confusion."[39][40] New York Daily News gave the film 3 and a half stars, writing "Thankfully the film, unlike being a parent, is a fairly smooth and entertaining ride that has a universal appeal to both parents and those who ever had a father or a mother", and named the scene in which Jennifer Lopez's character travels to Ethiopia to meet the child she is adopting as the film's most touching moment.[41] The Guardian's Mike McCahill described the movie as "insight-deficient fluff".[42]

Accolades

Award Category Recipient(s) Result
ALMA Awards Favorite Movie Actor Rodrigo Santoro Nominated[43]
Favorite Movie Actress Comedy/Musical Cameron Diaz Nominated[43]
Favorite Movie Actress Comedy/Musical Jennifer Lopez Nominated[43]
Teen Choice Awards
Choice Movie: Comedy
 Nominated[44]
Choice Movie Actor: Comedy
 Chris Rock Nominated[44]
Choice Movie Actress: Comedy
 Cameron Diaz Nominated[44]
Choice Movie Actress: Comedy Jennifer Lopez Nominated[44]
Choice Movie: Breakout Joe Manganiello Nominated[45]
Choice Movie: Male Scene Stealer Chace Crawford Nominated[45]
People's Choice Awards Favorite Comedic Movie Nominated[46]
Favorite Comedic Movie Actress Cameron Diaz Nominated[46]
Razzie Awards Worst Supporting Actress Brooklyn Decker Nominated[47]
Worst Supporting Actress Jennifer Lopez Nominated[47]
Premios Juventud She Steals the Show Won

References

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External links

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