Greetings,
Guess what show I cannot stand? That's right, Teen Mom. Yeah, I just don't get why people find the show entertaining, and when you think of all the shenanigans and tabloid fodder concerning its "stars" that have followed, I still don't know how anyone ever could. But if you think all of this stuff began with MTV and their so-called reality show, you would be mistaken. We've had accounts of such situations in the media in the past, even some that have called upon some of the greats in Hollywood. I speak, of course, of the 1998 Lifetime Television Movie, 15 and Pregnant.
Ah, yes, Lifetime, the channel that has brought us women the finest moments of female driven entertainment we've ever had. It is, after all, television for women. And women just love their melodrama, apparently. Have no fear. This particular film certainly does not shy away from any of that. I mean, it's got pregnancy, a slightly dysfunctional family, mommy/daughter issues, cheating whatnots. And, again, women love that kind of stuff. So what is this movie about, besides what the title spoils for us? Let's see.
15 and Pregnant is about a girl who gets pregnant at 15. Sorry. We follow a girl named Tina as she, at 14, takes her relationship with her "I'll be with him forever" boyfriend, Ray, to the next level a.k.a the sex, and then, shortly after her 15th birthday discovers she is pregnant. And we go through the journey with her and her mother, Evie, and the rest of her family. Unfortunately, at this time, her family is on shaky ground, what with Evie and her husband, Cal, on the verge of splitting up. Then, there's the younger sister, Rachel, who has always been in Tina's shadow anyway, and the pregnancy just makes things worse. Also, there's a little brother named Adam. He exists. And he's kind of annoying. But he's probably just trying to fit in with a lot of the characters here. More on that later. Outside of the family, Tina has this friend, Laurie, who got pregnant herself, but at seventeen (What a twist!) and she's got a tough relationship with her own mother, Jane. Again, more on that later, as well. This movie, in short, takes us from conception to birth. Hey, why not?
Before I get into the cast, let me discuss all of these allusions I've been making to the fact that maybe the characters in this story aren't particularly likable. They're not. For the most part, anyway. Take Tina, our protagonist(?). She is about %70 of the time, a complete, spoiled, disrespectful brat, and with that percentage I believe I am being kind. I kid you not, you will, at least, AT LEAST, twice want to reach through your TV and smack her. She is just so mean to her mother, so much. I guess we could chalk it up to her having both teenager hormones and pregnancy hormones cranked up to 11, but I fail to see that as an excuse, especially since one of those things was kind of her own fault. And it is heavily implied that she was just as backtalky to her mom before the pregnancy. Oh, yes, the mother, Evie. She is easily my favorite character. Perhaps, it is because of how patient and long-suffering she is considering the state of her family. She struggles to hold everything together whilst her husband is absent and she has to deal with her children. Right, the non-pregnant kids. I already mentioned how annoying the son is, and the younger daughter is what we call a whiner. I mean, I get it. She was twelve or thirteen or something, and at that point in your life, everything is so dramatic and everything must be about "ME!ME!ME!ME!ME!", but, for real, she could have stood to grow up just a little. And speaking of the mother/daughter dynamic, I must mention friend, Laurie, and her mother, Jane. Whilst I can admit that Laurie is slightly more mature than Tina, being about 4 year older and in college, I think, it's really not by much. To prove that, all you have to do is look at how she treats her mother. Not very nicely. You can see how Jane is trying very hard to help her daughter because she loves her, but Laurie pretty much just won't have it. Really? She's got loving parents who want to help her, but she lets her pride or whatever stop her from accepting it. Seriously, if she was also singing and being pretentious, I'd think she was a character in Rent. Enough about the characters and whatnot. Let's talk cast.
To be fair, there are not a boatload of recognizable actors in this. It's pretty much carried by a mere two. We have, first, Kirsten Dunst as Tina, and this TV movie was made well into her big screen career. I know I complained a lot about the character of Tina,, but Kirstan was really good in this. I've actually always liked her as an actress, and the fact that she made me dislike her proves what talent she is. The mother, Evie, is played by Park Overall, best known for her role on Empty Nest. I don't know what it is about her, but I have always just loved Park Overall. She is so enjoyable to watch as an actress, and I can admit that how much I liked her helped a lot with how much I ended up liking her character. She did a fantastic job here. Now despite the face that the rest of the actors weren't overly well-known, it was still a very strong supporting cast, which is what every movie relies on. Oh, and for you fangirls and fanboys of Battlestar Galactica, Katee Sackoff also has a small role here.
Again, I know I had a lot of complaints about some aspects of 15 and Pregnant, but, to be honest, it's still pretty good. Every time it comes on, if I can watch it, I do. It may be a bit melodramatic, but it's still entertaining. It's well acted, and the story is not bad either. And isn't that more than what we can hope for when it comes to television movies? So, if you're channel surfing and see this, I say check it out. Fair warning, though, as I said, be prepared to hold back a slap or two.
Love and full moons,
Becky the Writer
