Kinda Pregnant Is Kinda Boring

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In the fresh comedy titled “Kinda Pregnant“, directed by Tyler Spindel, Amy Schumer takes on the role of Lainy Newton, a teacher in her 40s. This age difference is off-putting to her younger colleague Shirley (Lizze Broadway), causing her to retch. However, viewers are encouraged to dislike Shirley due to Lainy’s disdain towards her. Shirley, characterized by her youthfulness and annoying behavior such as frequent live Instagram broadcasts and carrying her phone on a beaded leash, might actually have valid concerns. As the film unfolds, it becomes evident that Lainy is immature, vindictive, and shallow-minded, driven by jealousy and spite, much like Schumer’s characters in previous works such as “Trainwreck“, “I Feel Pretty“, and “Snatched“. These characters are known for their misconduct, embarrassing situations, and continuous disrespect towards other women until they can no longer escape the consequences. Eventually, they grow up, only to repeat this pattern multiple times.

In the humorous and somewhat monotonous film “Kinda Pregnant,” Lainy’s anxiety about pregnancy serves as the main theme. As her personal life crumbles, her friend Kate (Jillian Bell) and her partner Mark (Joel David Moore) reveal their pregnancy, followed by Shirley’s announcement of her own pregnancy. It seems everyone is growing up except for Lainy, who finds herself in the company of the school’s profane and vaping counselor, Fallon (Urzila Carlson). In a bout of morbid curiosity during a shopping trip with Kate for maternity clothes, Lainy tries on a mock belly at one of the stores, only to have the sales assistant mistakenly believe she is genuinely pregnant. Lainy finds being ‘pregnant,’ even if it’s fake, quite appealing – people are always helping her and complimenting her looks. She wonders whether this temporary pregnancy could be a beneficial trick to help regain control of her life while things get sorted out.

As Lainy, I find myself navigating dual identities, reminiscent of Mrs. Doubtfire and Walter White, though with my own unique twist. Deceit becomes a habit, and the lines between truth and fiction grow increasingly blurred. My newfound friend Megan (Brianne Howey), who’s not your typical expectant mom, is skeptical of trendy “Mamaste” yoga and holistic pregnancy methods. She’s been there, done that, and knows the gritty reality: pregnancy is mostly an unpleasant slog.

Despite her cynicism, I find solace in Megan’s candid disdain for overly-cute mommies-to-be. In return, she accepts me into her circle, which includes her husband Steve (Chris Geere), my potential love interest Josh (Will Forte), who incidentally is Megan’s brother. The narrative promises humor, but it feels overly familiar.

My character, Lainy, is a self-loathing, immature individual who harbors contempt for herself and others around her. This portrayal lacks originality and specificity, and given our collective maturity, indulging in this misanthropic narrative yet again seems unnecessary—especially when Kinda Pregnant aims to engage us emotionally as well.

In this movie, it seems like it feels compelled to justify itself frequently, making Lainy go out of her way to apologize to every character. This part is unfortunately not funny at all. She cries, gives a speech, and takes responsibility for her actions. Schumer performs these scenes sincerely, demonstrating her strong acting skills; her recent work in The Humans showcased her versatility effectively. However, these serious moments in the film feel overly heartfelt, undermining any potential comedic impact in the final act.

In the comedy film “Kinda Pregnant“, laughter is scarce and intermittent, primarily directed towards the actors Forte, Geere, and Fallon by virtue of their novelty. Even Bell, a renowned comedian, has limited opportunities to shine and even less to be playful about. “Kinda Pregnant ” is Schumer’s showcase, but we’ve seen this type of humor before, and the Peter Pan act becomes tiresome. As one of her students remarks during a lecture on bell hooks, “Studying female selves is incredibly dull.

In a world where people act recklessly, it could be amusing if Schumer and Julie Paiva’s script truly embraced silliness, discarding propriety and common sense for slapstick humor (fart jokes, physical comedy, things spontaneously catching fire). However, these instances often lead to characters accusing Lainy of being irrational, or Lainy accusing others of the same. The constant accusations could be effective if the movie delved into how we constantly judge each other. But in this case, they come across as dull remarks.

In one pivotal scene near the end, Lainy encounters her ex-boyfriend Dave (Damon Wayans Jr.) for a post-breakup dinner. Despite Lainy’s efforts to mend her ways, she hasn’t quite found it in her heart to forgive Dave for abandoning her. In a final act of mischief, she dons a fake belly once more, leading Dave to believe that not only is their “child” his, but there are three of them. Dave reacts with panic (“Oh, my life’s over!” Wayans exclaims, performing weighted squats as Schumer leans back and smiles). This panic gives way to a genuine conversation between the two for the first time in the movie, a rare moment of emotional depth. It is neither Dave nor Lainy’s fault that Dave was polyamorous, just as it’s not anyone’s fault that Lainy desires to be a mother. Schumer delivers this scene with dry wit and understated nuance. This is the first instance where Lainy gains the upper hand in the film, and the humor between them feels genuine, more grounded in truth than exaggeration. This moment deviates from what we’ve seen so far, and it’s regrettably brief – it’s the funniest part of the movie.

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2025-02-06 22:54