# Movies about abortion choice in which abortion does occur **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 2, 2008, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617 "2008-08-02T17:19:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617/21 "2008-08-02T22:55:13Z")
IIRC, there is an abortion in [Jesus’ Son](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0186253/) with Billy Crudup and Samantha Morton. ---
**Author:** ![Jayn\_Newell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Jayn\_Newell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayn_Newell)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2008, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617/22 "2008-08-02T23:20:26Z")
It’s not a movie, but the old Degrassi High series had two students get pregnant during its run. One had the kid, and the other had an abortion. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617/23 "2008-08-03T00:16:21Z")
Not a movie, but in the series, _Six Feet Under_, Claire (HS student at the time) finds out she is pregnant and gets a ride to a clinic to have an abortion. Her then boyfriend finds out about this later and her not including him in the decision becomes a heated issue. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617/24 "2008-08-03T00:28:46Z")
The TV show Moonlighting: Cybill Shepherd’s character has an abortion, which was so controversial at the time that they handled it with a bizarre and glurge-filled fantasy episode that defies description. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617/25 "2008-08-03T01:12:09Z")
[QUOTE=eleanorigby] Not a movie, but in the series, _Six Feet Under_, Claire (HS student at the time) finds out she is pregnant and gets a ride to a clinic to have an abortion. Her then boyfriend finds out about this later and her not including him in the decision becomes a heated issue. [/QUOTE] Stephen King’s Storm of the Century had a similar plotline–it was something of a fairly minor issue. The abortion isn’t shown either; it’s just mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![MissMossie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@MissMossie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissMossie)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617/26 "2008-08-03T02:53:58Z")
The first **If These Walls Could Talk** movie was all about abortion. I only saw it once and the scene that still sticks out occurred before abortions were legal in the story line and involved a knitting needle and a lot of blood. Overall, I think it was supporting legalized abortion. I’m sure there is someone around who has seen it more recently that can confirm that. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617/27 "2008-08-03T03:15:24Z")
The Danish film ‘Twist and Shout’ (English title. I don’t know the Danish title). It’s got a horrific abortion for a teenage girl and her boyfriend. Urf. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617/28 "2008-08-03T03:40:13Z")
OK you all have provided me with a rich ground to sample… you’ve also reminded me of how pathetic my familiarity with films actually is… Feel free to ignore this pathetic request to narrow down my research and leave my ignorance largely intact but… If you were specifically seeking out movies that tended to illustrate - pregnancy, of the unwanted or unplanned or subsequently inconvenient variety - consideration of abortion issues pro and con - protagonist of movie opts for abortion and has one - outcome is not left to viewers’ imagination or at least is strongly implied by plot trajectory, and can be categorized as “good choice”, “bad choice” or “kinda mixed” … which ones, and which outcomes? ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617/29 "2008-08-03T05:48:01Z")
[QUOTE=jsc1953] The TV show Moonlighting: Cybill Shepherd’s character has an abortion, which was so controversial at the time that they handled it with a bizarre and glurge-filled fantasy episode that defies description. [/QUOTE] Actually, she miscarried. That still didn’t make the episode any less bizarre and glurge-filled. Although to be fair, because of outside circumstances, “Moonlighting’s” writers were stuck in a corner with regards to that plotline and didn’t have any good way to get out it. The series was taking in water and sinking fast at that point. [QUOTE=bubastis] Also, the original Alfie has an abortion that wipes the smile of Alfie’s cocky face. [/QUOTE] I’m pretty certain you meant _one of the women Alfie sleeps with_ and not Alfie himself. Although I’m sure the other scenario would also wipe the smile off his cocky face. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617/30 "2008-08-03T06:59:52Z")
What bubastis probably meant was that in the original (movie) Alfie there’s an abortion that wipes the smile off the (character) Alfie’s cocky face, but he/she didn’t express himself/herself very well. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617/31 "2008-08-03T14:52:54Z")
I don’t know how to answer to your second request, **AHunter3** , but regarding the original… In the Brazilian movie _ **Pixote** _, the adult female protagonist, who at this point in the movie is serving as a surrogate mother, is pregnant and has an illegal abortion. IIRC, there is a scene which shows the remains and the knitting needles (and she feeling not so good in the bedroom next door). I don’t remember if any of the other characters knew of her condition (until they see the remains). _Shudders_ That’s the one scene from that movie that has gotten stuck to my head. I found the movie a lot more depressing than _ **Cidade de Deus** _. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617/32 "2008-08-03T15:36:30Z")
[QUOTE=AHunter3] OK you all have provided me with a rich ground to sample… you’ve also reminded me of how pathetic my familiarity with films actually is… Feel free to ignore this pathetic request to narrow down my research and leave my ignorance largely intact but… If you were specifically seeking out movies that tended to illustrate - pregnancy, of the unwanted or unplanned or subsequently inconvenient variety - consideration of abortion issues pro and con - protagonist of movie opts for abortion and has one - outcome is not left to viewers’ imagination or at least is strongly implied by plot trajectory, and can be categorized as “good choice”, “bad choice” or “kinda mixed” … which ones, and which outcomes? [/QUOTE] The show _Six Feet Under_ has Claire (age 17 or 18) asking someone she doesn’t know all that well (not her family and she has no friends) to take her to the clinic. The AB is done off screen. The fallout is followed over several shows–there are shots of Claire perhaps grieving alone, then later in the series comes a confrontation with her then ex BF. It is never categorized as good or bad choice: it is depicted as something Claire does–her own decision and she handles the consequences(such as they are) by herself. I am now somewhat leery of your question–why are you looking for judgement in this matter? :dubious: I think one aspect of the illegal AB in _Dirty Dancing_ is to highlight how UNSAFE illegal abortions were (and still are). I have no idea how many, but I’m sure that many, many women died from illegal abortions back in the day. (there was a movie waaaay back in the 70s. It concerned a bunch of young people in some preppy school. The most timid and least likely girl (the one destined to watch the coats) was convinced by her more glamorous friend that she couldn’t get pregnant the first time. She did “it” in the backseat of her date’s car; got pregnant; had an illegal AB and ended up dying). I can’t remember the title of the movie, but I remember the last scene: the glamorous friend upon learning that Bunny (or whatever her Prep nickname was) had died, throws her milkshake all over Bunny’s date, crying. Anyone else remember this movie? ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617/33 "2008-08-03T15:54:47Z")
_Happy Endings_ - Maggie Gyllenhaal’s character. _Stepping Out_ (or at least the play had an abortion in it. I don’t know if that got left in the movie version with Liza Minelli.) _Cabaret_ - again with Liza. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617/34 "2008-08-03T16:00:09Z")
eleanorigby, this is the movie (_Our Time_ in 1974): [http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0071959/](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0071959/) You could have found it by using the power search webpage in the IMDb. Specify that the movie is American released between 1970 and 1979 in English and that “abortion” is one of the keywords. Incidentally, do people actually use AB as an abbreviation for “abortion”? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617/35 "2008-08-03T16:22:57Z")
If we’re going to extend this to to the theatre, Spring Awakening has a girl who has sex with her boyfriend and gets pregnant–she’s convinced by her mom to have an abortion and dies. It’s definitely portrayed as the mother basically coercing her into doing it. Seems to be less about the abortion aspect and more about, “Oh, parents just don’t understand young love” and all that. “Dirty Dancing” has been explained. I mentioned “Cabaret” upthread, so I’ll expand. It’s also an unwanted pregnancy, obviously, and the characters discuss marriage, doing “the right thing” and so forth. When she does get it, she basically surprises him, and us, with the news. She doesn’t seem to suffer any ill-effects…of course, this could all be a commentary on how decadent and uncaring 1930s Berlin was. The very notion of Sally Bowles NOT getting an abortion and playing happy family is a bit disturbing… ---
**Author:** ![ready29003](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71e660/32.png) [@ready29003](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ready29003)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617/36 "2008-08-03T16:38:37Z")
Clearly the Aliens movies were a metaphorical warning that any life growing inside of your body should be treated with fear and respect- and seriously considered for abortion. This point was driven home in the third movie with the appearance of Winona Ryder who cannot be seen on film without at least the subliminal thought that some people really should never have been born. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f07891/32.png) [@Little\_Plastic\_Ninja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Plastic_Ninja)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617/37 "2008-08-03T16:56:13Z")
Circle of Friends does it, I believe – a tricky prospect in mid-twentieth-century Ireland, too. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617/38 "2008-08-03T17:02:57Z")
Oh, “Felicia’s Journey.” The protagonist gets talked into it by a serial killer who seems to be grooming her for his next victim. The abortion itself doesn’t seem to be an issue–but the fact that a serial killer is okay with killing a girl but not her unborn child is a bit disturbing. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617/39 "2008-08-03T18:26:16Z")
[QUOTE=Wendell Wagner] eleanorigby, this is the movie (_Our Time_ in 1974): [http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0071959/](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0071959/) You could have found it by using the power search webpage in the IMDb. Specify that the movie is American released between 1970 and 1979 in English and that “abortion” is one of the keywords. Incidentally, do people actually use AB as an abbreviation for “abortion”? [/QUOTE] In health care (ie charts) it’s used. Sorry. I never thought to look there (I wasn’t even sure when it was made)–thanks for the tip. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2008, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617/40 "2008-08-03T19:35:48Z")
[QUOTE=Sarahfeena] I think the message was that abortions should be safe and legal…the girl gets pregnant, can’t have it because she won’t be able to work, but can’t get a legal abortion so she almost dies. She doesn’t have a choice but to go to some butcher. I wouldn’t call it happy, although it does work out OK for her in the end. [/QUOTE] I thought it was also to show what a major dick Robbie was: oh hey, I do love you-wait, you’re pregnant? Sorry, babe, not mine. You must be a slut. Some people don’t count. Oh wait-Penny had an abortion and almost died? Whew, glad everyone thought Johnny was responsible! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-about-abortion-choice-in-which-abortion-does-occur/458617.md?page=3)