Is there something in the water? It feels like pregnancy is everywhere and a baby bump has become the new must-have accessory. It used to be those tiny dogs that fit effortlessly into handbags, but now baby bumps are "it." Maybe it’s because Ashlee Simpson, Jennifer Garner and Minnie Driver are all on the cusp of giving birth, or because recent mom Jamie Lynn Spears (17-year-old sister of Britney) has been on every cover of every magazine in the checkout line since last September.

Pregnancy has even been a topic in our presidential election. In case you’ve missed it, Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin’s daughter is 17 and pregnant. The news of this has brought to the table a debate on the glamorization of pregnancy in Hollywood.

I admit, I’ve never had to walk into a pharmacy for a pregnancy kit (mainly because I’m, you know, totally gay), so the idea of being pregnant was never a real fear of mine. I can say with certitude, however, that I have seen movies about pregnant women and (regardless of the biological impossibility that I could ever unintentionally or intentionally get pregnant by my girlfriend) none of them made me hanker for a baby belly or think that what I really wanted in my closet was a pair of maternity jeans all because the movie Juno was so darnn funny.

Whether the character had an unplanned pregnancy or was aching to become “with child,” I looked at the recent boom of pregnancy-themed films like Juno with the more optimistic attitude that Hollywood isn’t glamorizing the characters’ pregnancy but empowering the characters that are pregnant. Women in these movies take charge of what is happening in their lives, and along the way we have a few laughs while they do so. … continue reading

That's the headline over at Eonline.com, anyway. We all know that Reese Witherspoon doesn't hesitate to speak up about women's issues from a feminist perspective, and this time she's addressing women's roles in Hollywood. She's been promoting her upcoming quirky little film called Penelope.

If you missed the 9 out of 10 movies that manage to pigeonhole talented actresses into tiny, underutilized roles or stereotypes, here's her take. Witherspoon wants a shot. At playing a badass with a gun, that is. And she's annoyed with shoot-'em-ups that feature some dude gunning down the baddies and saving the day. Or the woman, or the world, or any combination thereof. (I think I've seen the trailer for that movie under three different titles this week.) Her words:

"Why does the guy get to shoot him? I want the girl to shoot him! I love watching Angelina Jolie kick ass in Mr. & Mrs. Smith, and I can't wait to see her in Wanted. I would love to shoot someone. In the kneecap or something, just to stop them!"

Well. Hardly the words of a steel-nerved gunslinger. It's true she's no Angelina Jolie, but maybe I can see it. But even after gunning somebody down, you know Reese would end up looking more innocent and wholesome than before she drew the gun. Even leather chaps and a motorcycle helmet make her look petite. The stills from Penelope just make me want to pat her on the head. … continue reading

Now that her Knocked Up paycheck has cleared, Katherine Heigl has a confession to make. She thinks the movie is “a little sexist.” Oh, really? A film where an underachieving, slovenly slacker hooks up with an overachieving, polished professional is “a little sexist”? A film where the men get almost all the laugh lines and the women get almost all the nag lines is “a little sexist”? Who’d a thunk it?

As Katherine told Vanity Fair for the January 2008 cover story:

“[The film is] a little sexist. It paints the women as shrews, as humorless and uptight, and it paints the men as lovable, goofy, fun-loving guys. It exaggerated the characters, and I had a hard time with it, on some days. I’m playing such a bitch; why is she being such a killjoy? Why is this how you’re portraying women? Ninety-eight percent of the time it was an amazing experience, but it was hard for me to love the movie.” … continue reading

With all the praise being heaped all over Knocked Up, I thought I’d take a gander at the unexpected insemination comedy to see what all the guffawing was about. I had enjoyed director Judd Apatow’s first film, the sweetly silly The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and was therefore curious to see whether the reigning king of dork cool (a title he wrested from Napoleon Dynamite’s Jared Hess) could avoid the dreaded sophomore slump.

All in all, I would have to give Apatow a "mission accomplished" thumbs up (but not in that premature-landing-on-an-aircraft-carrier’s-flight-deck kind of way). The first 15–20 minutes were perhaps the most continuous giggling I’ve done at a movie since, well, let’s just say a long time. The balance of genuine to goofy to gross was spot on. Those E! scenes alone made me "tighten" my stomach muscles with merry convulsions.

Of course, having said that, I also left the theater just a tad bemused. While the film was an entirely pleasant and intermittently hilarious way to spend two hours and change, I’m not sure I related to all the rapturous reviews. For whatever reason, I just wasn’t connecting to its supposedly pitch-perfect look at the different ways men and women view love, relationships and commitment. Which got me thinking: Maybe it’s a straight thing. … continue reading