Netflix’s The Baby-Sitters Club is a modern re-telling of the books originally written by Ann M. Martin in 1986. What started out as a cute, innocent TV series about four girls trying to earn some extra money by baby sitting, quickly became a platform for today’s controversial topics.
While their are aspects of this show that I like – each episode (of the five I watched) is from the view point of a different baby sitter, and each sitter has a particular issue/struggle in their life that they are dealing with – the series is not one I will continue watching.
Sensitive Reader Alert: Episode 4, Mary Anne Saves the Day, openly addresses transgenderism as their is a young boy (6-8 years old) that Mary Anne is baby sitting who identifies as a girl.
Unplanned tells the story of how Abby Johnson, a former director of Planned Parenthood, grows to realize that abortion results in the killing of unborn babies. There was a lot of controversy surrounding the story and the R rating it received. I went to see the movie last week with some friends, and, honestly, I was torn as to what I would have rated the movie if I was on the panel. I would say the movie is somewhere between PG-13 and rated-R. Overall, the movie is clean; however, there are two relatively bloody scenes which may (and are intended) to make viewers squeamish as they depict two different types of abortions.
In terms of the movie, I’d give it 3-stars for overall quality. While the shooting of the film was good and the acting was solid, the script needed work. There was a lot of voice overs where “Abby” is telling you what is going on or what she is thinking, as opposed to the audience being shown through her actions and interactions with other characters. I also thought the ending was a bit rushed. The movie ends shortly after her court battle with Planned Parenthood, a battle that was anticlimactic as you don’t even know what was said in the court room and how Abby refuted it.
Personally, I would have liked to see more of her life after she left planned parenthood – what it was like for her when it came to finding jobs and how she dealt with the guilt she felt at having aided in the procurement of abortions. The story did a decent job setting up how she rose through the ranks of Planned Parenthood, but fell short of showing how she adjusted and healed after leaving.
I will say, I appreciate the message of this movie. It is eye opening in terms of how abortions are performed and the toll it takes on the women who receive them. I also appreciate that they do not condemn the women who have had abortions nor the people who provide abortions. The message was one of healing, and at the end, they offer assistance to those who have had abortions or those seeking to leave the abortion industry. I have put the information below for those who may need it.
If you are an abortion worker and are interested in leaving the abortion industry, visit: And Then There Were None
If you are a woman seeking healing after an abortion or a family member of someone who received an abortion, visit Unplanned’s resources on abortion healing. (Resources with lists of organizations to contact are available if you scroll down).
Angela’s Christmas is a cute Christmas story geared towards young children and based off of a book called Angela and the Baby Jesus by Frank McCourt. The movie tells the story of Angela who notices that the Baby Jesus in the manger has no clothes. Concerned he is cold, she steals him in an attempt warm him up.
While the movie is geared towards children, adults will enjoy watching the show with their child/children as Angela’s genuine sincerity as she tries to warm Baby Jesus will put a smile on your face. I will be putting it on my “favorites” list for those with young children.
Reading4Fun 