Labor Pains (PG-13)

Watching LABOR PAINS is a bit like the labor process itself: It’s a steady descent from tolerable pain to utter misery that’s almost forgotten in the midst of the predictably happy ending. Almost, but not quite. For much of the movie, Thea is a self-absorbed, unmotivated, irresponsible young adult with little clarity to her future, and it’s only with the safety net of a huge lie that she begins to come into her own and find some professional and personal success.

You could argue that her character turn-around outweighs her early mistakes, but in fact she’s more believable as a snippy screw-up than as the reliable executive she becomes. (Of course, that might be influenced by Lohan's own off-camera trials.) The film does boast a talented cast (Janeane Garofalo joins in as a talk-show host), but even that’s not enough to overshadow its flaws. Factor in the movie’s frequent sexual references, a surprising amount of unnecessary smoking and drinking, and some strong language, and it’s clear there’s not much value for teens.