Call Jane
Parents say
Based on 1 review
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Call Jane
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Call Jane is a drama about the real-life group of underground Chicago abortion facilitators who called themselves the "Jane Collective" in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Starring Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver, the movie follows a fictionalized suburban housewife whose dangerous pregnancy causes her to call the Jane hotline before clandestinely becoming a reproductive rights activist herself. She and the other Janes demonstrate empathy, compassion, perseverance, and teamwork. Expect a few potentially difficult or triggering scenes of women as they have abortions, although the procedure itself, while explained, is never shown in detail, and there are no graphic images. Adults drink recreationally and in one case play a strip drinking game. Two characters share a marijuana joint, and people also smoke regular cigarettes. Occasional but not overly frequent strong language includes "s--t," "f--k," "f--king," and the homophobic slur "d-ke." Families with teens can discuss the history of the abortion debate, the reality of underground abortion networks, and the overarching issue of equity in health care. Parents and teens can also research the real Jane Collective and the women who worked there together.
What's the Story?
CALL JANE is a fictional narrative based on the true story of the Jane Collective. In pre-Roe v. Wade Chicago, homemaker Joy (Elizabeth Banks) and her junior law partner husband, Will (Chris Messina), have a teenage daughter but are also expecting a baby. Then Joy is informed that she has a life-threatening condition that will likely kill her if she carries to term. She expects the hospital to allow her to terminate the pregnancy, but when her doctor's request is denied, she panics. She considers throwing herself down the stairs or getting a back-alley abortion but then stumbles on a flyer that encourages women with unplanned pregnancies to call Jane. So Joy reaches out to the underground abortion network. On the day of her procedure, Joy meets her assigned "Jane" escort, Gwen (Wunmi Mosaku), the brusque but efficient doctor, Dean (Cory Michael Smith), and the Jane Collective's group of mostly White, educated feminists, led by determined organizer Virginia (Sigourney Weaver). As Joy recovers, Virginia calls in a favor to ask Joy to drive another client to the procedure location. The experience inspires Joy to help again, and soon she becomes a Jane herself, finding purpose and sisterhood.
Is It Any Good?
Banks gives a commendable performance as a composite character who, while appealing, ultimately isn't as compelling as the real women who were part of the Jane movement. By centering on the fictionalized characters of suburban mom Joy and veteran activist Virginia, director Phyllis Nagy (working from a screenplay by Hayley Schore and Roshan Sethi) ages up the Janes' main activists (they were largely college age in real life). But this allows Joy to become a stand-in for the average educated, middle-class White woman of the time. She loves her husband and daughter, but she wants her own purpose and work, and the Janes provide that. Messina is believable as a new partner who's genuinely confused by his usually attentive wife's disappearing act. Weaver stands out as the seemingly all-knowing, no-nonsense director of the Janes, and Mosaku, whose Gwen is based on a real person, is memorable as the group's sole Black activist, who tries (mostly in vain, alas) to get the Janes to see how they're leaving behind low-income and Black and Brown women.
Greta Zozula's cinematography smartly uses close-ups during the procedure scenes, and the soundtrack is on-point for the time period, with a wonderful inclusion of Jennifer Warnes' cover of "Let the Sunshine In" at the end of the film. The first two-thirds of the story are well paced, even though the script ignores obvious questions about why Joy and Will would be having a second baby 15 years after their first, or how the Janes got started and ended up vaguely protected by mobsters and cops. But by the last act, there are a few tonal shifts and iffy plot twists. Joy is portrayed as being singular in her essential contribution to the Janes, but in real life, more than one volunteer rose up to do what she did. The movie should inspire more research into the real women who risked their lives -- and eventually went to jail -- to provide safe access to abortions. HBO's documentary The Janes provides a comprehensive view of the movement and features interviews with the real Janes.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Call Jane's messages. Do you think it's trying to persuade viewers to feel one way or the other about abortion? Why is this issue still relevant? Parents, discuss your thoughts about reproductive rights with your teens.
Movies sometimes use humor to tackle difficult subjects. In what way does this film do so, and is it successful?
How does the movie portray all the reasons women call the Janes? Why does Joy initially judge women for their circumstances? What are the messages the movie shares about support and community?
What does Gwen means when she says that the cost of the procedure disproportionately poses a barrier for Black and Brown women? How does the movie address the idea of intersectionality?
For those who've read about or seen The Janes, the HBO documentary about the Janes, how does this "inspired by real events" movie deviate from the true story?
Movie Details
- In theaters: October 28, 2022
- Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, Chris Messina, Wunmi Mosaku
- Director: Phyllis Nagy
- Studio: Roadside Attractions
- Genre: Drama
- Topics: Activism, Friendship, History
- Character Strengths: Compassion, Empathy, Teamwork
- Run time: 121 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: some language and brief drug use
- Last updated: December 22, 2022
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