Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

The Back-up Plan

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

J.Lo romcom bursts with frank pregnancy, sex talk.

Movie PG-13 2010 104 minutes
The Back-up Plan Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 13+

Based on 13 parent reviews

Team Ethan Jostad
Team Ethan Jostad Adult
October 30, 2011
age 13+

The back up plan review

Great movie! Jennifer Lopez did an outstanding job! Kuddos to her! But on the other hand here come the negitives. Jennifer is distressed because she cant find a man she can settle down with so she gets a sperm doner so she can get pregnant. The process is not shown but when she walks out of the building she walks pretty funny. There is also a scene where jennifer and the guy she met have sex. First they make out, then they fall on the table and the man lowers himself down onto Jennifer and is moving on Jennifers vagina in circles and Jennifers panties and dress are clearly off and she makes noises that indicate she is injoying him in between her vigina and that she likes his passoniate kisses. Then they get up and she throws up in his sink as a side affect of being pregnant. It is also shows Jennifer naked looking at her self in the mirror and before her boyfriend comes in she hides. (nothing is shown) Then jennifer dresses in a sexy night gown and is seducing her boyfriend into sex while she is pregnant. Then it also shows her boyfriend half naked on a tractor and jennifer crashes into a tree.There is also a distressing birth scene with one of the moms from the club, and she is in a plastic pool on her knees and screaming in a wierd mannor. It shows her babys head comming out of her vigina and she is looking down at it. Its kinda disturbing. And towards the end she throws up indicating that shes pregnant again. Great movie other than the sex parts!

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
mkenna6
mkenna6 Parent of baby, 1, 5, 6, 8 and 12-year-old
September 9, 2011
age 13+

The Back Up Plan Review

It was a very well done movie~ I laughed so many times during it~ The barn seen was a little inapropriate and Jennifer Lopez makes some noises when they were in there that arent very apropriate. The birth seen was very inapropriate, I think the movie could have done with out that scene... The whole head thing was really disturbing. But other than that it was great! The end I never would have expected it~ :)

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much swearing
1 person found this helpful.
See all 13 parent reviews

What's the Story?

New York pet store owner Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) wants to have a baby but can't find "Mr. Right." Worried that time is passing her by, she goes to her back-up plan: artificial insemination. Later that same day, she meets Stan (Alex O'Loughlin), a cheese maker, who turns out to be "the one." By the time Zoe discovers she's pregnant and Stan hears the news, they are already in love. Stan must learn to deal with the shock of suddenly becoming a father, while Zoe must learn to trust that Stan isn't going to run away.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (13 ):
Kids say (19 ):

Directed by Alan Poul, a TV veteran making his feature debut, THE BACK-UP PLAN drags out every lazy romantic comedy cliché in the book. The lovers withhold information from each other, and then get mad and run away when the truth comes out. (In one scene, the heroine tells the truth out loud, but a cut reveals that she's only speaking to herself in a mirror.) The characters are paper-thin and their journey together is entirely routine and totally predictable.

But the movie also has the unfortunate side effect of making both pregnancy and impending parenthood look unappealing and even terrifying. For a movie with such a chaste setup, it has a very oddly cynical view of such things, not to mention a large collection of foul language. Teens are unlikely to find much appeal in the storyline, though there's enough juvenile humor to mildly entertain those who dare. Parents are more likely to find some laughs peppered throughout the otherwise tired routine. If this was the "back up," the filmmakers probably should have stuck to the original plan.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the movie portrays pregnancy. Teens: What opinions did this movie leave you with about pregnancy and parenthood? Was this a realistic scenario?

  • Do you think this movie reinforces or challenges any stereotypes about male-female relationships? How do romantic comedies, in general, portray intimate relationships?

  • Teens: Could you relate to any of the experiences or ideas about taking care of kids that came up in the movie? How did this movie portray kids and the practice of caring for them?

Movie Details

  • In theaters: August 24, 2010
  • On DVD or streaming: April 18, 2023
  • Cast: Alex O'Loughlin , Jennifer Lopez , Linda Lavin
  • Director: Alan Poul
  • Inclusion Information: Female actors, Latino actors
  • Studio: CBS Films
  • Genre: Comedy
  • Run time: 104 minutes
  • MPAA rating: PG-13
  • MPAA explanation: sexual content including references, some crude material and language
  • Last updated: June 2, 2023

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate