Parents' Guide to The Donor Party

Disappointing and unfunny, writer-director Thom Harp's movie wastes its cast's comedic talents and makes a joke of the idea of informed consent. In a day and age where "stealthing" can be considered a form of criminal sexual assault, it's odd to see a movie turn the act of poking holes in a condom or using a man as free insemination into a source of laughs. Leaving aside any potential discomfort at a woman's having multiple one-night-stand encounters in a row, the script basically turns taking charge of your fertility into an excuse for lying and tricking sexual partners into becoming potential sperm donors. And Jaclyn's desire to be a single mother stems not from deep reflection but from anger, resentment, and jealousy at seeing her ex-husband with his baby and new wife. Akerman does her best to convey a bit of a nuance in the role (Jaclyn's running out of time! She can't afford to freeze her eggs!), but audiences will likely spend more time cringing than laughing.

The actors in the roles of the hookup targets all play up their characters' unlikable qualities. MJ (Dan Ahdoot) is needy, can't believe his luck, and thinks they're basically a couple. Tim (Jerry O'Connell) is such a self-involved artist that Jaclyn refuses to risk a baby with half his DNA. Heartthrob Mateo (Jeff Torres) impersonates Jeff Goldblum because he thinks he's fulfilling a Make-a-Wish style act of service. Meanwhile, Armin (a dependably arrogant Ryan Hansen) is earnest in his pursuit of something more with Jaclyn, who's told so many lies that it's difficult for her to keep up with them. Henderson and Hayes elicit most of the laughs in the movie, but this isn't Bridesmaids, with a chance for every woman to shine. The two of them are just witnesses -- and accessories to -- the wreckage of Jaclyn's poor decisions. Movies don't have to be moral, nor do they have to include truly likable characters. But it's difficult to believe that real adults would act as inexcusably unempathetically as the main character in this story.