Parents' Guide to

The Pregnancy Pact

By Melissa Camacho, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

TV movie tackles controversial issue of teen parenthood.

Movie NR 2011 83 minutes
The Pregnancy Pact Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 12+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Christina E
Christina E Parent of 6, 12 and 13-year-old
January 21, 2011
age 14+

Sequeway into "the" conversation

This movie was stunning to me as to how teenage girls think, and how much goes on in their lives that parents don't know about. It highlighted for me as a parent, that there is a risk in "trusting" your child, no matter how together you think they are. I intend to use this movie to watch with my 14 year old daughter as a "teachable" moment as to real life in one particular high school. We all need to learn to have faith in our own choices and not be pressured into something wrong. This movie highlighted just easily that can happen in today's world.
Nerdy_Mamma
Nerdy_Mamma Parent of 4, 6, 9, 10, 12 and 15-year-old
February 1, 2010
age 9+

This title has:

Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

THE PREGNANCY PACT centers on Sidney Bloom (Thora Birch), an online magazine journalist who returns to her former Gloucester, Mass., high school to investigate a sudden rise in pregnancies among the town's teens. Also concerned about the uptick is high school nurse Kim Daly (Camryn Manheim), who's actively lobbying for the distribution of contraceptives in school. Both women must deal with the opposition from many of the town's more conservative residents, including local community leader Lorraine Dougan (Nancy Travis). While the community wrestles with the idea of whether or not to do more to publicly address teen pregnancy in school, rumors swirl about a group of sophomores -- including Dougan's daughter, Sara (Madisen Beaty) -- and an alleged pact they made to simultaneously get pregnant.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (10 ):

Like many made-for-TV movies, The Pregnancy Pact has its share of theatrical moments, but it offers a chance for teens to see some frank media images of teen pregnancy and parenthood. And it offers a starting point for parents to begin -- or continue -- conversations with teens about sex, pregnancy, and the realities of parenthood.

The movie, which was partially inspired by actual events, addresses issues surrounding the escalating number of teen pregnancies in America. It underscores the need for communicating with young women about their choices when it comes to being sexually active, using contraception, and having a child at a young age. It's also strongly in favor of schools doing more to help prevent teen pregnancy.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about teen pregnancy. Why do you think teen birth rates are on the rise nationally? Do you think the media plays a role?

  • What messages does the media send about sex and sexual behavior? How do TV shows and movies tend to portray pregnant and/or sexually active teens? Are these portrayals realistic? Do you think these images glorify teen pregnancy and/or parenthood?

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