The Pregnancy Project is based on the real story of a High School senior who undertakes a difficult and challenging senior project. Alexa Vega stars as Gaby Rodriguez, a Washington state 18-year-old who is at the top of her class and has a bright future in front of her. She is struggling with the concept for her senior project until she hears people’s derogatory comments about her friend who is pregnant. As a matter of fact, there are several pregnant students at her school.
Senior Project
Gaby takes her idea to her mother then to the school counselor. What she wants to do is to pretend she is pregnant and chronicle her experience as a “pregnant” teen. This could be dangerous for her. First, she will be lying to the entire school – teachers and students – and her family. The only ones in on the plan are her best friend in school, her boyfriend who reluctantly agrees to “play” the father of her child, her mother, her school counselor, and the principal.
Seeing the well-thought-out presentation Gaby presents to them, they reluctantly agree. This is going to be the most unusual senior project any student at the school has ever undertaken.
Teen Pregnancy
The plan is followed and Gaby, a popular overachiever, and a cautious girl gets the shock of her life. As soon as it is leaked that she is pregnant, she discovers that her life changes. Even her friends make disparaging remarks to her and behind her back. In some circles she is actually shunned.
Keeping the secret from her brother is hard, as he has always warned her about not getting pregnant. But her boyfriend’s parents are also in the dark about this plan and he gets some of the repercussions of Gaby’s secret.
As the months progress and Gaby displays the “baby bump,” things get worse for her. She herself changes because of the way people treat her. But this is one determined girl who refuses to give up.
Those who are “in the know” have each been given notebooks to record everything they hear about her. She is stunned when she realizes some of her teachers are talking about her in reproachable ways, as well as the people she thought were her close friends.
When she finally reveals her fake pregnancy and senior project to the student body and faculty, there are even more problems for this young girl. But she weathers the storm and believes what she did was important. She wanted to show the stereotypes people put on others.
The Pregnancy Project – Review
While this is an interesting story, it is upsetting as well. In some ways it glorifies teen pregnancy. Gaby’s project is about how people perceive others, not about not getting pregnant.
The movie does address the fact that once someone has a child their lives change and are not their own anymore. However, in many ways, teen pregnancy is approached as just a different path for teens.
Instead of looking at the stereotypes people put on others, Gaby should have focused on how individual lives are affected by teen pregnancy. She does not do this. Her project is only about how others react to teen pregnancy, not the pregnancy itself.
Because of this I was frustrated throughout the film. When one of the teens is excited about becoming a mother – even though she has no money and will have no place to live – this is something I got furious about. Yes, teens are going to have sex, but they should not think that getting pregnant is going to be fun. They should be thinking about precautions.
And I was deeply bothered by the plan itself. Although her motives were good, she put others in jeopardy. What if her brother or her boyfriend’s parents were so upset about the pregnancy they had a heart attack? What then? Wasn’t this a selfish plan?
All in all, I can honestly say that I was truly bothered by several aspect this story. I will admit that Alexa Vega does a remarkable job playing Gaby. She is one fine young actress.
The Pregnancy Project premiers January 28, 2012 at 8 pm ET/PT on Lifetime.
