Unpregnant

**Unpregnant** is a 2020 American buddy road-trip film written and directed by American film director and screenwriter Rachel Lee Goldenberg, based upon the novel of the same name by Ted Caplan and Jenni Hendriks.

The film stars Haley Lu Richardson and Barbie Ferreira, with Alex MacNicoll, Breckin Meyer, Giancarlo Esposito, Sugar Lyn Beard, and Betty Who.

It was released on September 10, 2020, by HBO Max.

## **Synopsis**

A seventeen-year-old Missouri teen named Veronica discovers she has gotten pregnant, a development that threatens to end her dreams of matriculating at an Ivy League college, and the career that will follow.

## **Official 'HBO Max' Description**

> "*Ivy League-bound Veronica (Haley Lu Richardson) never thought she’d want to fail a test – that is, until she finds herself clutching a piece of plastic with a giant plus sign glaring back at her. Adapted from the novel of the same name, Unpregnant follows the 17-year-old as she makes a never-taken-lightly decision that faces one major catch: the closest clinic that’ll serve her is 1,000 miles away. With conservative parents, an incompetent boyfriend, and no car, Veronica turns to the only person who won’t judge: her ex-BFF and legendary misfit Bailey (Barbie Ferreira). As they hop in a ’77 Pontiac Firebird and hit the road, what could go wrong? Besides dodging cops and crazy ex-boyfriends, hopping trains, and navigating the unresolved betrayal of a broken best friendship, of course*."
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## **Cast**

* Haley Lu Richardson as Veronica Clarke
* Barbie Ferreira as Bailey Butler
* Alex MacNicoll as Kevin
* Breckin Meyer as Mark
* Giancarlo Esposito as Bob
* Sugar Lyn Beard as Kate
* Betty Who as Kira Matthews
* Mary McCormack as Debra Clarke
* Denny Love as Jarrod
* Ramona Young as Emily
* Kara Royster as Kaylee
* Meg Smith as Hannah
* Abby Van Gerpen as Heather

## **Production**

### Development

In June 2019, it was announced HBO Max would distribute the film, with Rachel Lee Goldenberg directing from a screenplay by Ted Caplan and Jenni Hendriks based upon their own novel of the same name. Greg Berlanti served as a producer under his Berlanti Productions banner. In September 2019, Haley Lu Richardson and Barbie Ferreira joined the cast of the film.  In October 2019, Sugar Lyn Beard joined the cast of the film.

### Filming

Principal photography began in October 2019, shooting in desert-themed locals such as Belen and Albuquerque, New Mexico, respectively.

## **Reception**

### Critical

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 88% based on 32 reviews, with an average rating of 6.64/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "*Unpregnant* puts a compelling twist on the road trip comedy -- and treats its sensitive subject with heart.' On *Metacritic*, the film has a weighted average score of 61 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". On the Roger Ebert critic website, critic Matt Zoller Seitz said, "*Unpregnantt*has a plot that could fuel a week of apoplectic segments on Fox News Channel."

## **Trivia**

* The film was known and went under the codename 'UFO Road Trip' on set.
* *Robot Chicken* mainstay Breckin Meyer, who plays Mark in the film, also starred in the movie '*Road Trip*' where a group of students goes on a road trip.