Obvious Child

How Obvious Child Flipped the Rom-Com Script—And Almost Didn’t Happen

Gillian Robespierre’s Obvious Child (2014) arrived like a breath of raunchy, unapologetic honesty in a genre drowning in meet-cutes and grand gestures. Starring Jenny Slate as Donna Stern, a struggling stand-up comic navigating an unplanned pregnancy after a one-night stand, the film subverted rom-com tropes by treating abortion not as a crisis but as a mundane, if complicated, life decision. Behind the scenes, its journey from short film to indie darling was just as unconventional—and nearly derailed by funding woes.

From 23 Minutes to Feature-Length

Robespierre first explored Donna’s story in a 2009 short film of the same name , clocking in at just 23 minutes. The proof-of-concept, which also starred Slate, caught the attention of producers but failed to secure immediate backing for a feature. For years, Robespierre and Slate shopped the project around, facing skepticism from financiers who balked at the film’s frank portrayal of abortion. "People would say, ‘It’s too niche,’ or ‘No one wants to see a movie about this,’" Robespierre recalled in interviews ^[2][5]. The hesitation wasn’t just about the subject matter—it was about who was telling the story. A female-led team tackling a polarizing topic with humor and nuance was still a hard sell in 2012.

The breakthrough came when the team partnered with indie distributor A24 (then in its infancy) and secured a modest budget. Even then, Robespierre admitted in a Samsung SXSW panel that the shoot was "scrappy," with the cast and crew often improvising to stretch limited resources ^[7]. Slate, who co-wrote the script with Robespierre and Elisabeth Holm, later joked that the film’s production felt like "a miracle" given how long it took to get off the ground ^[6].

Jenny Slate’s Career Gamble

For Slate, Obvious Child was a career-defining role—but it almost didn’t happen. The actress, then best known for her SNL stint and voice work in Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, was initially hesitant to take on a lead part in a feature film. "I was terrified," she admitted in a 2014 interview ^[5]. "I didn’t know if I could carry a movie." Her stand-up background, however, became an asset. Robespierre encouraged Slate to draw from her own comedy routines, and many of Donna’s onstage bits were lifted directly from Slate’s real sets ^[2].

The chemistry between Slate and Jake Lacy, who played the earnest love interest Max, was another happy accident. Lacy, then a relative unknown, was cast late in the process after the original actor dropped out. Robespierre described their dynamic as "instantly believable," with Lacy’s affable charm balancing Slate’s neurotic energy ^[7]. The film’s most tender moments—like Max showing up to Donna’s abortion appointment with flowers—were improvised, adding to the raw, unscripted feel ^[6].

A Rom-Com That Broke the Rules

Obvious Child’s refusal to moralize about abortion set it apart, but its success also hinged on its tone. The film balanced cringe comedy (Donna’s disastrous stand-up sets) with quiet vulnerability (her late-night phone calls with her mom, played by Polly Draper). Critics praised its authenticity, with Rotten Tomatoes calling it "a refreshingly honest rom-com" . Yet Robespierre and Slate were quick to point out that the film wasn’t about abortion—it was about a woman making a choice, and the messy, funny, heartbreaking fallout.

The movie’s release in 2014 was perfectly timed, arriving amid a cultural shift in how abortion was discussed in media. While it didn’t break box office records (grossing just over $3 million against a tiny budget), it became a critical and feminist touchstone, earning Slate a Critics’ Choice nomination and cementing Robespierre as a director to watch .

The Legacy: What’s Next for Robespierre and Slate?

In the decade since Obvious Child, Robespierre has directed episodes of High Maintenance and Sex Education, but no feature films. Slate, meanwhile, has become a household name, thanks to Parks and Recreation, Big Mouth, and Everything Everywhere All at Once. Both have hinted at future collaborations, though nothing has materialized—yet.

As for Obvious Child, its influence lingers. The film’s unflinching portrayal of abortion paved the way for later projects like Never Rarely Sometimes Always and Plan B, proving that audiences were hungry for stories that treated reproductive rights as a normal part of life, not a taboo. Robespierre put it best in a 2014 interview: "We wanted to make a movie that felt like real life, not a fantasy" ^[2]. Mission accomplished.