Fifteen and Pregnant

Last updated

Fifteen and Pregnant
Fifteen and pregnant DVD cover.jpg
2005 DVD cover
Written bySusan Cuscuna
Directed by Sam Pillsbury
Starring
Music byStephen Edwards
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
Executive producerDiana Kerew
CinematographyJames Bartle
EditorMichael S. Murphy
Running time96 minutes
Production companies
Original release
Network Lifetime
ReleaseJanuary 19, 1998 (1998-01-19)

Fifteen and Pregnant is a 1998 American drama television film on Lifetime, starring Kirsten Dunst as a teenager who becomes pregnant. [1] [2] Directed by Sam Pillsbury and written by Susan Cuscuna, the film was based on a true story. [3] [4]

Contents

Plot

14-year-old Tina has sex with her new boyfriend, Ray. Ray later ends his relationship with Tina, telling her that he must focus upon his athletic goals. When Tina discovers that she has started her period, she is extremely relieved. On Tina's 15th birthday, she is despondent because another birthday has passed and she does not have a boyfriend.

Tensions arise between Tina and her mother when they are in the car together and listen to a radio program where the commentator makes remarks about the high number of teenagers getting pregnant. Tina's mother asks her daughter if she knows anyone who is sexually active, or if she has ever been sexually active. Tina is evasive and gives a non-committal response. She and her friend Laurie, a young mother who became pregnant at 17, attend a sexual health clinic where it is confirmed that Tina is pregnant.

It all comes to a head when Laurie tells Tina to tell her mother Evie about the pregnancy. Evie, a conservative Christian, is shocked but due to her beliefs, decides to help her daughter. Her dad Cal is less upset and comforts his daughter. When Tina tells Ray, he feigns happiness and acts like he wants to be with her. Tina begins pregnancy classes with Evie. After hearing a story from a girl about how hard teenage motherhood is and how her boyfriend cheated on her, Tina calls Ray and yells at him because she thinks he won't be a good father as he promised he would be. She tries to make him stay with her, but when Ray isn't as present as she'd hoped, Tina is suspicious. At the mall she finds Ray kissing another girl, cheating on her. She is upset and tells him she is over him and ends their relationship.

Throughout the stressful pregnancy, Tina's younger sister Rachel reacts with both disgust and jealousy to the attention Tina receives from her concerned parents. Even when Rachel breaks her ankle, Tina receives more attention. In one instance, Rachel loses her place on the couch because Tina wants it; Rachel is told to go upstairs on her crutches if she wants to lie down. Exasperated, Rachel calls their grandmother to ask permission to live with her. As the pregnancy becomes overwhelming, Tina is rushed to the hospital and is about to give birth when Evie has a panic attack on how her daughter is going to have a baby. While Tina is in labor, Ray shows up at the hospital with his new girlfriend only to be turned away by Cal, telling him "sperm doesn't entitle you to much" and making him go to the waiting room. After a grueling labor, Tina gives birth to a baby boy whom she names Caleb. She meets her younger sister and grandmother outside the hospital where they all have a small family reunion.

Cast

Reception

A review in TV Guide said, "Susan Cuscuna’s teleplay functions as an instructional video on how parents should handle a teenager’s unplanned motherhood....What distinguishes this glorified Afterschool Special is its handling of the disintegration of a family under pressure. Dysfunctional parents and jealous siblings share the spotlight with a physically precocious teen, whose heedless behavior has long-term impact on several lives." [3]

According to Variety , Fifteen and Pregnant helped to mark a new era of programming for Lifetime, which subsequently became known for high-quality original movies in the early 2000s. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>Georgy Girl</i> 1966 British film by Silvio Narizzano

Georgy Girl is a 1966 British black-and-white romantic comedy film directed by Silvio Narizzano and starring Lynn Redgrave, Alan Bates, Charlotte Rampling, James Mason, and Rachel Kempson. It was written by Margaret Forster and Peter Nichols based on the 1965 novel Georgy Girl by Forster. The film tells the story of a virginal young woman in 1960s Swinging London, who is faced with a dilemma when she is pursued by her father's older employer and the young lover of her promiscuous, pregnant flatmate. Grossing $16.8 million, Georgy Girl was a box-office success, and it also spawned a hit theme song.

<i>Little Women</i> (1994 film) 1994 film by Gillian Armstrong

Little Women is a 1994 American coming-of-age historical drama film directed by Gillian Armstrong. The screenplay by Robin Swicord is based on Louisa May Alcott's 1868–69 two-volume novel of the same title, the fifth feature film adaptation of the classic story. After a limited release on December 25, 1994, it was released nationwide four days later by Columbia Pictures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kirsten Cohen</span> Fictional character from the television show The O.C.

Kirsten Cohen is a fictional character on the FOX television series The O.C., portrayed by Kelly Rowan. Kirsten is the wife of Sandy Cohen, mother to Seth Cohen, and the adoptive mother of Ryan Atwood. Originally portrayed as being unwelcoming towards Ryan in the Cohen household, she began to develop feelings for the brooding teenager, going on to accept him as a central member of her family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Candice Stowe</span> Soap opera character

Candice Stowe is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, played by Nikki Sanderson. She was introduced as the best friend of Sarah-Louise Platt. She made her first appearance during the episode airing on 5 November 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonia Fowler</span> Fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders

Sonia Fowler is a fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders, played by Natalie Cassidy. Her first appearance was on 2 December 1993 and she departed on 2 February 2007. She returned briefly in 2010 along with other members of the Jackson family, and re-appeared in the soap from 8 to 18 February 2010 and again in January 2011. Sonia returned as a permanent character on 14 January 2014, as part of a storyline that saw her mother Carol Jackson develop breast cancer. Cassidy took maternity leave in 2016 and Sonia left on 20 September 2016 for her dream job in Kettering. Cassidy made two guest stints during her maternity leave, on 25 December 2016 via webcam and for a three episode arc from 14 to 18 April 2017. She returned full-time on 27 June 2017. On 29 December 2020, it was announced that Cassidy would take an extended break from the show, with Sonia set to leave the Square to return in spring 2021. She departed on 8 January and returned on 16 April. In 2024, Cassidy took another break from the serial, with Sonia departing on 22 August 2024 and returning on 13 January 2025.

<i>Georgia Rule</i> 2007 American film by Garry Marshall

Georgia Rule is a 2007 American comedy-drama film directed by Garry Marshall, written by Mark Andrus, and starring Jane Fonda, Lindsay Lohan, Felicity Huffman, Dermot Mulroney, Cary Elwes, and Garrett Hedlund. The original score was composed by John Debney.

<i>Baby Mama</i> (film) 2008 film by Michael McCullers

Baby Mama is a 2008 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Michael McCullers in his directorial debut and starring Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Greg Kinnear, Dax Shepard, Romany Malco, Maura Tierney, Holland Taylor, with Steve Martin, and Sigourney Weaver.

Rosie Germaine Mole is a fictional character in Sue Townsend's Adrian Mole series. Rosie is Adrian's sister, and first appears in the book The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole. She is very close to her brother Adrian. He thinks that Rosie is the only member of his family who really understands him.

<i>The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2</i> 2008 film directed by Sanaa Hamri

The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 is a 2008 American comedy-drama film and a sequel to the 2005 film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. The original cast return to star in the film. It was directed by Sanaa Hamri and written by Elizabeth Chandler, who wrote the previous film. The film is based upon the fourth novel in the book series: Forever in Blue (2007), but incorporates scenes and storylines from The Second Summer of the Sisterhood (2003) and Girls in Pants (2004).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Izzy Armstrong</span> Fictional character from Coronation Street

Izzy Armstrong is a fictional character from the British ITV soap opera Coronation Street, portrayed by Cherylee Houston. The character first appears on-screen on 16 April 2010; she is introduced as a new love interest for Kirk Sutherland. Following her arrival, she gets a job at the Underworld factory. Upon her debut, she was heralded as the soap's first disabled regular character in 50 years. Izzy was the first member of the Armstrong family to be introduced, her father Owen and sister Katy arrived within two months after her first appearance.

<i>Lies and Lullabies</i> 1993 American TV series or program

Lies and Lullabies is a Rod Hardy-directed 1993 ABC television movie about a pregnant cocaine addict, played by Susan Dey. The film was released on DVD as Sad Inheritance in 2005 and is also sometimes known as Love, Lies and Lullabies.

<i>This Is Where I Leave You</i> 2014 film by Shawn Levy

This Is Where I Leave You is a 2014 American comedy drama film directed by Shawn Levy, and starring Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, Rose Byrne, Corey Stoll, Kathryn Hahn, Connie Britton, Timothy Olyphant, Dax Shepard and Jane Fonda. It is based on the 2009 novel of the same title by Jonathan Tropper, who also wrote the film's screenplay. This Is Where I Leave You tells the story of four grown siblings who are forced to return to their childhood home after their father's death and live under the same roof for seven days, along with their over-sharing mother and an assortment of spouses, exes, and might-have-beens. The film was released on September 19, 2014, and grossed $41.3 million against a $19.8 million production budget.

<i>Woodshock</i> 2017 psychological thriller drama film

Woodshock is a 2017 American psychological thriller drama film written and directed by Kate and Laura Mulleavy, in their joint feature directorial debut. It stars Kirsten Dunst, Joe Cole, and Pilou Asbæk. The plot follows a woman who, reeling after the loss of her mother, begins to cope by using a powerful substance which has hallucinogenic, violent repercussions.

<i>Adams Rib</i> (1990 film) 1991 [[Soviet Union]] film

Adam's Rib is a 1990 Soviet tragicomedy film directed by Vyacheslav Krishtofovich. The film tells about the life of the Soviet family. The grandmother is sick and needs attention, the mother still can not establish personal life, and the two daughters are full of problems.

References

  1. ↑ "Star Flashback". Teen People. 2002. Retrieved November 25, 2024– via EBSCOhost.
  2. ↑ "Fifteen and Pregnant (1998)". The Canberra Times. March 5, 2006. ProQuest   1018794484 . Retrieved November 25, 2024– via ProQuest.
  3. 1 2 "Fifteen and Pregnant Reviews". TV Guide. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
  4. ↑ "KIRSTEN DUNST TO STAR IN FILM ABOUT PREGNANT TEEN". Sun Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale. August 19, 1997. ProQuest   388371503 . Retrieved November 25, 2024– via ProQuest.
  5. ↑ Dawn, Randee (September 29, 2021). "BREAKING TV's Glass CEILINGS". Variety. ProQuest   2598679877 . Retrieved November 25, 2024– via ProQuest.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.