Labor Pains | |
---|---|
Directed by | Lara Shapiro |
Written by | Stacy Kramer |
Produced by | Rick Schwartz [1] |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Dan Stoloff |
Edited by | Anne McCabe |
Music by | Andrew Hollander |
Production company | ABC Studios |
Distributed by | First Look Studios |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Labor Pains is a 2009 American romantic comedy film directed by Lara Shapiro and written by Stacy Kramer. It stars Lindsay Lohan, Luke Kirby, Bridgit Mendler, Chris Parnell, Cheryl Hines, and Kevin Covais. The film was released theatrically on June 19, 2009, only in Europe, Latin America, and United Arab Emirates. [2] In United States, the film premiered on ABC Family on July 19, 2009. It drew 2.1 million viewers, a better-than-average prime-time audience for ABC Family; according to the network, it was the week's top cable film among coveted female demographic groups. [3] Labor Pains was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 4 and 31 in the United States and United Kingdom, respectively.
Thea Clayhill is about to lose her position as secretary to the very cranky publisher Jerry. She decides to lie about being pregnant to save her job, after seeing on an episode of Law & Order that it is discriminatory to fire a pregnant woman. The plan works, and she gets to keep her job.
With help from her friend Lisa and a baby bump stolen from a mannequin, Thea fakes her pregnancy while figuring out her next move. In the meantime, her boss gets called out of town and his accountant brother Nick takes over.
In an attempt to get author Suzie Cavandish to publish her new book about pregnancy with the company, Nick takes Thea to meet the author. She convinces the writer they are the right home for her book. Nick then launches a new parenting division at the publishing company and promotes Thea to be the editor, and with the promotion comes a raise.
Stopping by the office to get Thea to sign a school permission slip, her younger sister Emma is shocked to see her with a baby bump. She ushers her out, explaining she had to as Jerry was about to fire her.
A romantic relationship soon begins between Thea and Nick after she breaks off her fake engagement with Miles. She begins to enjoy her life to the extent that her fake pregnancy becomes real to her.
In an attempt to get Thea to admit her lie to her family, her younger sister Emma throws Thea a surprise baby shower. When she still does not admit the lie, Emma destroys her pregnancy pillow in a fit of rage. Thea quickly grabs a balloon and leaves.
Later that day, the author of the book is going to have a book reading, but Nick's brother, and Thea's boss, comes back a week early, and gets into an argument with Nick. The brothers start to physically fight, but Thea pulls them apart. After insulting her, she tries to go at him. Nick holds Thea back by the stomach, and her balloon pops, blowing her cover.
After a couple of nights, Nick still does not answer the hundreds of messages Thea left him. She goes on a talk show to discuss the book Suzie wrote. She convinces Emma to bring Nick to the studio, they publicly make up. After everyone leaves, Thea and Nick kiss until the lights go out.
Two years later, Thea, who is actually pregnant with her and Nick's daughter, goes into labor. Nick and Lisa push Thea towards the door in her desk chair.
Labor Pains began as a production under Capitol Films in June 2007. Due to budget issues regarding another film, Nailed , Millennium Films Overnight Productions took over the film. The film is the directorial debut of Lara Shapiro. Filming began in Burbank, California, on June 9, 2008, and concluded on July 18, 2008. On September 3, 2008, a teaser trailer was released, listing the film as "post-production".
Lindsay Lohan was cast in the lead of Thea Clayhill in March 2008 after turning down the roles in All's Faire in Love and Manson Girls. Reportedly, only one insurance agency would take her after her two 2007 DUI arrests. Rick Schwartz, producer of the film, says, "I didn't know Lindsay before this, but we looked each other in the eye three months ago, and she has done everything I could have asked." Co-producer Celine Rattray said, "She has really impressed us with her work ethic. She is rehearsing every day with energy and focus. She is lovely to her co-stars and the crew."
Cheryl Hines said of Lohan: "Habitually, Lindsay achieves what to do in the first take." [4]
On March 26, 2009, it was announced that Labor Pains would not receive a theatrical release in the United States, but instead would premiere on ABC Family on July 19, 2009.
Labor Pains, titled Not A Bit of Pregnancy, was released on June 19, 2009, in Romania, grossing a total of $39,574. The film was released to theatres on July 9, 2009 in Russia, debuting at number four. It grossed $684,129. It was released on July 31, 2009 in Spain, grossing a total of $287,260. It was released in Mexico on January 8, 2010, bringing in $670,871. It was released on January 28, 2010 in Lebanon, grossing a total of $4,810. It was released in the United Arab Emirates on April 29, 2010, grossing a total of $65,432. Combined, the worldwide total gross is $1,755,233. [2]
On Rotten Tomatoes it has a rating of 0%, based on reviews from 5 critics, with an average rating of 2.6/10. [5] On Metacritic the film has a score of 54 out of 100 based on 7 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". [6] The Los Angeles Times said that while Lohan's acting was amazingly appropriate, the screenwriting "offers an Olympian task for any star, involving as it does large and clunky leaps of logic over a cliché-riddled narrative landscape." [7]
Freaky Friday is a 2003 American fantasy comedy film directed by Mark Waters, from a screenplay written by Heather Hach and Leslie Dixon. Based on Mary Rodgers's 1972 novel of the same name, it is the third adaptation of the same story and fifth installment overall in the Freaky Friday franchise. It stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan as a mother and daughter, respectively, whose bodies are switched by mysterious and magical Chinese fortune cookies. Harold Gould, Chad Michael Murray, and Mark Harmon also star.
The Parent Trap is a 1998 American romantic comedy film directed by Nancy Meyers in her directorial debut, who also wrote with David Swift and Charles Shyer, who also produced. It is a remake of the 1961 film of the same name and an adaptation of Erich Kästner's 1949 German novel Lisa and Lottie.
Bonnie Somerville is an American actress and singer. She has had roles in a number of movies and television series, most notably as Mona in Friends; she has also appeared in NYPD Blue, Grosse Pointe, The O.C., Cashmere Mafia, Without a Paddle, and Golden Boy. She starred as Dr. Christa Lorenson in season one of the CBS medical drama Code Black.
American singer-songwriter Lindsay Lohan has released two studio albums and six singles. While acting in the Disney films Freaky Friday (2003) and Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004), Lohan began recording songs for the soundtracks. In September 2002, Emilio Estefan, Jr. had signed Lohan to a five-album contract. The deal was later scrapped and Lohan signed on to Casablanca Records in 2004, under the management of Tommy Mottola. Speak, her debut album, was released in December 2004. The record peaked at number 4 on the Billboard 200 and earned a Platinum certification. Speak spawned Lohan's first single, "Rumors", which eventually earned a Gold certification, as well as a nomination for Best Pop Video at the 2005 MTV Video Music Awards.
I Know Who Killed Me is a 2007 American psychological thriller film directed by Chris Sivertson, from a screenplay by Jeff Hammond. The film stars Lindsay Lohan, Julia Ormond, Neal McDonough, and Brian Geraghty. The film's story revolves around a young woman who is abducted and tortured by a sadistic serial killer. After surviving the abduction, she insists that her identity is that of another woman.
Lindsay Dee Lohan is an American actress, singer-songwriter, producer, and businesswoman. Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Lohan was signed to Ford Models at age three. She appeared as a regular on the soap opera Another World at the age of 10, and her breakthrough came in the 1998 Walt Disney Pictures film The Parent Trap. The film's success led to appearances in subsequent Disney projects; the television films Life-Size (2000) and Get a Clue (2002) and the big-screen productions Freaky Friday (2003) and Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004). Lohan's early work won her childhood stardom, while the teen comedy Mean Girls (2004) affirmed her status as a teen idol and established her as a leading Hollywood actress.
Bridgit Claire Mendler is an American entrepreneur and former actress and singer. She first became known as a child actress, and continued acting into adulthood, which overlapped with a musical career in the 2010s. After enrolling at MIT and Harvard from 2017 to 2024, she co-founded a satellite data startup.
Alice Upside Down is a 2007 comedy-drama film, based on the Alice series written by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. The film was shot at Bishop DuBourg High School in St. Louis, Missouri. Screened in limited cinema in 2007, it was released wide straight-to-DVD on July 29, 2008. In North America, it aired on Starz Kids & Family, but in the early years, it was on demand. The film centers on Alice, an 11-year-old girl starting the sixth grade at a new school. It starred Alyson Stoner, Lucas Grabeel, Bridgit Mendler, Luke Perry, Penny Marshall, and Ashley Eckstein.
Good Luck Charlie is an American sitcom that aired on Disney Channel from April 4, 2010, to February 16, 2014. The series' creators, Phil Baker and Drew Vaupen, wanted to create a program that would appeal to entire families, not just children. It focuses on the Duncan family of Denver as they adjust to the births of their fourth and fifth children, Charlotte "Charlie" and Toby. In each episode, Teddy Duncan adds to a video diary that contains advice for Charlie about their family and life as a teenager. Teddy tries to show Charlie what she might go through when she is older for future reference. Each video diary ends with Teddy saying the eponymous phrase, "Good luck, Charlie".
"Starry Eyed" is a song by English singer and songwriter Ellie Goulding, released as the second single from her debut studio album, Lights (2010). It was written by Goulding and Jonny Lattimer, and produced by Starsmith. Goulding made her debut US television performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on 7 April 2011 performing "Starry Eyed".
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 is a 2011 American comedy film. It is the sequel to 2008's Beverly Hills Chihuahua and the second film in the Beverly Hills Chihuahua series. Directed by Alex Zamm, and starring George Lopez, Odette Yustman and Zachary Gordon, the film focuses on Papi and Chloe, now married with five puppies. The film was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on February 1, 2011, in a two-disc Blu-ray and DVD combo pack. With the exception of Lopez, none of the actors from the first film reprised their roles.
The Bling Ring was a group of seven teenagers and young adults based in and around Calabasas, California, convicted of multiple thefts.
Lemonade Mouth is a 2011 American teen musical drama television film, based on the 2007 novel of the same name by Mark Peter Hughes. The film was directed by Patricia Riggen and written by April Blair, and stars Bridgit Mendler, Adam Hicks, Naomi Scott, Hayley Kiyoko and Blake Michael. The film tells the story of five high school students who meet in detention and form a band to stand up for their beliefs and to overcome their individual and collective struggles.
Samantha Boscarino is an American actress. She gained early attention for her role in the teen comedy film The Clique (2008), followed by her recurring role in the Disney Channel sitcom Good Luck Charlie (2010–2014), and her lead roles as Molly Garfunkel on the short-lived Nickelodeon series How to Rock (2012), and Ellie Davis in the 2016 television film The Cheerleader Murders.
Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas! is a 2011 American Christmas road comedy television film directed by Arlene Sanford and written by Geoff Rodkey, based on the Disney Channel Original Series Good Luck Charlie by Phil Baker and Drew Vaupen. The Disney Channel Original Movie stars Bridgit Mendler, Leigh-Allyn Baker, Bradley Steven Perry, Mia Talerico, Eric Allan Kramer, and Jason Dolley as the Duncan family. It follows the Duncan family as they prepare for their Christmas trip to Amy Duncan's parents' house in Palm Springs, California. Things goes awry however when Teddy and Amy find themselves separated from their family after Teddy gives up her seat in exchange for a free plane ticket. With only a few days left until Christmas, the duo will have to face numerous obstacles as they embark on a hitchhiking journey across Utah and Nevada to get to California so they can reunite with their family in time for the holidays.
"Ready or Not" is the debut solo single by American singer Bridgit Mendler, and is the lead single from her debut studio album, Hello My Name Is... (2012), which garnered its name from a line in the song. It premiered on Radio Disney on August 3, 2012, and was released digitally on August 7, 2012. The song's chorus is based on an interpolation of the Fugees' song "Ready or Not", which in turns interpolates the Delfonics' song "Ready or Not Here I Come ".
"Hurricane" is a song by American recording artist Bridgit Mendler, from her debut studio album, Hello My Name Is... (2012). The song was released as a promotional single to the iTunes Store as Single of the Week on October 22, 2012, and was later announced to be the second single from the album. On February 12, 2013, the song was released to Top 40 radio.
The Summer Tour is the second concert tour by the American singer Bridgit Mendler. In 2013 the tour visited North America to support her debut album Hello My Name Is..., where it started in Burlington, Iowa and ended in Arlington, Texas. The setlist included all the songs from Hello My Name Is..., except "The Fall Song" and "Love Will Tell Us Where to Go". She also covered two songs in her performances: "Starry Eyed", by British singer Ellie Goulding, and "Animal", by American band Neon Trees.
"5:15" is a song by American recording artist Bridgit Mendler, from her debut studio album, Hello My Name Is... (2012). It was composed by Mendler, Emanuel "Eman" Kiriakou, Priscilla Renea and Andrew "Goldstein" Goldstein, and produced by Kiriakou and Goldstein.
American actress and singer Lindsay Lohan began her career as a child actress in the 1990s and has since appeared in numerous film and television projects among other productions. Lohan made her motion picture debut in Disney's commercially and critically successful remake of The Parent Trap (1998). She continued her acting career by appearing in a number of Disney films, including Freaky Friday (2003), which remains her highest-grossing film, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen (2004) and Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005). Her first non-Disney film, Mean Girls (2004), became a massive success by grossing over $129 million worldwide and later became a cult classic. Lohan also did smaller, more mature roles in which she received positive reviews on her acting including A Prairie Home Companion (2005), Bobby (2006) and Chapter 27 (2007). Between 2006 and 2007, Lohan continued her career with leading roles in films like Just My Luck (2006), Georgia Rule (2007) and I Know Who Killed Me (2007). Lohan's career faced many interruptions from legal and personal troubles during the mid to late 2000s, with her acting work becoming more sporadic in the following decade. She then starred in Labor Pains (2009), Machete (2010), Liz & Dick (2012) and The Canyons (2013). She made her stage debut in the London West End production of Speed-the-Plow (2014). In 2022, Lohan signed a multi-picture deal with Netflix to star in her first major productions in over a decade, the romantic comedies Falling for Christmas (2022) and Irish Wish (2024).