The Back-Up Plan (22/05/10) [Archive]

The Back-Up Plan (2010)

Director - Alan Poul
Starring - Jennifer Lopez & Alex O'Loughlin

3 stars

Yeah, I saw it. And yeah, I gave it three stars. And of course, you aren’t surprised.

So anyone who knows me, or has met me for ten minutes, will know that I have a soft spot in my heart for a good chick flick. The Back Up Plan is the absoloute epitome of the genre. It literally felt like somebody had followed a formula for writing ‘The Perfect Chick Flick’ and come out with an incredibly cliche’ result.

In short, The Back Up Plan is about Zoe (Jennifer Lopez), a single woman who wants a baby. With age creeping up on her she does the logical thing to do for a woman in her position – she finds a sperm donor. On the day of her insemination she meets a man. She dates this man. She falls in love with this man. During this blossoming romance, she finds out that the insemination has been successful and there is a baby on the way. Now it’s just a case of whether Stan (Alex O’Loughlin) wants to stick around.

What I did like about this more adult type chick flick was the two leads and their on-screen chemistry. JLo was actually really impressive. She played a pretty sassy character and conveyed a lot of enjoyment on screen. This ensured that the movie always maintained that element of fun and laughter. I can’t say I’ve ever really thought of JLo is a standout actor (although I did thoroughly enjoy Maid in Manhattan) and I’m still not saying that she is Oscar material, but in this genre, she ticks all the boxes. As for her male counterpart, Alex O’Loughlin, he worked very well with her. Not being aware of his previous work (although since the movie I have found out he is a home-grown Aussie) I had no preconceived expectations. This is probably a good move by the casting managers because he does play that ‘mysterious new guy’ who just pops up in the life of their starring girl. Why not make him virtually unknown? It worked for me.

I’ll keep it brief because there aren’t many hidden secrets to this one. If you are sucker for a good chick flick, you are sure to enjoy this one. It doesn’t pretend to be anything it isn’t. It’s got a solid cast and the typical ups and downs in emotion that you are sure to expect. It’s easy to watch (except for a horribly disgusting birthing scene that I know for a fact I did not have to see EVER in my life) and follow as well as having a pretty fun and exciting overall feel.