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| Photo credit: 20 Weeks/IMDb |
That’s exactly what an obstetrician tells Maya
and Ronan, a newly married couple, when they receive the news that the baby boy
growing inside of Maya might have a host of severe genetic disorders riddling
his tiny frame, in writer-director Leena Pendharkar’s 20 Weeks. Over the
course of 90 tense minutes, Pendharkar destroys the psyches of her central
characters as they build up guilt and terror for the safety of their unborn son
and debate with each other (and with themselves) about whether to terminate the
pregnancy to prevent the baby’s suffering—and their own.
Edited like a mosaic by David Hopper, we only
get glimpses of Maya (Anna Margaret Hollyman) and Ronan’s (Amir Arison) story
that placed them on the precipice of parenthood. His insistence that for them
to have a future together that she has to want kids, her reluctance to want
kids, and a host of untreated anxiety disorders feature prominently in
semi-chronological scenes, juxtaposed with doctor appointments where the news
gets worse and worse with each passing ultrasound.
Pendharkar’s penchant for dramatic irony is in
fine form in these early scenes, showcasing the difference between saying what
you’re supposed to say and really sticking it out during the latter half
of the “for better or worse” wedding vow. This is clever and engrossing enough
on is own, but Pendharkar slyly elevates this setup by changing from scene to
scene which partner is ready to bolt for the exits. It’s a push and pull as
these two people tear each other down and build each other up, from panicked
trips to an abortion clinic to a baby store argument over a drab article of
baby clothing that nearly leads to a divorce.
Given the stakes, running away and avoiding
responsibility are understandable urges. “I’m spinning out here,” Ronan tells
Maya the morning after they learn their little boy will be born with severe
maladies. It’s a scene crafted and acted by folks who either experience acute
anxiety themselves or love those who do. Arison performs this scene like every
atom in Ronan is about to split apart after he spends a sleepless night
Googling all the things that could limit his child. He takes a defensive
posture, his voice shakes, his breathing is shallow and rapid, and his eyelids
flutter like he’s guzzled a gallon of espresso, but for the first time in the
film (perhaps the first time in the character’s life) Maya is centered and
calm, the definition of zen, at least outwardly. Hollyman plays her as someone
who is still terrified, but Maya has steeled herself and allowed for hope to
sneak into the back of her mind—people overcome all kinds of things every day,
after all, she tries to reassure herself and her husband.
Like the pregnancy it depicts, 20 Weeks has
to end one way or another—and like the pregnancy, it’s a mixed bag. There’s a
bold twist that isn’t entirely earned or paid off satisfactorily, but that’s
life, isn’t it? In its ending’s messiness, the movie finds a rather realistic
form of grace. It’s exhausted and maybe a little miserable, but also resolute.
Broken people still have to wake up in the morning. Once the bad thing happens,
that “self-reflection” and self-blame recedes into the background a bit.
There’s still a sense of regret and longing. But hey, shit happens. If you’re
lucky, you’ll still get to feel that momentary “this is fine” contentment when
you see a kid smile.
Director: Leena Pendharkar
Writer: Leena Pendharkar
Starring: Anna Margaret Hollyman, Amir Arison,
Sujata Day, Michelle Krusiec
Available now in limited release
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