Call Jane is a powerful movie about women’s abortion rights in which Elizabeth Banks completely steals the show. Unfortunately it feels all too relevant to today.
Call Jane takes place in 1968 when abortions were all but illegal, and hospital boards had to vote on each individual circumstances to allow them. Elizabeth Banks is fantastic as Joy, a housemother who seeks out an abortion after learning her pregnancy could kill her. She discovers a women’s service, called Jane, and ends up becoming a lot more involved than she ever expected.
Her character goes through a lot of development through the two hour film, and Banks truly delivers on this front. It is incredible to watch her grow and learn and become so much more than she is at the start of the movie. She stands up for herself and is unafraid to put men in their place by the end of the movie. Her demeaner, attitude, and even outfits change over the course of the movie to reflect what he character is going through.
There are strong female empowerment messages here, as well as women’s rights. Something that unfortunately feels all too relevant right now. Sigourney Weaver who plays Virginia, is the woman who started Jane, sort of on accident. She is a wonderful supporting character in this film. She is tough as nails and truly cares about doing what she can to help others.
It is horrific to see what women had to go through in order to get an abortion, never mind the fact that in this case it is to save her life. A group of men on the hospital board voting to decide her fate is disgusting and hard to watch. When told she has a fifty percent chance to die, they see that as worth it make her continue with the pregnancy, not taking her life into consideration at all.
With the Roe v. Wade decision possibly being reversed in the present, this is particularly hits hard. It is sad to know that we could be right back here with women giving each other tips, like throwing yourself down the stairs, in order to get around the system.
Cory Michael Smith portrays Dean, a doctor that Jane works with, and while he is great in the role, his character is easy to hate. He is in this business for the money, and most certainly not to help women who need it.
The movie clocks in at two hours, which is perhaps a little too long. Overall the pacing is good, but the movie does drag here and there. It could have been cleaned up and cut down by about fifteen minutes and it would have been better.
There is a side plot that didn’t quite work for me with Kate Mara’s Lana. She is Joy’s friend but just kinds of fades into the background for the most part. When she does get more involved in the story, her part takes away from the overall message of the film. If they had just cut these scenes out, the movie would have flowed better.
An extremely powerful movie about women’s rights and abortion laws that feels far too relevant to the world today. Elizabeth Banks is phenomenal in this role.
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Rating: 4 out of 5
About Call Jane
Chicago, 1968. As a city and the nation are poised on the brink of violent political upheaval, suburban housewife Joy leads an ordinary life with her husband and daughter. When Joy’s pregnancy leads to a life-threatening condition, she must navigate a medical establishment unwilling to help. Her journey to find a solution to an impossible situation leads her to the “Janes,” a clandestine organization of women who provide Joy with a safer alternative — and in the process, change her life.
Call Jane played at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.