What to Expect When You're Expecting Information

What to Expect When You're Expecting is a 2012 American romantic comedy film directed by Kirk Jones from a screenplay by Shauna Cross and Heather Hach and based on the pregnancy guide of the same name. The film was released on May 18, 2012.

Summary

Set in Atlanta, the film opens with fitness trainer Jules Baxter (Cameron Diaz) and her dance partner Evan Webber (Matthew Morrison) performing on the TV show, Celebrity Dance Factor. They are crowned the winners of the show, but Jules vomits in their trophy, discovering that she is pregnant. Jules struggles when trying to balance her pregnancy with her normal active life. She has an ongoing argument with Evan over whether or not to have their son circumcised. During labor, she chooses not to have an epidural. She had a girl called Emerson, meaning their debate didn't matter anymore. After giving birth, Jules and Evan get engaged.

Photographer Holly (Jennifer Lopez) can't conceive children, and decides to adopt from Ethiopia with her husband Alex (Rodrigo Santoro). They decide to buy a new house for the baby. Holly sends Alex to hang out with the "Dude's group", a group of fathers who walk around the park and support one another, which was founded by Vic Mac (Chris Rock). Alex feels even more nervous to become a father. Holly loses her job and becomes hurt when she realizes how much Alex is unprepared for a child. However, they eventually go to Ethiopia and adopt a baby boy.

Wendy Cooper (Elizabeth Banks) runs a breast feeding boutique called The Breast Choice, and has been trying to have a baby with her husband Gary (Ben Falcone) for two years. She eventually does conceive and shares the news with Gary after taking four pregnancy tests. Wendy, who had planned her pregnancy which would be magical and happy, felt awful throughout it. During a convention she was chosen to speak at about the miracle of childbirth, she begins to breakdown and bursts out into a speech about how much the process sucks. Her outburst is filmed and becomes a viral hit on YouTube. Her boutique is flooded with customers afterward. After many labor-inducing activities, she goes to the hospital only to find out that she has to have a cesarean section, against the birth plan she typed. After giving birth, she loses a large amount of blood but is okay, giving birth to a boy named Theo.

Gary's father Ramsey Cooper (Dennis Quaid) is married to a younger woman named Skyler (Brooklyn Decker). During a lunch where Wendy and Gary reveal their pregnancy, Ramsey and Skyler also announce that they are expecting. Unlike Wendy, Skyler cruises through her pregnancy without issues. She becomes the envy of Wendy, who begins to detest her ease. Skyler gives birth to twins but soon after, it is revealed she is struggling with two crying children.

Rosie Brennan (Anna Kendrick) meets an old highschool friend named Marco (Chace Crawford) who she thinks is a player. They have sex once, resulting in a pregnancy. Worried at first, they eventually adjust to the idea of becoming parents and move in together. However, Rosie discovers that she is bleeding one night, and drives to the hospital with Marco. They find out that she miscarried. Devastated, Rosie tells Marco to leave, which he does. However, they eventually get back together and decide to take things slow.

At different points in the film, certain characters meet others. Ramsey is Gary's father, and Gary was on Jules' weight loss program. Skyler is Rosie's cousin, and Holly is Wendy and Skyler's photographer.

Cast

• Cameron Diaz as Jules Baxter, a contestant on a celebrity dance show and a host to a weight-loss fitness show, who becomes pregnant with her dance partner's baby
• Jennifer Lopez as Holly, a woman who adopts a baby from abroad with her unwilling husband after difficulty conceiving
• Elizabeth Banks as Wendy Cooper, Gary's wife who becomes pregnant after trying for 2 years. Runs the The Breast Choice Boutique.
• Chace Crawford as Marco, who reunites with an old flame (Rosie) after a turf war between their respective food trucks
• Brooklyn Decker as Skyler Cooper, the wife of a much older man named Ramsey who becomes pregnant with twins
• Anna Kendrick as Rosie Brennan, who reunites with an old flame and fellow food-truck owner and becomes pregnant unexpectedly and has a miscarriage
• Matthew Morrison as Evan Webber, who teams with Jules on a celebrity dance show and the father of her baby
• Dennis Quaid as Ramsey Cooper, the husband of Skyler
• Chris Rock as Vic Mac, founder of the "dude group". and father of four.
• Rodrigo Santoro as Alex, Holly's husband who's in music business and is not ready to have a child
• Ben Falcone as Gary Cooper, Wendy's husband and son of Ramsey
• Joe Manganiello as Davis
• Rob Huebel as Gale, a new parent who adjusts to "fatherdom" by bonding with other dads in a city park-based group that is part play group, part secret society
• Thomas Lennon as Craig, a father who joins Vic's "dude group"
• Amir Talai as Patel, a father who joins Vic's "dude group"
• Rebel Wilson as Janice, an employee at The Breast Choice boutique
• Wendi McLendon-Covey as Kara, Holly's co-worker and friend
• Dwyane Wade has a cameo as himself
• Whitney Port has a cameo as herself
• Megan Mullally has a cameo as herself
• Cheryl Cole has a cameo as a TV dance talent show judge
• Tyce Diorio has a cameo as a TV dance talent show judge
• Taboo has a cameo as a TV dance talent show judge
• Kim Fields plays a social worker who helps out a couple with an adoption
• Jesse Burch as Hutch Davidson
• Mimi Gianopulos as Molly, Rosie's funny roommate who comforts and supports her
• Génesis Rodríguez as Courtney, Rosie's roommate

Development

Background

Written by Heidi Murkoff, What to Expect When You're Expecting is a pregnancy guide released in 1984. It is a top-selling book on The New York Times Best Seller list and is considered one of the most influential books of the past twenty-five years. Additionally, it was dubbed "the bible of American pregnancy" and has sold over 20 million units worldwide. On January 14, 2010, it was announced that Lionsgate had acquired the book's worldwide distribution rights from Phoenix Pictures. Heather Hach, who was nine months pregnant at the time, was hired to write the film's screenplay "based on her pitch", which would follow the story of seven couples who experience the "ups and downs" of preparing for parenthood. David Thwaites produced it alongside Mike Medavoy and Arnie Messer. Alli Shearmur, Lionsgate's President of Motion Picture Productions, said the book is "a brand that knows no boundaries" and they were "excited about this film as the first in a potential franchise". Murkoff said she was excited to see Pheonix Pictures and Lionsgate "bring my baby to life". Medavoy, Messer and Thwaites felt that the book provides the "pefect launching point" to tell a funny story.

Pre-production

Kirk Jones directed the film. Jones hadn't read or heard about the book, and assumed it was a novel before receiving the script. However, he then discovered that it was in fact a pregnancy guide. Although puzzled at first, he recalled his pregnancy experience as "funny, tragic, exciting" and "hilarious", and thought combining these elements would make for a "really interesting" film. Speaking about the film's theme, he stated that "everybody's experience is different" and multiple different stories "allow the audience to share in everything that is going on" and "by sharing in what's going on and seeing so many characters, there's this energy, and there's humor and there's drama in comparing all of the stories, which are taking place at the same time".

What to Expect When You're Expecting stars an ensemble cast, which focuses primarily on the five couples who are going to be first-time parents. According to Access Atlanta, the project also needed "a lot of extras who are in the family way" as well as "babies with star potential". An open casting call was held on July 9, 2011. Casting director Christopher Gray said at the time, "We need a lot of pregnant women. We want the real deal". The movie also featured a number of Ethiopians, for which a casting call was issued as well. Additionally, film contains cameos by various celebrities. This includes Dwyane Wade, Whitney Port, Megan Mullally, and Cheryl Cole, Taboo and Tyce Diorio, who star as themselves as judges on a TV dance talent show.

Filming

The film began principal photography in Atlanta on July 19, 2011. On July 26, production filmed in Midtown on Peachtree Street near High Museum and in Piedmont Park. Jones said it was "tough" organizing schedules because of the number of cast members there were. Having never "shot five simultaneous stories like this", he stated: "Through necessity we had to schedule the film so that I shot everything with Jennifer Lopez in two weeks, everything with Cameron Diaz in two weeks... because they are not available to keep flying in from another continent for two days work and then flying back again".

Release

The film was a moderate success. Released across 3,021 theaters on May 18, 2012, What to Expect When You're Expecting debuted at No. 5 at the U.S. Box Office, grossing $10,547,068 during its opening weekend. By the end of May, the film grossed $26,293,359 is the United States. In total, What to Expect When You're Expecting grossed $41.2 million domestically, for worldwide gross of $84.4 million. It closed on August 2, 2012.

Critical reception

The film holds a 23% rating at Rotten Tomatoes, based on 127 reviews, and has received mostly negative reviews from movie critics. Cara Nash of the Australian film magazine Filmink gave the film a mixed review, criticizing the storyline has not having "complexity" or "genuine conflict", but praised Lopez and Banks who "manage to find the humanity in their clichéd roles but they can't transcend all the surface-level schmaltz on display here".

Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film a negative review, stating that "the movie itself triggered the vomiting", but appreciated Rock, Kendrick and Chase' performances if you "dramatically drop your expectations". Simon Miraudo of Quickflix called it "ill-conceived" and gave the film a mixed review while stating: "Despite an immensely appealing cast and a few funny moments, I would only recommend What to Expect at a ?push'. The eggs are there; someone just forgot to fertilise them."

Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times among other critics noted the confusion of the swiftly moving film, writing that "Rather than the engaging enlightenment of the source, the film becomes bloated by confusion." New York Daily News gave the film 3 and a half stars, writing "Thankfully the film, unlike being a parent, is a fairly smooth and entertaining ride that has a universal appeal to both parents and those who ever had a father or a mother", and named the scene in which Jennifer Lopez's character travels to Ethiopia to meet the child she is adopting as the film's most touching moment. The Guardians Mike McCahill described the movie as "insight-deficient fluff".

Accolades

Award	Category	Recipient(s)	Result
ALMA Awards	Favorite Movie Actor	Rodrigo Santoro
	Favorite Movie Actress Comedy/Musical	Cameron Diaz
	Favorite Movie Actress Comedy/Musical	Jennifer Lopez
Teen Choice Awards	Choice Movie: Comedy
	Choice Movie Actor: Comedy	Chris Rock
	Choice Movie Actress: Comedy	Cameron Diaz
	Choice Movie Actress: Comedy	Jennifer Lopez
	Choice Movie Breakout	Joe Manganiello
	Choice Movie Scene Stealer: Male	Chace Crawford
People's Choice Awards	Favorite Comedic Movie
	Favorite Comedic Movie Actress	Cameron Diaz
Razzie Awards	Worst Supporting Actress	Brooklyn Decker
	Worst Supporting Actress	Jennifer Lopez