The Back-Up Plan Review

Back-Up Plan, The
Single and desperate for a child, Zoe (Lopez) arranges for artificial insemination. When she meets the charming Stan (O’Loughlin), she's faced with a dilemma: admit she's pregnant and risk losing him or cover up the truth.

by Anna Smith |
Published on
Release Date:

07 May 2010

Running Time:

104 minutes

Certificate:

12A

Original Title:

Back-Up Plan, The

Beautiful, successful Zoe (Jennifer Lopez) can’t find a decent guy, so arranges for artificial insemination. Then on the day of her impregnation she meets Mr. Right (Alex O’Loughlin), a kind, wealthy cheese farmer prepared to take on another man’s spawn. Yep, this romantic comedy isn’t so much set in New York as Cloud Cuckoo Land. Nonetheless, the narrative revolves around the little problems that blight the couple in the run-up to the birth — some amusing, many not.

This is aimed squarely at women who are, or have been, pregnant: Zoe’s cravings and hormonal fluctuations should raise a few giggles. But Lopez still struggles to be an amiable physical comedian in the Bullock mould, while O’Loughlin is merely fine.

Sporadically amusing but rarely inspired.
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