Fifteen and Pregnant (1998 Lifetime)

Fifteen and Pregnant (1998 Lifetime)

Stars: Kirsten Dunst, Park Overall, and Julia Whelan

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Synopsis (via Lifetime)

When 15-year-old Tina becomes pregnant, her parents must grapple not only with their own current marital crisis, but also their opposing views on adoption.

Thoughts

We start off with a sex scene with Kirsten Dunst (Tina) with the most ridiculous pre-Britney-Spears pop song playing softly in the background. (It is an online mystery as to who sings with song BTW.) She tells her boyfriend (Ray, who is wearing a weird beaded necklace) to not tell her he loves her if he doesn’t, just because they are having sex.

Evie is Tina’s mom who works all the time and is trying to figure out joint custody with her husband, Cal. (Who she is separated from, but not divorced. They are Christian after all.) She is feisty and southern!

Tina is just living a rebellious teenager life. She smokes and drinks by the train tracks. She is trying to impress Ray, but he breaks up with her to focus on football. Tina goes to tell her redheaded teen-mom friend (Laurel) all about the break up problems, while Laurie is, you know, trying to RAISE HER CHILD!

On her birthday, Tina gets a new gray shirt (that she doesn’t tuck in, suspiciously). She misses her bus and has to get a ride from her mom. On the ride to school a morning radio talk show is talking about teen pregnancy—prompting Evie to ask her point blank if she is sexually active or knows anyone who IS?!?!

Tina hasn’t been feeling well and her period has been spotty. Laurie takes Tina to the clinic where she finds out that she is pregnant. Tina tells her mom by the Christmas tree, very simply stating, “I’m pregnant,” and running out of the room. Later, her dad consoles her while a frustrated and angry Evie looks on.

Tina is ill equipped to handle being pregnant, you know because she is fifteen. Her biggest concern is, if she will be able to keep playing on the soccer team. She is very against abortion (she is religious and sings in the church coir) and indifferent to adoption.

Next we get the morning sickness scene where Tina can’t even look at food during Christmas dinner. Ray stops by and is told to leave by Evie (who is seething with rage). Tina and Evie get into a fight.

The next few scenes are Tina’s family discussing her pregnancy. Evie and Laurel’s mom talk while working out on various exercise equipment. Tina’s little sister, Rachel talks to her friend at the mall and decides that she wants to live with her dad. Evie is upset that her daughter is being an unsupportive sister and is now considering raising the baby with Tina.

Tina and Ray have a talk (again, underscored by my favorite song!). He tells her that he will be a better father than his Old Man. He tells her that he doesn’t have that much going on and could probably raise a kid. Tina is ecstatic and kisses him. Ray tells her to chill out, it’s not like they are getting married or anything,

Later at soccer practice, Tina gets injured and has to go to the doctor. In the waiting room her parents are embarrassed and strapped for cash. To add insult to injury (literally), they are told that Tina will have to go to the pregnant trailer school in the back of the middle school.

Evil takes Ray and Tina to childbirth class. In the class they talk about things like pooping while giving birth and show slides of diagrams of female anatomy. Ray is uncomfortable with the reality of his situation. Later, at the mall, Tina and Lauriel talk about the horrors of being pregnant. (Throwing up all the time, pimples, and lame maternity clothes.)

Back in childbirth class, an actual teen mom comes in and shares her experience and how difficult and exhausting it is to raise a baby. Ray doesn’t show up for class and Tina calls him to see where the hell he was. He tells her to get rid of the baby—and that it probably isn’t even his.

A very judgmental grandmother come around and she is pretty much immediately send back to “the farm.”

At Tina’s baby shower, no one shows up. She is obviously upset and feels very isolated. Evie tries to console her daughter and they actually seem to have a real conversation until Tina tells her she is excited to finally have someone to love. Evie takes it personally and gets crazy eyes!

The reality of her pregnancy sets in when Tina sees her friend, Melody. Melody’s baby was premature. Her sister Rachel (who is constantly fat shamed, constantly being shipped from house to house, and wants to be a figure skater) tells Tina that 20% of women die in childbirth.

With annoying Rachel out of the picture, the family really seems to be bonding. Cal and Adam move back in. They all get a nursery ready for the baby, shop for baby clothes, and Evie and Cal seem to be getting along. Tina is even in a better mood and has a ton of energy. She has come to accept that fact that Ray is not going to be in her life and she is ready to raise this baby on her own.

Tina’s labor is induced and we get the classic woman giving birth and yelling at everyone scene. Ray actually shows up with his new girlfriend and Cal quickly send him away. Tina gives birth to her son, Caleb. The family is all there to help her raise her baby, even her sister Rachel. Upon seeing her sister Tina says:

“You’re thinner!” and Rachel responds “So are you.”

We end the movie with a generic monologue voice over about motherhood.

Side Note

The 90’s fashion in this movie feels so current, cause the 90’s are back. Even overalls & scrunchies!

So much fat shaming in this movie! I think almost every line Kirsten Dunst says about being pregnant is related to how fat she is. Ummm, no honey, you’re pregnant!

This TV movie was during the transition period between Kirsten Dunst the child actor in Interview With a Vampire/Jumanji to Bring it On movie star Kirsten Dunst.

MTV’s Teen Mom premiered in 2009, 11 years after this movie was released.

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Overall rating

❤️❤️ (2 Hearts)

🍷🍷🍷🍷 (4 glasses of wine required)