Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver anchor an abortion rights film that could have, and should have, been more.
The film “Call Jane” does indeed start with a call. It forms from the echoes of Chicago buildings and barrels into the ears of Joy Griffin (Elizabeth Banks): “The whole world is watching!”
But at Sundance, the whole world is not watching. Rather, viewers are logging in from all around the world, sitting at home in their own private theater consisting of whatever technology is available, or in satellite locations jumping on to watch a restricted premiere. It still feels exclusive, and exciting, to be a part of a premiere.
There is time between a premiere and a film’s potential distribution so that the whole world can watch. And the world may itself change by the time it is released.
It’s possible that “Call Jane” could serve as an historical perspective (we won’t do that again), a warning (we’re headed this way again), a call to action (we all need to do something again), and a documentary (we can learn from these stories again) all at the same time. By the time the film potentially hits a platform or is distributed, the rules, political climate, and social environments around abortion could be wildly different.
With those swirling pressures, it is even more imperative to get the tone, the story, and the feel right. And yet, what resonates with “Call Jane” is thinking about what it could have been; a film with a just little more depth, a film diving into even more stories; a film with a little more clarity about its true (or created) heroines; a film that that truly segues from the dark and dingy apartments to the steps of Capitol Hill without glossing over that part of the story. It comes across like Virginia’s spaghetti without any salt; missing a little bit of depth.
To be critical of a film like “Call Jane” feels like one is simultaneously critical of a movement and a fight for equality. To that end, allow me to share: This is an important story. It’s a film that Grace Edwards (Charlotte) would like “my generation to watch …and know what they [the women] went through.” The stories need to be told. The stakes need to be shared. The discomfort that leaps off the screen, billowed by the smoke of the male doctors that Joy and others contend with, is important.
The discomfort can translate to your own shudders. There is a particular scene with no music when you realize you’re clenching as much as the character. Sound design is used throughout the film to strategically foreshadow, draw tension, and clarify. There are unexpected shudders too. Pumpkin guts, and, the supposed simplicity and ability to learn the abortion procedure.
For the shudders on-screen, the resolve comes through the warm of a blanket, so often drawn over cold shoulders by a community of women. That community of women, the Jane Collective, helped provide solace and solutions to those seeking abortion in Chicago. Knowing that “Call Jane” draws from this community, and in fact a documentary about the Jane Collective is also at Sundance this year, viewers may find themselves searching for the true characters, deciphering what is real and what is added. Wunmi Mosaku’s character, Gwen, for example, was explained by director Phyllis Nagy as a “composite of characters that I read about.”
Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Wilson Webb.
As for the real Janes, viewers were unexpectedly treated to one.
During the film’s Q&A panel, one of the attendees, Heather, typed in. “I was the original initiator of Jane.”
It was a moment that could have only happened in an online session. The panelists inquired: Does this film honor you?
And Heather responded over three messages:
“The spirit is true. The context of women’s lives is true. There are facts where artistic license was taken–shown in the documentary The Janes. For example, most of the husbands I think were supportive–movement marriages; The original Doctor was a civil rights leader. As you probably know, 7 women were arrested before Jane ended, but were never tried as Roe was being considered. BUT the culture and spirit felt real–especially about women’s roles and the struggle for equality, finding the reality of our bodies, finding sisterhood with each other. THANK YOU!”
This film was transports viewers back into the 70s with the help of a soundtrack (“No one cooks to the Velvet Underground” is one of my favorite lines), costuming, color scheme, and a 16mm capture. Regarding shooting on film, Nagy shared that 16mm “tells time effortlessly.”
It is indeed time now that may dictate how “Call Jane” is absorbed upon release. It is possible that the film both begins and end with a call, but what kind? A callback to what it was? A call forward to what we may do? A call to action? A recall to what the film could have been? Only time will tell.
Featured Image: Elizabeth Banks appears in “Call Jane” by Phyllis Nagy, an official selection of the Premieres section at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Wilson Webb.
In-Line Image: Elizabeth Banks and Wunmi Mosaku appear in “Call Jane” by Phyllis Nagy, an official selection of the Premieres section at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Wilson Webb.
