In Eliza Hittman’s Never Rarely Sometimes Always, “a pair of teenage girls in rural Pennsylvania travel to New York City to seek out medical help after an unintended pregnancy.” This synopsis is pretty much the entire story. My question to you is, shouldn’t we expect more from stories in our movies, no matter the subject?
Autumn (Sidney Flanigan) is a quiet, reflective, and slightly angry high school teenager. Not feeling well, Autumn heads to a local woman’s crisis pregnancy center and discovers she is indeed ten-weeks pregnant. The healthcare worker goes through her options, such as adoption, and when Autumn considers terminating the pregnancy, she is shown a video detailing what happens during an abortion. It’s a pro-life clinic!
“…nothing seems to go right for the pair as Autumn discovers she is in her second trimester.”
Autumn’s only option is to take a trip from her home in Pennsylvania to New York City for an abortion, and her cousin Skylar (Talia Ryder) offers to go with her to the big city. Low on cash, nothing seems to go right for the pair as Autumn discovers she is in her second trimester. Upon arriving, they find out the clinic is not equipped to safely perform the procedure and must wait until morning when space is available at a different one across town. Then Autumn discovers it’s a two-day procedure, which only compounds her problems.
If truth in advertising practices were to apply, the film’s title really should be How to Get a Second-Trimester Abortion in New York City. I’m not here to debate this issue. I’m here to tell you about this movie and whether or not I would recommend you see it. At its core, the story is about Autumn’s experience and not much more than that. I don’t particularly like saying it, but I’m probably not the intended audience considering my age and gender. But at the same time, I do like compelling stories no matter the subject.
"…highlight the stories of young women forced to travel across state lines for abortions."
