Jenna and Andy are a happily married couple in their mid-30s. They're looking at the next step in their journey as a couple and start a family soon, though Andy is much less conflicted and reluctant about it than Jenna, who feels she isn't ready. But Jenna is made well aware that she's not getting any younger anytime soon. But when Jenna discovers that she was an unwanted pregnancy for her mother, she begins to question the impact of that on her life history and psychology, not to mention her relationship with her mother. And she can't help but wonder how her ambivalence about becoming a parent will affect a future child, putting her marriage in question as well. Directed by Jeffrey Jones from a script co-written with Marieve Herington (who also plays a supporting role in the film), this spritely dramedy takes an initially fresh and spirited approach to the story of a woman trying to decide whether or not to get pregnant. Quirky, witty dialogue, an aspirational sheen to the clean, bright visuals and a happy couple are some of the ingredients in the rom-com narrative cocktail. But unlike most rom-coms, which focus on courtship, this narrative focuses on the next step of a couple's journey -- one that they feel very differently about.
The story starts with Jenna at her gynecologist's appointment, where she gets a warning about waiting too long to have a baby or else risk having to do expensive rounds of IVF. This propels Jenna into a tailspin of reflection. But then she discovers from her mother that she was an unwanted pregnancy, and she also gets into an argument with her pregnant friend Poppy, who doesn't understand Jenna's reluctance, reciting many of the typical arguments for motherhood. There's also her husband Andy's unmistakable desire to become a dad, and their own loving, happy marriage. These complications take the film in a more serious direction, but they also underscore the lack of nuanced discourse around childbearing, pregnancy and motherhood for women. As Jenna, actor Ashley Holliday Tavares handles both the lighter comedic moments and the rawer dramatic ones with a compelling honesty, a quality which is also the hallmark of the film itself. Funny, tender and generous in spirit to its main characters, NOT YET has the lightness of a comedy and romance but is unafraid to respectfully explore nuanced, difficult questions about women, parenthood and the narrowness of discussion around these topics -- a narrowness that can backfire on the couples and even children involved. In the end, both the audience and Jenna arrive at a realization -- one that is heartbreaking in its honesty, but brave in its clarity.
