Inspired by the 1960s underground abortion network “The Jane Collective,” Phyllis Nagy’s CALL JANE is an all-too-still-relevant look at the power to exercise choice. It’s the story of an underground service that provided safe abortions before Roe v. Wade.
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.
CALL JANE Review – What Works
Elizabeth Banks astounds as Joy in a role that allows her to tap into a range we’ve never seen from her before. Well known for roles such as Effie Trinket in the Hunger Games movies, Sal on ABC’s “Modern Family,” and Gail in the Pitch Perfect trilogy, Joy is quite a departure of a role for Banks.
Sigourney Weaver shines like always. As Virginia, Weaver is every bit as impressive as you’d expect.
Wunmi Mosaku stole every scene she was in.
It’s devastatingly poignant that a topic so relevant 6 decades ago is once again front and center in today’s politics.
CALL JANE has a soundtrack that slaps. It’s one of the most perfectly aligned soundtracks we’ve ever heard, with song lyrics that line up contextually with the script as if the songs were written for the movie, yet most were written decades before.
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.
CALL JANE Review – What Doesn’t Work
While Wunmi Mosaku completely stole the spotlight, it could have addressed racial disparities better. It would have been beneficial if they had provided a more complete POV from the other women, especially Mosaku’s character Gwen.
In Georgia, between 1965 and 1967, the Black maternal death rate was fourteen times that of white women. Statistically, POC are more likely to have abortions than white women in the current day and age; in 2014, 3/4 of abortion patients qualified as low-income or poor, according to the Guttmacher Institute. That year, POC patients accounted for more than half of abortions performed.
Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver 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.
About CALL JANE
Chicago, 1968. As a city and the nation are poised on the brink of violent political upheaval, suburban housewife Joy leads an ordinary life with her husband and daughter. When Joy’s pregnancy leads to a life-threatening condition, she must navigate a medical establishment unwilling to help. Her journey to find a solution to an impossible situation leads her to the “Janes,” a clandestine organization of women who provide Joy with a safer alternative—and in the process, change her life.
Carol screenwriter Phyllis Nagy takes the reins as director and executes a riveting narrative, partially based on true events surrounding the Jane Collective, who provided thousands of abortions during a 4-year period through their covert and precise mobilization. Supported by a remarkable cast, Elizabeth Banks delivers an impressive lead performance as Joy, whose determination and strength of character holds relevance more than a half-century later. CALL JANE poses urgent questions about systemic barriers, the ever-shifting nature of politics, and the struggle for women to maintain control of their bodies.
Aida Turturro 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.
About PHYLLIS NAGY
Phyllis Nagy is a writer and director whose work includes award-winning films (Mrs. Harris), screenplays (Carol), and plays (Disappeared). She is a native New Yorker who lived in London for 2 decades before settling in Los Angeles—for the time being.
Rating: Not yet rated (contains themes of mental illness, abortion, sex, suicide)
Runtime: 121 min
Director: Phyllis Nagy
Screenwriters: Hayley Schore, Roshan Sethi
Produced by: Robbie Brenner, David Wulf, Kevin McKeon
Producers: Lee Broda, Claude Amadeo, Michael D’Alto
Executive Producers: Chris Triana, Randall B. Sandler, Judy Bart, Erica Kahn, Christelle Conan, Peter Touche, Joseph Lanius, Leal Naim, Michelle Campbell Mason, Jeffrey Hecktman, Patricia Lawley, Iris Smith
Director of Photography: Greta Zozula
Cast: Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, Chris Messina, Kate Mara, Wunmi Mosaku, Cory Michael Smith
CALL JANE premiered at Sundance Film Festival January 21, 2022.
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