Splendid Photography, Strong Acting Almost Save ‘October Baby’ From Far-Fetched Melodrama

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Rating: 2.5/5.0

CHICAGO – When reading the plot synopsis for the film “October Baby,” there were a few things I already expected. “A college freshman’s world is rocked when she learns she is the adopted survivor of an attempted abortion” (IMdb). While this is clearly a recipe for melodrama and emotion, writers Jon Erwin and Cecil Stokes ended up creating a story that is even more unrealistic than I first imagined. Luckily for them, the film is still salvaged by some strong acting performances and some engaging visuals.

Directed by Andrew and Jon Erwin and starring Rachel Hendrix, Jason Burkey, John Schneider, and Jasmine Guy, “October Baby” follows the story of Hannah (Hendrix), a 19 year-old aspiring actress who is shocked to find out that some of her medical issues she has had in her life stem from a traumatic birth she had no idea about. While Hannah had never really felt normal or herself, she was never exactly sure why she felt this way. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that Hannah had no idea that she was adopted by her parents, something that would have to come as a shock to a girl at her age.

This is only the beginning of plot decisions that made me scratch my head. Maybe it is a possibility that parents might not tell their daughter she was adopted, but it is even harder to believe that this girl would find out she was the survivor of a failed abortion and would, in-turn, go on a journey to find where she was born and who her mother was. And, as you can imagine, the far-fetched nature of her journey does not stop there. For all the bad luck Hannah had at birth and growing up with medical problems, she strikes into about the best luck a person can have on her quest to find who she is. Along with her childhood friend Jason (Burkey), Hannah starts to discover more about her past, even as she is conflicted with her present and her future.

October Baby
Photo credit: Samuel Goldwyn Films

What’s funny is even as the scenarios of the film are incredibly far-fetched, they are also pretty predictable. After realizing that this film is following a pretty fantastic storyline, it becomes all too clear how the story will end up. What’s unfortunate is this film could have really benefitted from a turn away from the likely outcome, but it continues on just as we could expect. By constructing the story this way and bringing about the obvious outcomes, Erwin and Stokes’ story comes off as familiar instead of unique and memorable.

This ordinary story is even more of a shame when it is put together with some exceptional acting. While the nature of this story is fairly unbelievable and hard to buy into, the performances by the actors and actresses in this film (most notably Hendrix and Burkey) keep the film from falling completely apart. I have watched enough overdramatic films in my time to know how bad some of these features can go. Hendrix and Burkey stop “October Baby” from even scratching this level. The chemistry between Hendrix and Burkey makes their relationship believable and quite enjoyable to watch. Both actors also show a great range of emotion, from laughs to tears, and actually provide a decent reason for watching the film. Hendrix is engaging and powerful throughout the entire film and Burkey is strong and confident as the stable character that our protagonist needs so badly. For a pair of performers that have not had a ton of feature experience, I was impressed by their work.

October Baby
Photo credit: Samuel Goldwyn Films

Along with the acting, the cinematography in this film was very pleasing. Featuring wonderful framing, lighting, and technique, Jon Erwin (who missed on his co-written script) shows that he definitely has some chops for filmmaking. While it was hard for me to buy into the story and feel emotion from it, the beautiful images coupled with smart musical choices brought a strong amount of feeling to the film. I may have been rolling my eyes at the obvious and cliché dialog, but I was quick to focus right back to the screen to see some of the gorgeous photography in the film. It may not be the most sensible, but it sure is a nice piece to look at.

There is definitely a religious attitude brought towards the story of “October Baby.” The film deals with topics like abortion, physical intimacy, prayer, life, death, and human morals. So while the story may be a bit unlikely, the message and morals of the film are meritorious for a family feature. This definitely isn’t a film you would throw on during a first date, but it is a decent lesson for parents to show children and is a reminder to what is really important inside a family.

While the story seems like something you would see on Lifetime, the acting performances and visuals help to set “October Baby” apart from the ordinary. Sure, we aren’t going to completely invest ourselves into this far-fetched tale, but we will definitely be engaged throughout. While it is definitely not the best film I have seen this year, it was saved from being much much worse. And while I may not have enjoyed the journey in getting there, the film does have some quality lessons that make it a somewhat worthwhile family film.

By TIM MARTENS Staff Writer HollywoodChicago.com tim@hollywoodchicago.com