Unpregnant, 2020

May, 2023 | JULIANNA VOCKROTH

Unpregnant centers on the seventeen-year-old straight-A student, Veronica. When she first realizes that she is pregnant, abortion becomes the first and only option that she considers since she does not want to derail her life by either having the baby by herself or getting married to her boyfriend. Unfortunately, since she is a minor, she is not allowed to get the procedure done in her home state of Missouri. Because of this, she and her old friend Bailey must drive to New Mexico, the state closest to her where she can get an abortion without parental consent. The road trip is long and tiring, and the pair faces many challenges to get to their ultimate destination. Throughout the trip, she is able to reinstate her friendship with Bailey, which ended when they became teenagers and grew apart. The movie manages to be a fun coming-of-age story while also exposing the flawed laws surrounding abortion and how they really impact people.

Free will is the idea that someone can choose an option without external or internal constraints. In the movie, Veronica chooses to get an abortion, but her free will is impeded because of the external factor of distance. While she still goes through with her decision without letting distance stop her, it makes the task much harder. The fact that there are age restrictions in some states but not others makes it difficult to judge exactly whose free will becomes limited. Free will is linked closely with moral responsibility, or taking accountability for an action and all that goes along with it, such as blame or praise. After Veronica makes her decision, she has to deal with the opinions of her mother. While her mother says that she will always love her, she still does not approve of her decision and says that she will not forget about it. Additionally, when she is try to get to the abortion clinic, she and Bailey get kidnapped by intense pro-life advocates. Not only are they kidnapped, but their phones are taken away, making it even more difficult to escape. As terrible as that is, this is something she has to face based on the decision she made. Also, this couple proves to be another factor impeding on her free will. They make it even harder to get to her final destination, and they try desperately to change her mind about the abortion. Even with this external factor, she does not let it alter her decision in any way. She is determined to do what she feels is necessary. Despite all the challenges, she never once thinks that abortion is not the right option for her. When she gets to the clinic, her boyfriend is there asking her to marry him again. She once again refuses to marry him and finally gets the procedure done. She is very strong-willed because of her refusal to give in to any of the external factors trying to stop her from making her own choices. While she sometimes does not feel free, so ultimately is because of the lack of internal limitations. The ethics of free will is a crucial theory to discuss within the topic of abortion.

Virtue ethics, an early ethical theory emphasizing the role of character and morals, can be used on both the pro-life and pro-choice sides of the abortion debate. Because virtue ethics focuses less on action and more on character, it can be used to argue the pro-choice side. When examining the pro-choice view of abortion, what Unpregnant highlights, some common arguments are that the fetus does not yet have a right to life and women’s rights are more important than the fetus’s. While shaping this argument toward women’s rights, virtue ethics can be used to support that. By putting the women’s mind, body, and spirit at the forefront of this debate, the right to an abortion becomes more crucial. In Unpregnant, Veronica had ambitious plans for her future. If she gave birth at her age, she would not be able to go to the Ivy League college as she had originally planned. Part of virtue ethics is the idea of eudaimonia, which is defined as being content and ending with a good life. According to this theory, freedom of choice is useless if it does not help people toward eudaimonia. Veronica feels no regret about her abortion, and it helped her get on track with her life goals. Therefore, this decision supported her eudaimonia. The freedom to choose is important in the pursuit of happiness and inner character, not desire. Because virtue is circumstantial, this theory may not be applied to all cases. However, in the instance of Veronica, this is the right choice for her at the right time for the right reason. Her character does not suffer in any way, instead, it benefits. Additionally, another aspect of virtue ethics is the golden mean. This part of the theory states that moral virtue is centered in the mean between two extremes, not too insufficient or too excessive. Because Veronica must go on a lengthy and trying journey to get the procedure done, one trait she exhibits is courage. She is not cowardly no matter how difficult the venture becomes. On the other hand, she is not rash either. While abortion is the first and only option she considers, she does not do it rashly. She fully plans out the trip, mapping out the best route to take, budgeting any spending money, and limiting the number of stops she and Bailey should take in order to get to the clinic by her appointment time. Due to the characteristics she exhibits and her reasoning for getting an abortion, the theory of virtue ethics applies to Veronica’s situation.