Labor Pains (2009)

Labor Pains Poster

A young woman pretends to be pregnant in order to avoid being fired from her job. When that gets her a bunch of special treatment by everyone involved in her life, she tries to keep up the lie for nine months.

Overview of "Labor Pains"
"Labor Pains" is a 2009 American romantic comedy film directed by Lara Shapiro and starring Lindsay Lohan as the main character, Thea Clayhill. The movie follows the story of Thea, a young woman who pretends to be pregnant to save her job when she's about to be unjustly fired. It checks out themes of deception, career struggles, and personal growth, with light-hearted minutes and romantic subplots. While the film was not released theatrically in the United States, it discovered an audience through television and DVD release.

Plot Summary
The movie centers around Thea Clayhill (played by Lindsay Lohan), a secretary operating at a publishing business who is on the edge of being fired by her employer, Jerry Steinwald (played by Chris Parnell). In a minute of panic and desperation to keep her job, Thea wrongly declares she is pregnant, leveraging her manager's worry of bad promotion and a potential lawsuit.

With the assistance of her friend, Lisa (played by Bridgit Mendler), Thea begins to browse the world with her new, fabricated pregnancy. As her "pregnancy" advances, Thea is required to escalate her lies. She starts wearing phony tummies and goes to parenting classes, where she fulfills Nick (played by Luke Kirby), a captivating single father. An unsuspected romantic interest develops between them, making complex Thea's web of lies even further.

Jerry, still suspicious of Thea's unexpected pregnancy, attempts to capture her in her deception. On the other hand, Thea starts dealing with a new project in the business, discovering that she has a skill for editorship and recognizing promising brand-new authors. Her false condition earns her sympathy and some unique advantages at work, which she profits from to advance her career and make considerable enhancements to her department.

As her personal and professional life becomes intertwined with her incorrect pregnancy, Thea begins to re-evaluate her life options, her honesty, and the future she truly desires. She forms a deeper connection with Nick, and the possibility of being found looms over their budding relationship.

Climax and Resolution
The climax happens when Thea's ruse is inevitably exposed, leading to her being fired from her task and straining her relationship with Nick. Facing her deceptiveness head-on forces Thea to take responsibility for her actions and to make amends for the lies she told, particularly to Nick, with whom she's fallen in love.

In the resolution, Thea's personal growth is evident. She learns valuable lessons about sincerity and stability, and she chooses to pursue her ambitions more straightforwardly. She manages to repair her relationship with Nick and secures a book handle a publisher for one of the authors she found, revealing that her skills as an editor are genuine and valued. The film concludes with a sense of redemption for Thea, suggesting a confident future for her both expertly and personally.

Reception and Impact
"Labor Pains" was consulted with mixed evaluations, with some critics noting Lohan's efficiency as a favorable element, while others slammed the film's foreseeable plot and lack of originality. Despite not making a considerable impact in theaters, "Labor Pains" got a following through its release on cable television service and DVD, particularly among fans of the romantic comedy genre and Lindsay Lohan's earlier work. The movie has actually been acknowledged for its representation of office challenges dealt with by ladies and the pressure to balance a career with personal life.

Top Cast

  • Lindsay Lohan (small)
    Lindsay Lohan
    Thea Dixon
  • Luke Kirby (small)
    Luke Kirby
    Nick Steinwald
  • Chris Parnell (small)
    Chris Parnell
    Jerry Steinwald
  • Aaron Yoo (small)
    Aaron Yoo
    Miles
  • Bridgit Mendler (small)
    Bridgit Mendler
    Emma
  • Tracee Ellis Ross (small)
    Tracee Ellis Ross
    Kristin
  • Kevin Covais (small)
    Kevin Covais
    Greg
  • Bonnie Somerville (small)
    Bonnie Somerville
    Suzie Cavandish
  • Cheryl Hines (small)
    Cheryl Hines
    Lisa DePardo
  • Creed Bratton (small)
    Creed Bratton
    Abbott
  • Janeane Garofalo (small)
    Janeane Garofalo
    Claire