Film
The Back-Up Plan
- Romantic comedy
- Light-hearted
A romantic comedy about a woman who gets artificially inseminated and then meets the man of her dreams on the same day. It's a light, warm film that trades in the wish-fulfillment of having everything work out, with enough charm and decent supporting performances to coast through its gentle premise. For people who like their romance uncomplicated and their stakes low.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you want a light romantic comedy built on a deliberately unconventional premise, where the pleasure lies in easy banter and awkward, lived-in detours along the way.
Skip it if you tire easily of broad, overplayed physical comedy, because the film leans on louder gags and a familiar romantic-comedy rhythm that can feel busy and predictable.
What it asks of you: Expect a brisk, easy ride of about an hour and three-quarters, with few demands beyond keeping up with the chatter and letting the mood stay light.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
What to Expect When You're Expecting2012
An ensemble romantic comedy that handles pregnancy and parenthood with similar lightness and warmth, built around a large cast finding unexpected connections and second chances.
But It's overstuffed with storylines and celebrities, so the tone flattens into generic rom-com beats pretty quickly.

Ghostbusters II1989
Another film where the protagonist has to balance a new romantic relationship with an overwhelming external complication, played with charm and self-aware humor by a likeable cast.
But It's very much of its 1989 moment, and the tone swings wildly between comedy and horror in ways that don't always land.

How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days2003
A brisk romantic comedy with strong chemistry between leads, a premise that keeps moving, and supporting characters who actually have personality and agency.
But The gender politics feel dated, and it relies on deception as a plot driver in ways that can feel manipulative on rewatching.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Back-Up Plan
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Waitress2007
Both center on a woman choosing motherhood while figuring out love, but Waitress treats both with genuine emotional stakes rather than as plot mechanics.
A film about a woman navigating an unexpected pregnancy and redefining her future on her own terms, but it's achingly tender, funny without being cute, and genuinely moving about motherhood and agency.
But It's a indie drama with real weight to it, not a breezy rom-com—the tone is earnest and sometimes difficult, and some of its subject matter is dark.

More like this (8)
Juno2007
A smart take on unexpected pregnancy and unconventional families, with genuine heart, humor that doesn't feel forced, and characters who grow in believable ways.
But The indie-film quirkiness can feel cloying, and some viewers find its tone too precious for its subject matter.

27 Dresses2008
A romantic comedy with real warmth, a plot that keeps moving, and leads with excellent chemistry who feel like actual people trying to figure out what they want.
But The script is fairly thin once you sit with it, and it doesn't do anything you haven't seen before.

The Proposal2009
A machine that works: two charming leads, a high-stakes premise that forces unexpected intimacy, and supporting performances that know exactly what movie they're in.
But It's completely paint-by-numbers, and the power dynamics between the leads are problematic if you're paying close attention.

Maid in Manhattan2002
Jennifer Lopez brings charisma and vulnerability to a Cinderella premise, and the film has enough warmth and humor to justify the implausibility at its core.
But It's a fantasy built on class dynamics that don't hold up to scrutiny, and the plot mechanics strain credibility.

Legally Blonde2001
A romantic comedy where the female lead refuses to be diminished, the humor comes from character rather than mean-spiritedness, and everyone seems to be having fun.
But The humor is sometimes too broad, and modern audiences may find its cheerfulness exhausting rather than charming.

Kate & Leopold2001
A time-travel romance that wants sincerely to be charming, with leads who commit fully to the premise and a willingness to be earnest without winking.
But The mechanics of the time travel are nonsensical, and it's far too long for what it's trying to do.

Bridget Jones's Baby2016
Both feature female leads at a life crossroads involving unexpected pregnancy, but this one actually interrogates whether romance solves everything.
A romantic comedy that extends the premise of Bridget Jones into motherhood and asks real questions about what women want beyond being rescued by the right man.
But It's a legacy sequel that works primarily if you're already invested in the character, and it's messier and less polished than the originals.

Plan B2021
Same premise DNA—a woman's autonomy over reproduction—but flipped entirely: instead of pursuing parenthood as fulfillment, it's about preventing it as freedom.
A teen comedy about two girls trying to get emergency contraception, which sounds like it might be preachy but is actually hilarious, warmhearted, and treats its young characters as intelligent and complex.
But The humor is contemporary and often crude, the politics are front-and-center, and it's fundamentally about thwarting motherhood rather than embracing it.

People
Cast

Alex O'LoughlinStan
Michaela WatkinsMona
Eric Christian OlsenClive
Anthony AndersonPlayground Dad
Noureen DeWulfDaphne
Melissa McCarthyCarol
Tom BosleyArthur
Maribeth MonroeLori
Danneel AcklesOlivia
Robert KleinDr. Scott Harris
Linda LavinNana
Directing
- Iris HuezoAdditional Second Assistant Director
- Steven HackerAdditional Second Assistant Director
- Thom BuckleyAdditional Second Assistant Director
- Alan PoulDirector
- Vincent LascoumesFirst Assistant Director
- Alicia AccardoScript Supervisor
- Christophe Le ChanuSecond Assistant Director
- Ivan KraljevićSecond Assistant Director
- Robin Winter-YoungSecond Assistant Director
- Justin RitsonSecond Second Assistant Director
Writing
- Kate AngeloWriter
Production
- Becky PhillipsAdditional Production Assistant
- Michael MilesAdditional Production Assistant
- Oliver BrooksAdditional Production Assistant
- Philip BanksAdditional Production Assistant
- Ashanti NgoziArt Department Production Assistant
- Cesar QuinonesAssistant Location Manager
- Megan FoersterAssistant Location Manager
- Neale FishbackAssistant Location Manager
- KB PuglieseAssistant Production Coordinator
- David RubinCasting
- Richard HicksCasting
- Alex ChristopoulosCasting Assistant
- Kate HubbellCasting Associate
- Christine CogginsCo-Producer
- Lance JohnsonCo-Producer
- Steven Tyler SahleinExecutive In Charge Of Production
- David BloomfieldExecutive Producer
- Rodney LiberExecutive Producer
- Dawn Marie DeibertExtras Casting
- Rich KingExtras Casting
- Erin HughesExtras Casting Assistant
- Tracy BrowneFirst Assistant Accountant
- Nicholas E. SchepisiKey Set Production Assistant
- Teresa Jolene LeeKey Set Production Assistant
- Ryan ScatenatoLocation Assistant
- Michelle BasterrecheaLocation Coordinator
- Peter J. NovakLocation Manager
- Santiago QuinonesLocation Manager
- Kerry RobertsPayroll Accountant
- Michael DornerPayroll Accountant
- Judy BlinickPost Production Accountant
- Jason BlumenthalProducer
- Steve TischProducer
- Todd BlackProducer
- Cheryl A. StoneProduction Accountant
- Andrew LitvakProduction Assistant
- Daniel ChaseProduction Assistant
- Emilio HurmuziouProduction Assistant
- Erich RettstadtProduction Assistant
- Isaac Wostrel-RubinProduction Assistant
- Jeremy ScripterProduction Assistant
- Josh ArnoudseProduction Assistant
- Joshua WilliamsProduction Assistant
- Juel TaylorProduction Assistant
- Kyle CampbellProduction Assistant
- Laura PeñaProduction Assistant
- Shane McGonnigalProduction Assistant
- Justin HautProduction Coordinator
- Meghan K. WickerProduction Coordinator
- Biyami SakProduction Driver
- David ChaconProduction Driver
- Julio SalazarProduction Driver
- Larry FlahertyProduction Driver
- Ray CiceroProduction Driver
- Candace DeeAnnProduction Manager
- Jessi SmartProduction Secretary
- Kyle GorjancProduction Secretary
- Judy RichterProduction Supervisor
- Daniel AltieriSecond Assistant Accountant
- Nathan A. AronsonSecond Assistant Accountant
- Sonia Y. DawsonSecond Assistant Accountant
- Dustin BernardUnit Production Manager