'Unexpected's Anders Holm on newcomer Gail Bean: 'She's great'
theGRIO REPORT - The new film Unexpected touches on several key issues, making it relatable to virtually every woman.
The new film Unexpected touches on several key issues surrounding motherhood, making it relatable to virtually everyone. Writer and director Kris Swanberg, as well as the film’s stars Cobie Smolders and Anders Holm, sat down with theGrio to talk about those very real issues.
Smolders plays the role of Samantha Abbott, an inner city Chicago high school teacher who begins to deal with an unplanned pregnancy at the same time as one of her rising students, Jasmine, played by newcomer Gail Bean. The two form an unlikely friendship as the audience follows them through very real situations while preparing for childbirth. They experience different situations with their significant others, while dealing with the ups and downs of their unlikely friendship.
Swanberg, who taught in inner city Chicago for three years, told theGrio she “used a ton of my past experiences while writing this.” She called her experience teaching “really eyeopening.”
“Most people sort of stay within their social class,” Swanberg said. “Whether you’re low income or upper-middle class, your friends and family are usually all from that same social class. It’s kind of rare to have a friendship with someone from a different social class, and so that really inspired me to tell that story and to talk about those different dynamics.”
Smolders, who was actually pregnant with her second child while filming, told theGrio that it was “helpful” at times.
“In a lot of moments, it was a lot of the stuff that I was currently going through, but then a lot of it I had to recall from other experiences,” the now-mother of two said.
Swanberg also touched on the “identity crisis” she personally experienced after her first child was born. In Unexpected, Sam struggles with what she should do after her child is born. Her husband John thinks she should stay home, while Sam struggles with feeling guilty about wanting to return to work and further her career.
Anders Holm takes on the role of John. Holm said he found the script really relatable and even “too accurate” at times, having just had a child with his wife.
The actor added that he got to see the full film at Sundance. He said while it was there he “got to see all of Gail’s performances, and be like ‘Whoa, she’s great.'”
Unexpected is currently out in select theaters.
