Cherry (2022) – Review/ Summary (with Spoilers)

Cherry is part coming of age, part abortion film, as its young lead contemplates the possibility of becoming a mom and the sacrifices that requires.

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Director(s)	Sophie Galibert
Screenplay By	Sophie Galibert, Arthur Cohen
Date Released (Film Festival – Tribeca Film Festival)	6/11/2022
Genre(s)	Comedy, Drama, Young Adult
Duration	1 Hour, 16 Minutes
Content Rating	Not Rated
Noted Cast
Cherry	Alexandria Trewhitt
Nick	Dan Schultz

This content contains pertinent spoilers.

Film Summary

While Cherry’s ambitious sister has a job and a boyfriend she is ready to have kids with, and checks off so many boxes, Cherry is not in the same place in life. She doesn’t have a steady, well-paying job. Her boyfriend is a roller rink DJ who lives with his friends and always gets high. Also, Cherry’s mom wants her out of the house, and Cherry doesn’t really have anywhere to go since her dad is not necessarily the most active parent.

Which is why learning she is pregnant is mind-blowing. But, knowing many who got their stuff together for the sake of their kid, Cherry is torn between the sacrifices she could make for her kid and terminating her pregnancy.

Things To Note

• Reason(s) for Film Rating: Cursing (Yup)

Character Descriptions

Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, and character descriptions may contain what can be considered spoilers.

Cherry

Cherry is our lead who is by no means known for being the most reliable person. She is constantly late for family occasions and work and even flakes on friends if the opportunity to be with her boyfriend comes up.

Nick

A roller rink DJ by night, and someone trying to get their band off the ground during the day, Nick, like Cherry, is holding onto the optimism of youth with a tight grasp. All with the hope that settling into something routine and lacking joy won’t become the story of his life. Especially after seeing his dad sacrifice so much to raise him.

Review

Our Rating: Mixed (Divisive)

Highlights

A Different Take On The Decision For An Abortion

Abortion remains one of those topics that seems to exist in the extremes. Either it is treated as a harrowing experience because of the lack of access or guilt, or it is played down with comedic jokes and situations. “Cherry” operates in that middle ground.

Cherry doesn’t necessarily want an abortion. There is some form of guilt there, especially since her sister is having fertility issues, but also, she has known many people who struggled, got themselves together, and had a happy kid. Add in she doesn’t have much going on right now, and you can see she leans towards questioning what would the death of the child ultimately be for?

Yet, while it may linger in her thoughts the possibility of who the child could be, there is also the question of who she, Cherry, could have been if she didn’t choose to have a kid. Nick, her partner, isn’t ready nor wants a kid. Cherry doesn’t necessarily have a support system since her sister lives on the opposite side of the country, and with her grandmother ill, her mother doesn’t have time to worry about a grown adult and a howling child.

So it becomes a question of whether she wants to make time and sacrifice in ways she hasn’t even done to better herself or potentially dodge a bullet and wonder what could have been? The way this is done, it doesn’t overdramatize what Cherry is going through or make her seem heartless. It gives the kind of weight that is respectable and understandable considering the varying factors of what she has to decide for herself.

On The Fence

It’s More Story-Driven Than Character-Driven – And The Story Doesn’t Have A Strong Oomph

The heart of “Cherry” isn’t necessarily Cherry herself. Unfortunately, she gets absorbed into the zeitgeist regarding the decision-making process of having an abortion. Thus, her individual story about being a mid-20 something who likes to skate, her complicated relationship with her dad and sister, and even her inability to be dependable feel less like layers and more like sprinkles. They don’t add much to Cherry’s story, for what is written is completely overpowered by whether or not, given her circumstances, Cherry will have an abortion.

But that is why “Cherry” works in a way. Because it is a light-hearted drama about a serious topic, “Cherry” benefits by not dwelling on how privileged Cherry is to get pregnant on accident while her sister struggles. Cherry avoiding telling the most important people in her life she is pregnant reminds you how personal that decision is and how it doesn’t need to be something your would-be village needs or always should have a vote in.

So while Cherry and nearly all the characters are forgettable, the scenarios and thought processes can definitely stay with you.

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