Jennifer Lopez
Explores Adoptive
Motherhood In Latest Role!
By
Rych McCain, International/Nationally Syndicated Entertainment Columnist
In 1985, Heidi Murkoff wrote a book titled
“What To Expect When You’re Expecting”
that became a New York Times bestseller. It was named one of the USA Today’s
most influential books of the past 25 years and is now the first book in a
series that has sold 35 million copies Worldwide. It’s no small wonder that a
book of that magnitude would end up on the big silver screen as a major feature
film. The movie focuses on five couples who are experiencing the roller-coaster
nuances of being expected parents in situations that are common in
general. It also begs the question that
the cast would have to be young, sexy, interesting and exciting. The producers
and casting personnel on this project hit the nail on the head by selecting a
stellar cast. Amongst those actors leading the film to glory is showbiz vet
Jennifer Lopez or “JLo” as her music fans like to refer to her.
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| Jennifer Lopez (Photo by Melissa Moseley for Liongate) |
In reference to the book, Lopez says, “The
book is amazing, which is why it’s so popular. It tells you exactly, week to
week, what’s happening to you in the moment. I think women, by nature, when
we’re pregnant, are so worried that everything’s going to go okay. And here you
have this book saying, ‘this is supposed to be happening, don’t worry, you’re
supposed to feel like this.’ I think the movie does the exact same thing. It
reassures you by telling five totally different stories about being pregnant
and making you laugh.” Lopez plays Holly
who is married to Alex (played by Rodrigo Santoro. Having no children allows
them the freedom to romp as they please. Lopez notes, “Holly and Alex have a
lot of fun together. He’s into music and she’s into her professional
photography. They’ve been married for a while but their relationship has been
mostly based on having a good time. There needs to be a transition into growing
up, becoming a family and really getting serious about their lives.” The only
problem is that Holly can’t have children.
Lopez enjoyed the role because she said,
“As Holly, I was able to explore the intense pressure that many modern women,
who have their own careers and tend to have children later in life, experience
with regard to having a family. Holly lives with a tremendous guilt for not
being able to do certain things and one of them is the fact that she can’t have
a baby.” In the movie the couple ends up going to Ethiopia to adopt an orphan
infant son. Did Lopez arrive at a different view of adoption as a result of her
role? She smiles, “It’s funny, before the movie, I never really thought about
adoption at all. Once I had my own baby, I was just so focused on that. It took
me a while to have my own. But during the making of the film when I held those
two little Ethiopian twins, you fall in love instantly and it really occurred
to me. I can see how somebody can do this. How it is so easy to embrace a child
who has nothing. It’s really a beautiful, selfless act of love. You go OK, I
understand these feelings, I get this, I know how this happens.”
Did the movie mirror any aspects of
Lopez’s life as a real mother? She laughs, “Fist, all you really do care about
is not messing up the baby part. I just want them to be OK so that comes first
for me and everything else just kind of falls in line after that..That’s kind
of my philosophy. So long as that’s kind of working in the right way, then I can
dedicate whatever time I need to dedicate to my career. I just take it one day
at a time. I have a lot of help. I have a lot of great people in my life who
help in all those areas at work and at home. I have a great family and all
together we do it. It takes a village.”
Rych McCain Media/Syndication tm
(You DID Hear It From Me!)
E-Mail: feedbackrych@sbcglobal.net
