Roadside Attractions
Unfortunately, the timing for the trailer for Call Jane “couldn’t be better” for this point in American history—which is a truly depressing, angering cliché to be able to use for this subject matter. As the devastating effects of the overturning of Roe v. Wade begin to reveal themselves, the new film has transformed from a period piece about an incredible moment in American history into a searing chronicle of how history is now repeating itself..
While abortion road movies have been on the rise in the past few years—Unpregnant, Plan B, and Never Rarely Sometimes Always, to name a few—the new footage of Call Jane gives an inside look at one of the most impactful underground abortion counseling services of the late 1960s. In the first look, the Jane Collective activists assist pregnant women in and around the Chicago area looking to end their pregnancy.
Based on a true story, Joy (Elizabeth Banks) finds the Jane Collective via a “Call Jane”’ advertisement she finds on the street. With a possibly fatal pregnancy, Joy, a typical 1960s housewife, heads to the clinic to get some help. After the ladies save her life, Joy decides it’s her duty to give back to other women around the nation.