Sundance 2022 Review: Call Jane – “A story more powerful and urgent than ever.”

The sixties is usually a time that’s glamorized. The fashion, the music, the ratted hairstyles all portray the ideal view of the period. But not everything was pleasant, and no white picket fence with a picture-perfect family can undo the struggles many faced. 

The opening sequence is filled with the whimsy of the sixties. But the glamour fades as a chorus of voices are heard chanting, “The whole world is watching,” bringing a harsh reality to the forefront. And while this film takes place over 50 years ago, the story is more powerful and urgent than ever. 

Call Jane is based on a real-life group of women who created an underground service to provide free and safe abortions to those who needed it before the procedure was made legal.

Joy (Elizabeth Banks) is a picture-perfect housewife. Together, she, her husband (Chris Messina), and her daughter (Grace Edwards) create the perfect nuclear family, who are about to welcome one more member into the world. But as Joy faces a medical emergency, it becomes clear that her voice and life are not her own. This film does not shy away from depicting how small a woman is made to feel or how hard she has to scream to have her voice heard. It also does not shy away from the extraordinary things strong women can do while working together. 

Call Jane is a powerful story about the power of exercising choice and the path a group of brave women forged to save thousands from back-alley abortions. The role is a career-best for Banks, with a performance that will leave your mouth open and tears in your eyes. 

A few moments lagged, but not enough to look away. A few characters could have served a greater purpose, like Kate Mara, but failed to do so. Fortunately, others, like Sigourney Weaver, were given meaty roles. Director Phyllis Nagy, along with writers Hayley Shore and Roshan Sethi, Created a thought-provoking story with themes still relevant to this day. The final scene is satisfying after being on the edge of your seat for most of the film. When the credits rolled, I immediately wanted to watch it all over again.