The
Back-up
Plan
is
a
comedy
that
explores
dating,
love,
marriage
and
family
in
reverse.
After
years
of
dating,
Zoe
(Jennifer
Lopez)
has
decided
waiting
for
the
right
one
is
taking
too
long.
Determined
to
become
a
mother,
she
commits
to
a
plan,
makes
an
appointment
and
decides
to
go
it
alone.
That
same
day,
Zoe
meets
Stan
(Alex
O"Loughlin)
a
man
with
real
possibilities.
Trying
to
nurture
a
budding
relationship
and
hide
the
early
signs
of
pregnancy
becomes
a
comedy
of
errors
for
Zoe
and
creates
confusing
signals
for
Stan.
When
Zoe
nervously
reveals
the
reason
for
her
unpredictable
behavior,
Stan
commits
fully
and
says
hes
in.
Never
before
has
love
seen
a
courtship
where
a
wild
night
of
sex
involves
three
in
a
bed
Stan,
Zoe
and
the
ever-present
massive
pregnancy
pillow.
Or,
where
date
night
consists
of
being
the
focal
point
at
a
near-strangers
water
birth
which
does
for
kiddie
pools
what
Jaws
did
for
swimming
in
the
ocean.
The
real
pregnancy
test
comes
when
both
of
them
realize
they
really
don"t
know
each
other
outside
of
hormonal
chaos
and
birth
preparations.
With
the
nine
month
clock
ticking,
both
begin
to
experience
cold
feet.
Anyone
can
fall
in
love,
get
married
and
have
a
baby
but
doing
it
backwards
in
hyper-drive
could
be
proof
positive
that
they
were
made
for
each
other.
There
are
so
many
problems
here
it"s
hard
to
know
where
to
begin.
The
cast
strains
to
create
a
tone
of
cuteness,
which
proves
grating,
while
the
number
of
odd
circumstances
that
keep
Zoe
and
Alex
running
into
each
other
is
insulting.
Not
only
do
they
happen
to
stumble
upon
each
other
trying
to
nab
the
same
cab,
not
once
but
twice,
but
they
also
randomly
meet
at
a
farmers
market.
I"m
sure
this
happens
in
a
city
of
nine
million
all
the
time.
However,
this
perfectly
matches
the
script,
which
is
all
over
the
place
as
well.
There
is
a
slapstick
sequence
involving
fire,
dirt
and
a
water
hose,
a
pregnant
J-Lo
trawling
in
a
dumpster
and
a
climax
involving,
you
guessed
it,
a
dramatic
birth.
These
scenes
speak
to
the
depths
to
which
The
Back-Up
Plan
stoops.
It
is
nice
to
have
Jennifer
Lopez
back
in
a
romantic
comedy
and
for
the
most
part
it
is
an
acceptable
vehicle
for
her.
O"Loughlin
is
a
wise
choice
as
her
leading
man
and
the
two
of
them
make
a
compatible
couple.
You
just
wish
the
script
was
not
as
cutesy
and
cliched
as
it
is.
This
makes
the
film
just
an
okay
one
rather
than
a
thoroughly
entertaining
one
like
some
of
her
past
movies
have
been.
The
Back
Up
Plan
needed
a
back
up
script
in
which
all
the
cliches
had
been
eliminated
and
all
the
cuteness
had
been
toned
down
a
notch
or
two
and
only
then
it
could
have
made
a
better
view.
The
Back-up
Plan-
Needed
a
better
back-up
script
Starring:
Jennifer
Lopez,
Alex
O"Loughlin
and
Noureen
DeWulf