That's a great movie, that came out a few months after the US supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, the 1973 landmark case that had allowed legal abortion in the US.

Seen in this light it does indeed serves as a grim warning for the return of illegal abortion rings and practices that lead to numerous tragedies when women couldn't safely terminate pregnancies.

The story itself is seen though the character of a housewife, _Joy Griffin_, played by Elizabeth Banks, [spoiler] who learns that her pregnancy could be fatal, due to a heart defect induced by it. She seeks legal recourse to be allowed to terminate it, due to exceptional circumstances, but is flatly denied by the hospital board, that allows that _the baby_ has a 50% chance of survival, even if the mother does not. She then seeks other means to abort, and after a false start, meets a women ring, that allows her to safely abort. After this she becomes involved with the ring first by helping out, and then by taking other the procedures herself, going on until Roe v Wade happens [/spoiler]

It's a story told in a subdued and melancholic way, that nonetheless punches you right in the guts. Elizabeth Banks does a magnificent job acting the evolution of her character, helped by a great cast of secondary actresses, chief among them Sigourney Weaver who play a hard boiled feminist, having fought all the battles of the time.

The cinematography by Greta Zozula is very good an₫ the atmosphere of the 60's is very well rendered, tip of the hat there to Jona Tochet for the production design and to Melissa Desrosiers and Julie Weiss for the costumes department (damn some of those 60's outfits were quite gorgeous).

50 years later, unfortunately that battle has to be fought again, and it's a damn shame !

Elizabeth Banks ("Joy") and her husband "Will" (Chris Messina) are rather joyfully expecting a late arrival into their 1960s family when it transpires that she has an heart condition that her doctor suggests could prove extremely perilous so long as she remains pregnant. Desperate, she turns to "Jane" after reading a billboard that suggested there may be help at hand. $600 and a visit to "Dr. Dean" (Cory Michael Smith) and all may be dealt with? Not if "Virginia" (Sigourney Weaver) has anything to do with it for she is the facilitator of a small group of women determined to help others who find themselves in a similar predicament. Of course it's all illegal - and the film now takes on a frequently darkly humoured trip that sees this initially rather reticent (and innocent) woman realise that more needs to be done, and to take some, frankly, rather innovative and courageous steps so to do. As far as the integrity of the medical science goes, I suspect this is massively over-simplistic, but in light of current events in the United States, it does shine a light on the difficulties families (single or otherwise) have in obtaining adequate and affordable medical care when they are faced with the unpleasant realities of an unwanted pregnancy. There is the odd bit of politicking going on - the prioritisation of victims getting support proving quite a potent source of debate and that, too, does offer food for thought. Banks reminded me of Elizabeth Montgomery from "Bewitched" for much of this; Weaver, though not exactly prominent here, offers a bit of depth and there is a strong effort from both the increasingly bamboozled Messina and from Wunmi Mosaku's "Gwen". It does begin to recycle itself a little towards and ending that didn't make a great deal of sense to me and the conclusion, despite this being over 2 hours long, seemed a bit rushed - but it is still an entertaining piece of cinema with an underpinning message that is probably more relevant now that for many a year.

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/other-films-watched-spoiler-free-review-sundance/#jane

"Call Jane presents a compelling premise focused on women's rights, remarkably elevated by excellent performances from Elizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, Chris Messina, and Wunmi Mosaku. An interesting, engaging first act quickly grabs the viewers, featuring a well-written screenplay and clever use of witty songs.

However, the story gradually loses momentum, becoming repetitive and dull. Practically every meaningful point is made during the first half, so the last hour feels a bit redundant and irrelevant, except for one particular development. Pacing issues arise to the overlong runtime and Phyllis Nagy's attempt to cover too much ground.

Also, the emotional attachment with the protagonist and the narrative itself is on-and-off throughout the film. A good effort, nonetheless."

Rating: C-