Movie review
October 27, 2022 · 121 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Call Jane is a 2022 drama depicting a 1968 Chicago suburban housewife who, after a life-threatening pregnancy is denied legal abortion by an all-male hospital board, joins the underground Jane Collective of women providing safe illegal abortions. The narrative centers on her feminist awakening, female collective action for reproductive autonomy, and resistance to patriarchal medical and legal barriers. It prominently features identity-driven themes of women's empowerment and institutional patriarchy, with marketing and creator statements explicitly linking the story to post-Roe v. Wade debates on choice and agency.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Call Jane.
Woke representation / casting
Casting is largely period-appropriate for 1968 white suburban Chicago with leads Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver; the Black actress (Wunmi Mosaku) as activist Gwen addresses story-specific class and racial access disparities without unearned competence, physical dominance, or visible modern quota mismatch.
Woke political dialogue
Includes recurring dialogue on reproductive choice, non-judgmental women's support, and resistance to male medical authority, but delivered with humor and restraint rather than extended sermons per reviews and creator intent.
Identity-driven story themes
The core story engine is a suburban woman's transformation into feminist activist via an all-female collective fighting for bodily autonomy and defying patriarchal laws, framed as empowering solidarity and agency.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Centers on the all-male hospital board and restrictive laws as oppressive patriarchal gatekeepers denying women control, while highlighting class/racial inequities in access and tying events to ongoing systemic struggles.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Little to no prominent backlash claiming the title pushes woke, feminist, or left-wing messaging; mainstream coverage treats it as important history with light tone, and anti-woke complaints remain fringe or undocumented.
Creator track record context
Director's prior queer drama *Carol* and writer's documented comments on racial bias in medicine provide context for the film's emphasis on institutional patriarchy, equity, and women's collective resistance.
Production
