What to Expect When You're Expecting

Inspired by Heidi Murkoff's titular bestselling pregnancy-advice manual, What to Expect When You're Expecting is an ensemble comedy about five disparate family-starting couples whose paths crisscross. Holly (Jennifer Lopez), a freelance photographer who is far more excited about adopting a baby from Africa than her anxious music-producer mate Alex (Rodrigo Santoro), suggests that he meet a friend's husband who is part of the macho “daddy dudes” support group, led by Vic (Chris Rock). Meanwhile, self-centered, high-octane, television fitness coach Jules (Cameron Diaz) and celebrity dance show star Evan (Matthew Morrison) are in crisis mode about circumcision, among other things. Former high-school-classmates-turned-competitive food-truck vendors, chefs Marco (Chace Crawford) and Rosie (Anna Kendrick), are stunned to discover that she's pregnant—after only one hook-up. Stressed-out Wendy (Elizabeth Banks), who not only owns the maternity/lactation shop Breast Choice, but also has written a militant book extolling the joys of breastfeeding, finally conceives after trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant for two years with her mild-mannered husband Gary (Ben Falcone)—only to be upstaged by Gary's hypercompetitive, retired car-racing dad, Ramsey (Dennis Quaid), who announces at a family brunch that he's having twins with his much younger trophy wife, Skyler (Brooklyn Decker). Directed by Kirk Jones, this contrived, redundant, and cliché-laden film is a floundering mom-com that plays it safe: don't look for any brave single mothers or adventurous same-sex couples, because nothing even superficially challenging can be found in this slickly packaged production. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include “What to Expect and the Pregnancy Bible” on the bestselling book (15 min.), “The Dudes Unscrewed” on the male costars (12 min.), deleted scenes (5 min.), trailers, and bonus digital and UltraViolet copies of the film. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a rom-com that doesn't deliver.] (S. Granger)