The Back-up Plan

The Back-up Plan (previously known as Plan B) is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Alan Poul, starring Jennifer Lopez and Alex O'Loughlin.[5] The film follows a woman aiming to be a single mother through planned pregnancy, but soon falls in love with a man who wants to father her unborn children. It was released theatrically in the United States on April 23, 2010, by CBS Films.[6] The Back-up Plan garnered negative reviews from critics who praised Lopez's performance but criticized the generic script. It was a box-office success, grossing $77.5 million against a production budget of $35 million.

This article is about the 2010 romantic comedy film. For the episode of Glee, see The Back-up Plan (Glee).

The Back-up Plan
Theatrical release poster
Directed byAlan Poul
Screenplay byKate Angelo
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyXavier Pérez Grobet
Edited byPriscilla Nedd-Friendly
Music byStephen Trask
Production
company
Distributed byCBS Films (United States)
Sony Pictures Releasing International (International)[1][2]
Release date
  • April 23, 2010 (2010-04-23) (United States)
Running time
104 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$35 million[3]
Box office$77.5 million[4]

Plot

Zoe gives up on finding the man of her dreams, decides to become a single mother and undergoes artificial insemination. The same day she meets Stan when they both try to hail the same taxi. They run into each other twice more at a farmers market and a pet store. Stan convinces Zoe to go on a no-obligations date. Zoe is still uncertain whether she is pregnant or not and if she should tell Stan. The night she takes the test, Stan takes her for a romantic dinner in a garden. Things don't turn out as well as planned when he spills the wine and a fire occurs. At the end of the night Stan asks her to come to his farm during the weekend and Zoe finds out that she is pregnant.

She goes to the farm determined to tell him that she is pregnant. They sleep together and afterwards Stan is confused and angry that she didn't tell him before and Zoe leaves the next morning believing that things are over between them. However, Stan decides he still wants to be with her and they reconcile. They go to the doctor and find out that Zoe is actually carrying twins. Overwhelmed, Stan goes to a children's playing area to figure out what it means to be a father, but is suspected to be a pervert; this is soon cleared up. He finds a friend there that he can talk to about the pregnancy throughout the movie, while Zoe gets little support from her Single Mothers and Proud group when the group members discover she is no longer single. Stan takes the next step to becoming a father and orders a stroller for the twins. After many misunderstandings and comedic revelations, Zoe and Stan are walking into the Market when they run into Stan's ex-girlfriend. Due to Stan's remark that the twins are not his, Zoe believes that he is not ready to become a father to them, and breaks off the relationship.

Later, the stroller that Stan ordered arrives and Zoe figures out that Stan was never planning to leave. At her grandmother's wedding, Zoe's water breaks and on the way to the hospital they make a pit stop at the Market. Zoe apologizes to Stan and they begin to work things out. He pulls out the penny that she turned over when they first met and Zoe promises to trust him more. Zoe gives birth to twin girls, one of whom they name Penny. In the end, Stan opens a store/restaurant next to Zoe's pet shop and after the Grand Opening speech Stan asks Zoe to marry him and she says yes. On their way home, she spontaneously throws up into a trash can and realizes that she may be yet again pregnant.

Cast

Production

The film, originally titled Plan B, was written by Kate Angelo and produced by Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch.[7] Lopez's casting was announced in December 2008 by multiple sources.[8][9] Digital Spy announced in February 2009 that Alan Poul was in "final talks" to direct Plan B, which would be his first feature film.[10] On April 8, 2009, The Arizona Republic reported that O'Loughlin was "in negotiations to nab the romantic male lead".[11] The Back-up Plan was Lopez's first film in three years, and she confessed to feeling "really nervous".[12] Filming began on May 11, 2009, in Los Angeles.[11] The film's production budget was $35 million.[13]

Music

The soundtrack and the score were released on March 26, 2010, on iTunes.[14][15] They were made available on Amazon.com on April 13, 2010. The soundtrack has various artists, while the score was composed entirely by Stephen Trask.[16]

Soundtrack
The Back-up Plan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)[17]
No.TitleArtist(s)Length
1."What Is Love?"Jennifer Lopez4:27
2."Say Hey (I Love You)"Michael Franti & Spearhead3:39
3."Fallin' For You"Colbie Caillat3:36
4."Disco Lies"Moby3:32
5."A Beautiful Day"India.Arie3:51
6."Key to My Heart"Jessica Jarrell3:54
7."Crabbuckit"K-os3:40
8."Bottles"V V Brown3:02
9."You Me & the Bourgeoisie"The Submarines3:22
10."Let's Finish" (Sinden Remix)Kudu4:48
11."Daydream" (Titles Theme from The Back-up Plan)Stephen Trask2:25
12."She Drives Me Crazy" (bonus track)Raney Shockne featuring Barbara Perry3:14
13."What a Wonderful World" (bonus track)Raney Shockne featuring Barbara Perry2:36

Score

The film's score was composed by Stephen Trask.

Release

Box office

The Back-up Plan earned $4,257,676 in 3,280 theaters on its Friday debut, reaching number one at the box office.[18][19] It dropped to number two at the weekend box office with a gross of $12,201,710, averaging $3,720 per theater.[20] In its 2nd week it dropped to number four with $7,255,762, averaging $2,212 per theater.[21] In its third week the film dropped to number five grossing $5,033,471, averaging $1,676 per theater.[22] The following week it dropped to number six grossing $2,387,480, averaging $956 per theater. As of July 14, it had grossed $77,237,270 worldwide, and is CBS Films' highest-grossing film to date.[23][24]

Critical response

The film received negative reviews from critics, with most critics panning the script, but reacting positively to Lopez's performance. Rotten Tomatoes reported that 17% of critics gave the film positive reviews based on 150 reviews with an average score of 3.7/10.[25] Its consensus states "Jennifer Lopez is as appealing as ever, but The Back-up Plan smothers its star with unrelatable characters and a predictable plot."[25] Another review aggregator, Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average from 0 to 100 on top reviews of mainstream critics, gave the film an average score of 34% based on 32 reviews.[26]

Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review saying, "A winning performance by Jennifer Lopez overcomes a formulaic and predictable rom-com that involves a planned pregnancy."[27] The New York Times film critic Manohla Dargis wrote that the film is "not very good" and "bland".[28] Amy Biancolli of the San Francisco Chronicle praised the cast in her review writing "Lopez does a fine job mortifying herself in pursuit of physical humor, shifting her center of gravity in more ways than one. O'Loughlin, in the blander role, acts hurt or shocked or besotted where required, but the supporting players nearly steal the show."[29] Chicago Sun-Times film critic Roger Ebert gave the film 1/4 stars, claiming the film "plays like an unendurable TV commercial about beautiful people with great lifestyles and not a thought in their empty little heads."[30]

The Back-up Plan received two nominations for Best Romantic Comedy Actress (for Lopez) and Best Romantic Comedy at the 2010 Teen Choice Awards.[31]

Home media

The Back-up Plan was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 24, 2010, and sold 277,183 ($4.7 million) copies in its first week of release debuting at number two on the charts behind the sixth season of Lost.

References
  1. Hazelton, John (April 7, 2010). "The Back-up Plan". Screen International. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  2. Bart, Peter; Fleming, Michael (November 17, 2009). "CBS Films hooks up with Sony". Variety. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  3. Horn, John (April 22, 2010). "Movie Projector: 'Dragon' will breathe fire again". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved May 9, 2010.
  4. "The Back-up Plan".
  5. Siegel, Tatiana, and Michael Fleming. "Jennifer Lopez going with 'Plan B': CBS Films seeking director for project", Variety, December 15, 2008
  6. Official website. Retrieved March 11, 2010.
  7. Siegel, Tatiana; Fleming, Michael (December 15, 2008). "Jennifer Lopez going with 'Plan B'". Variety. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  8. Zeitchik, Steven (December 15, 2008). "Jennifer Lopez pencils in 'Plan B'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 2, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  9. Grossberg, Josh (December 16, 2008). "Jennifer Lopez Opts for Plan B". E! News. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  10. Reynolds, Simon (February 4, 2009). "Poul circles Jennifer Lopez's 'Blan B'". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on February 19, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  11. Kit, Borys (April 8, 2009). "Alex O'Loughlin eyes 'Back-Up Plan'". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  12. Lara, Martin (June 5, 2009). "Lopez 'worried about forgetting how to act'". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on February 19, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  13. Horn, John (April 22, 2010). "Word of Mouth: Jennifer Lopez makes an acting comeback in 'The Back-Up Plan'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2013.
  14. "The Back-up Plan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Various Artists". iTunes Store. Belgium. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  15. "The Back-up Plan (Original Motion Picture Score) by Stephen Trask". iTunes Store. Belgium. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  16. "The Back-up Plan: The Back-up Plan: Music". Amazon. Retrieved March 20, 2010.
  17. "The Back-up Plan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Various Artists". iTunes Store. United Kingdom. April 13, 2010.
  18. "The Back-Up Plan". Box Office Mojo.
  19. "Friday Report: 'Back-Up Plan' Tops the Day, 'Dragon' to Top the Weekend". Box Office Mojo. April 24, 2010. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  20. "The Back-Up Plan (2010)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  21. "Weekend Report: 'Nightmare' Wakes Up in Top Spot". Box Office Mojo. May 3, 2010. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  22. "Weekend Box Office Results for September 3–5, 2010". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  23. "Box Office by Studio: CBS Films". Box Office Mojo.
  24. "The Back-up Plan – Box Office Data, Movie News, Cast Information". The Numbers. Retrieved September 11, 2010.
  25. "The Back-up Plan Movie Reviews, Pictures". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on August 21, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  26. "The Back-up Plan Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 4, 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  27. Honeycutt, Kirk (April 7, 2010). "The Back-Up Plan – Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 11, 2010. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  28. Dargis, Manohla (April 23, 2010). "Movie Review – The Back-Up Plan – Love Means Having to Say, 'I Feel ...'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 27, 2010. Retrieved April 23, 2010.
  29. Biancolli, Amy (April 23, 2010). "Review: 'The Back-Up Plan'". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on February 2, 2016. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  30. Ebert, Roger (April 21, 2010). "The Back-up Plan". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on April 29, 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  31. Soll, Lindsay (June 14, 2010). "Teen Choice Awards 2010: First Round Of Nominees Announced". MTV. Archived from the original on December 7, 2020. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
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