Having premiered at theSundance Film Festivalin January this year,Call Janeis the latest movie that tackles the issues of women’s rights in America. The story takes place in the 1960s and centers around a housewife who learns that her pregnancy with her second child poses a threat to her life. With no support or guidance on what to do and having been overruled by her doctors and husband, she decides to take matters into her own hands and comes across a network of women known as the Jane Collective.
Although this movie is entirely fictional, The Jane Collective was a real organization that operated in Chicago, Illinois from 1969 to 1973. They were associated with the Women’s Liberation Union and provided an underground service to pregnant women who needed abortions, at a time in the U.S when abortion was illegal in most states. Several members were actually arrested and were facing serious prison time for their so-called crimes, but fortunately, theRoe v. Wadecase in 1973 meant that the charges were dropped and the Jane Collective was ultimately disbanded.
The film was written byHayley SchoreandRoshan Sethi, and directed byPhyllis Nagy.Call Janeis only the second feature film Nagy has directed, the first being the 2005 drama filmMrs. HarrisstarringAnnette BeningandBen Kingsley. Nagy also wrote the screenplay forCarol, a 2015 period drama starringCate Blanchett, which earned her an Academy Awardnomination for Best Adapted Screenplay, alongside various other accolades. This movie is sure to be polarizing to audiences considering the present situation of abortion rights in the US but putting all that aside, you will be able to appreciate the combined efforts of the cast and crew when they see this film. It is not a story of policy or government, but of courage, community, and compassion, as well as highlighting an issue that continues to be relevant for many people across various parts of the world. To tell this story, Phyllis Nagy needed a talented cast willing to step up to the plate, so let us take a look at who they are.
Related:‘Call Jane’: Trailer, Release Date, Cast, Plot, and Everything You Need to Know
Elizabeth Banksas Joy
Playing the 60s suburban housewife isElizabeth Banks. She is an American actress and director with a career in both film and television. Banks is perhaps best known for her role as Effie Trinket inThe Hunger Gamesfilm series, as well as Gail Abernathy-McKadden in thePitch Perfecttrilogy, where she also directed the second film in the saga. She has also made appearances in the TV sitcomsScrubsandModern Family,and had a recurring role as Avery Jessup in30 Rock, a part which earned her two Primetime Emmy nominations.
After making her directorial debut withPitch Perfect 2, Banks went on to write and direct the 2019 film adaptation ofCharlie’s Angelswhile also acting in the movie. She is currently set to direct an upcoming thriller calledCocaine Bearand will also star in an AppleTV+ film titledThe Beanie BubblealongsideZach Galifianakis.
Sigourney Weaveras Virginia
Starring opposite Banks in an equally important role isSigourney Weaveras Virginia. Weaver has enjoyed an enduring career spanning five decades and is considered an icon in the science fiction world. She first rose to prominence in the 1979 filmAlienas Ellen Ripley and has reprised the role three more times in various sequels. Her sci-fi and fantasy work also includesGhostbusters,Galaxy Quest,Paul,WALL-E,Chappie, andAvataras Dr. Grace Augustine, a world she will return to in the upcomingAvatar: The Way of Water. Weaver has also starred in many dramas such asWorking Girl,Gorillas in the Mist,Death and the Maiden,Copycat, and, more recently,Master Gardener, an intense thriller that premiered at the Venice Film Festivalearlier this year.
Aside from preparing for theAvatarsequels, Sigourney Weaver will also appear in a new Amazon Studios television series calledThe Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, based on a novel of the same name by Australian writerHolly Ringland.
Related:Sigourney Weaver and Elizabeth Banks Take a Pro-Choice Stand in ‘Call Jane’ Trailer
Kate Maraas Lana
Kate Marais an American actress best known for playing Zoe Barnes in the political dramaHouse of Cards. Her other roles include Shari Rothenberg in the thriller series24, Hayden McClaine inAmerican Horror Story: Murder House, and Patty Bowes in the drama seriesPose. Mara has also made film appearances inBrokeback Mountain,We Are Marshall,Shooter,Transcendence,The Martian, and the 2015 adaptation ofFantastic Four.
Chris Messinaas Will
Playing Joy’s husband Will isChris Messina. His most notable performances are in the comedy TV seriesThe Mindy Projectas Danny Castellano and in the miniseriesSharp Objectsas Detective Richard Willis. He has also starred in many other television series such asSix Feet Under,The Newsroom,andThe Sinner. Audiences may also recognize him from movies likeMade of Honor,Vicky Cristina Barcelona,Julie & Julia,Argo, andBirds of Prey, a superhero film based on DC’s Harley Quinn and Birds of Prey characters.
Messina is set to star in the upcoming horror filmThe Boogeymanbased on the short story byStephen King, and a movie titledI.S.S, a sci-fi thriller about a group of astronauts whose lives are thrown in jeopardy.
Wunmi Mosakuas Gwen
Wunmi Mosakustars as Gwen, a woman who works with The Jane Collective. Mosaku is a British-Nigerian actress with an extensive career in television. She has appeared inMoses Jones,Silent Witness,Vera,Fearless,The End of the F***ing World,Luther, andLovecraft Country.
Her film credits includeBatman V Superman: Dawn of Justice,Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,Sweetness in the Belly, and the 2020 horror filmHis House, which earned Mosaku a BAFTAnomination for Best Actress. Her most notable performance to date is possibly her role in theMCU TV seriesLoki, where she played Hunter B-15. Mosaku’s next upcoming project is a drama-thriller film calledAlice, Darlingwhere she will be starring oppositeAnna Kendrick.
