There is no denying that Plan C intended to inform, sought to educate, and hoped to enlighten when it came to Sundance, but for some audiences, this is exactly what made the documentary so dangerous.
Debates around abortion in America have raged on for decades, coming to a head in 1973 when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of women being allowed to choose termination. Roe vs. Wade revolved around abortion laws in Texas being deemed unconstitutional, since prematurely ending a pregnancy before full term was only possible in extreme life threatening cases. That the case was heard, this lawsuit upheld, and laws changed as a result – meant that from then on, women were legally allowed to choose.
What director Tracy Droz Tragos does with Plan C in 2023 is explore the debate through the eyes of contemporary culture, a place where moral and ethical goalposts are perpetually in flux, as frightened women seek help in secret, since abortions are now mostly banned in multiple states. All this documentary attempts to do in light of these legal restrictions is understand and provide context for audiences prepared to listen. Something which, if nothing else, Plan C succeeds in doing without being overtly biased or preaching from the pulpit.
Having laid down a timeline from the early 70s through to the noughts, audiences are swiftly introduced to founders Francine Coeytaux and Elisa Wells. An organization which shares information through a website, informing anyone where they can order abortion medication should that be required. From the perspective of 2019 where this documentary begins, viewers are taken through COVID and out the other side, as American legislation continues changing its mind on the topic of termination.
Prior to the pandemic, any woman who wanted an abortion had to visit their doctor, who would prescribe it to them in person, whereupon they then had to return home and administer the drug at home. The inherent problem with this procedure has more to do with human nature, than it does with any moral arguments at this point.
In America, the controversy around abortion rights is an ongoing battle royale, where protestors, and those with more forceful means of expressing themselves wish to be heard. If network news, social media, and community opinion is thrown into the mix, then to say that most women live in fear of getting abortions might be considered an understatement.
What Plan C seeks to do, both through this documentary and the organization, is change hearts and minds. The simple fact that people within this company who choose to prescribe abortion meds across state lines could be imprisoned, is one of the many risks they run on a daily basis.
The fact that people could order pills online for the first time during COVID, only to have that privilege revoked when the perceived danger had passed, goes some way to explaining how unpredictable US governments can be when it comes to this personal freedom. Ultimately, what Plan C seeks to do is explore the controlling nature of lawmakers around this debate, who somehow think that personal choices need to be legislated.
Over the course of this documentary, not only are people actively and intentionally sharing information to panic stricken women, but their life partners also get to weigh in with their opinions. Offering up ideas which are understandably biased in favor of their loved ones, who feel compelled to give back those personal freedoms that state and federal statutes have suspended.
Thankfully, throughout the course of this film, director Droz Tragos manages to remain impartial. Despite the opinions she records from impassioned academics and militant activists on both sides of this debate, she never loses sight of the debate at its center, which is both supremely professional and worth celebrating.
Lesser filmmakers with an axe to grind might well have let their personal feelings color the narrative, allowing those more challenging points of view free rein on film. However, in the hands of this documentarian, Plan C fleshes out this grassroots collective without any hint of artistic interpretation. Meaning that all that information and those perilous confrontations can be taken on face value.
It also means from an audience perspective, that they are free to make up their own minds on abortion. Every conceivable fact is made available for people to take home and discuss, which only opens up the debate further, rather than diminishing it down to bullet points.
At the end of the day, making or taking a life comes down to any number of conflicting factors – Plan C only wants people to make the right decision for them.
