Trying to plug 'Unplanned'

The conversion of Abby Johnson — from one of the youngest Planned Parenthood clinic directors in America to pro-life leader — sounds like the kind of story line that would never make its way into the movie theater. But it has. “Unplanned” debuted in 1,059 theaters on March 29 and grossed $6.1 million on its opening weekend, double the commercial expectations. It received an A-plus CinemaScore from audiences. It has been expanded to 1,700 sites and is captivating millions with its heart-wrenching portrayal of the reality of abortion and the organization that champions the atrocity.

Johnson estimates she was personally responsible for overseeing 22,000 abortions at her clinic in Bryan, Texas, during her Planned Parenthood career. She had two of her own. This is her story, necessarily rated R because of its honest depiction of what transpires inside the Planned Parenthood clinic. The opening scene depicts the moment of conversion. Abby, who serves in a management capacity, is asked to assist with an ultrasound abortion of a 13-week-old baby. She watches — and the viewer watches very real footage — as the unborn baby resists, moving desperately to avoid the suction tube. It swooshes into the cylinder of death, exiting into a bucket with blood and pieces of human tissue. The womb is now empty. Abby Johnson falls apart.

We go to the start of the story, with her two abortions, her unlikely marriage into a strongly pro-life family and her rise in the ranks of her local Planned Parenthood outlet. She knows she has made it when director Cheryl ceremoniously invites her to come into the “P.O.C” room — the clinic’s sanctum sanctorum, open only to the chosen few. When a nurse asks if Abby knows what “P.O.C.” stands for, she offers the euphemism “products of conception.” Her colleague sardonically provides the correct answer: “pieces of children.” Abby and Cheryl approach the table containing the body parts of countless babies. Little feet. Little hands. Little heads. The parts of every aborted child must be accounted for so they can be sure nothing is left inside the womb.

Unsurprisingly, “Unplanned” has received the same opprobrium from the cultural elites as last year’s pro-life movie “Gosnell.” A half-dozen major music labels refused to license their tunes for the movie, including Disney, Universal Music and Sony/ATV. Cable TV networks refused to run ads for the movie — USA, Lifetime, HGTV, the Travel Channel, the Cooking Channel, the Food Network … even the Hallmark Channel!