In a move that would make the titular Jane Collective proud, thecast and crew ofCall Janeare using the film to educate, raise awareness, and advocate for abortion care. Starring Elizabeth Banks as a 1960s housewife in suburban Chicago who turns to the underground women’s healthcare collective when she is in need of a life-saving abortion procedure,Call Janecomes at a time when access to safe and legal abortion in modern-day America is in peril.
As the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling means that abortion is no longer a constitutional right, 18 states have instituted extreme bans that eliminate access to abortion in almost all cases. Even more states face similar bans in the upcoming midterm elections. And so per The Hollywood Reporter,theCall Janecrew is partnering with the Planned Parenthood Federation of Americaand the Abortion Care Network’s KeepOurClinics.org campaign to screen the film in dozens of clinics across the country, doing double duty as “an opportunity to increase awareness around direct abortion care services” and thank-you to clinic staff and volunteers who have been working overtime since Roe was overturned.
“Now more than ever, our movement needs entertainment media and celebrities to talk about abortion and show the alarming reality for people across the country who are simply trying to seek the care they need,” Caren Spruch, the national director of arts and entertainment engagement at Planned Parenthood, said in a statement shared by THR.
“Though set in 1968,Call Janeshows us why we must protect access to abortion. Today, in too many states, archaic and dangerous abortion bans are taking us backward and stripping people of the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies.”
“Call Janeshows what abortion truly is—a human right,” said Nikki Madsen, executive director of the Abortion Care Network.
“Independent clinics provide the majority of abortion care in the United States, and since the Supreme Court denied the constitutional right to abortion and overturned Roe v. Wade in June of 2022, they are working harder, facing more challenges and in need of more resources than ever before.”
Related:Call Jane: Star Elizabeth Banks and Director Phyllis Nagy Wanted to Show Realistic Picture of Abortion Healthcare
Call JaneStars Call for Support for Michigan Abortion Care Initiative
Along with screenings of the film to demystify the abortion experience and raise awareness, the cast ofCall Janeare also using the film’s release to support a ballot initiative that will protect the right to a safe and legal abortion in the state of Michigan.
“We’re grateful for Elizabeth and Sigourney [Weaver] encouraging Michiganders to vote YES on Proposal 3,” said Darci McConnell, communications director for Reproductive Freedom For All, the group behind the initiative.
“It’s been nearly five decades since women have had to fight for reproductive healthcare. But with a 1931 law looming that bans nearly all abortions, we’re fighting now to restore the rights in Michigan we lost when Roe was overturned.”
In addition to their activism in Michigan, The Hollywood Reporter reports that theCall Janecrew are also hosting advance screenings, fundraisers, theater buy-outs and producing original content—such as PSAs and calls to action—to educate audiences. Other organizations partnering with the film include All-Options, Brigid Alliance, Chicago Women’s Health Center, NARAL Pro-Choice America, National Network of Abortion Funds, Supermajority, The Center for Reproductive Rights, and This is Not Ok.
Directed by Phyllis Nagy and starringElizabeth Banks, Sigourney Weaver, Wunmi Mosaku, and Kate Mara,Call Janehits theaters today (October 28).
