If I Could Tell You Movie #FertilityFilm

If I Could Tell You Movie takes the topic of infertility and explores the question of how far people are willing to go to realize their goal of pregnancy. As people talk openly about the topic of fertility and infertility, the taboo that was once simply accepted as reality is slowly being eroded and that’s a wonderful thing to see. If I Could Tell You Movie by the Clyde Brothers has a part in helping to illuminate the topic of infertility. This fertility movie that features a strong theme of infertility will make you think about where the line is and how far people are willing to go to try to conceive.

Infertility is a deeply emotional topic matter and it’s good to see that reflected in current art and media more than ever before. If I Could Tell You Movie, takes an average middle aged couple who have hit the end of the road. Or so it would seem. Abby’s eggs are diminishing due to age and the length of time trying to get pregnant. Her husband’s sperm count is low. They are reaching the period of time where conception will no longer be possible, even with assisted reproduction. If I Could Tell You fertility film hits on where the end of the journey is and whether it’s possible to keep going even after you draw a line in the sand.

At start of the movie we see Abby, heading off to a conference without her husband. The motivational speaker/guru she has gone to see, played by Sharon Lawrence, talks of miracles and making miracles happen. The topic is ironic for the perfectionist Abby who can do everything well, except get pregnant. She’s having trouble physically making miracles. As she is there at the conference she meets with an anonymous sperm donor and they discuss alternative methods for her to reach her desired outcome. He leaves her a deposit and outlines the services he provides. Some of this part seemed a bit over the top to me.

The plot of this fertility film is exaggerated on purpose to highlight one extreme example of a woman who continues despite the decision as a married couple to cease trying. She has sought out anonymous sperm donation without telling her husband and plans to deceive him while pursuing her own course. I am not denying that couples push the boundaries often. I know a lot of people who have pursued all medical options available. I’ve also met many who have spent thousands undergoing IVF abroad as medical tourists. There are many people willing to do everything they can, sometimes at great risk to their own health. I haven’t met many who succeed by deceiving their partners. I think this angle of deception has a really dark tone. I don’t believe it to be rooted in reality but more like a dark satire of one woman’s infertility journey.

Abby dramatically reveals her singleminded intention to a fellow conference goer. He is astonished that this underworld of sperm donors exists. “Is this a thing?” he asks. “Oh yeah. It’s a thing. It’s definitely a thing,” Abby replies.

Three parts of the dialogue and plot line that I liked best were: The monologue Abby has as Derek is in her hotel room washroom leaving her a donation of his sperm in a sterile container. She at first has no interest in telling him anything about her life but then reveals she is married and with the door between them she can’t stop talking. She confesses the IUI’s and the IVF and the time they thought she got pregnant but after two weeks was informed the pregnancy wasn’t viable. Then she mentions how her friends tell her anecdotal stories of how they heard of someone who adopted and then got pregnant. Abby’s anger seeps out when she seethes: “I want to punch them in the face.”

Also the secondary plot featuring a young woman struggling to accept the conference curriculum is realistic. On the last day when Abby is practically vibrating in her seat ready to volunteer her undying loyalty to the guru’s philosophy, the younger woman stands up and confesses that she has been struggling with a pregnancy and how she would reveal that to her boyfriend. Abby stands up and walks out of the conference. That spoke to me. That’s something every single person who has experienced infertility is familiar with. That slap in the face, punch in the guy moment you realize someone not even trying beat you to the end goal.

The third part I enjoyed was the dialogue Abby has with the other conference goer she meets for drinks. She says something to the effect of I got my period at 12 years old. My Mother told me it was God’s promise I’d be a mother. God’s promise. She repeats that part. That’s a powerful statement that a strong undercurrent of reality. Many women struggling with infertility have had a couple decades of periods with little indication that anything medically could be wrong at all until suddenly they can’t get pregnant.

Overall this is an interesting film. I think if you view it as a dark satire of sorts on the nature of crossing lines and boundaries and love, then the fertility film works. If you take this one too seriously you might be missing the point.

The ground-breaking #fertilityfilm If I Could Tell You will release on iTunes on August 2nd!

Watch the trailer here:  http://bit.ly/IICTY_Trailer

Follow #fertilityfilm on Facebook to learn more about local screenings!

This is a post commissioned on behalf of Fertility Planit.