Unexpected
Rummaging through the bathroom closet, checking symptoms on the net, and a positive pregnancy test; for Samantha, a junior high teacher in her 30s, pregnancy is a shock. Her partner, John, is equally stunned, but quickly decides to propose. Marriage, birth, followed by Samantha's childcare leave; at the same time, her best student, Jasmine, gets pregnant. The teacher and teen support each other in sticking to their goals. Jasmine dreams of going to college while Sam faces the acute predicament of going on leave right after being offered her dream job. In Unexpected, director Kris Swanberg focuses on the relationship between the two women, who, despite lacking confidence in their parental abilities and decision-making, attempt to support one another. Sam and Jasmine's tribulations combine into something more than a one-dimensional story with a happy ending. Swanberg exposes the hypocrisy of institutions and family who have completely different expectations than their "expecting" partners. Kate Erbland of IndieWire writes "Unexpected" exists in the pair trying to figure out not what is more important or what takes precedence, but how to balance the two desires, finding time for both their children andprofessional paths that keep them happy.
Kris Swanberg
Virginia native Kris Swanberg (b. 1980) is a director, actress and screenwriter. She studied film production at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and worked as a teacher in Chicago prior to beginning her film career. She is also the owner of an ice cream business called Nice Cream. She's known for her roles in films by her husband, director Joe Swanberg, Kissing on the Mouth and Hannah Walks the Stairs. Her debut feature film was It Was Great, But I Was Ready to Come. Unexpected (2015) premiered at the Sundance film Festival.
Filmography
2009 It Was Great, But I Was Ready to Come
2014 Empire Builder
2014 Baby Mary (short)
2015 Niespodzianka / Unexpected
