Actor Elizabeth Banks discusses her film “Call Jane” about The Jane Collective of Chicago, which provided abortion health care pre-Roe v. Wade, the dangers and desperate situations people find themselves in when they don’t want to be pregnant, and her goal to destigmatize abortion procedures.
You're listening to Comedy Central. Listen they were wonderful. Oneings, welcome to the Daily Show. Thank you, thanks for having me, and congratulations on creating what I think everyone is going to enjoy as not just a hot, felt film, but a film that, in more ways than most, feels completely apt for these times. My character j Joy seeks out an abortion when her life is in danger and it's life or death for her. And this is a woman who never thought she'd seek out abortion care. And when she gets there, it's it's the Chicago abortion is illegal. This is pre ro versus Wade. And she meets a collective of women called the Jans. These are real life women's The stories based on a real life group, the Jane Collective of Chicago, who provided abortion care abortion healthcare to nearly eleven thousand women in the late sixties before abortion was legal in Illinois and Chicago. It's it's a it's a story about bravery in the face of everything that stands against you. Because in the story, you know, we we we need a woman who's living like a cookie cut to life. You know, your characters just like she's living her life. She comes from a conservative family, but we don't really talk about that, and it's almost not about the politics per se, but it's about how society was was a pressing women at this time. And what feels again pertain to this moment is seeing her not just fight for herself, but for every other woman who needs to have an abortion and can't afford it. Yeah, that's exactly right. You know. I I'm I'm pro abortion, and I like to tell people who aren't pro abortion that I'm fighting for them to have that abortion that they don't need, know they need yet? Right right, I'll fight for you. I'll fight for you. I'll fight for your daughter and your wife and your mom. Don't worry. It really is a powerful story though, because you know it. This this is what this is what what gets me about the film is you think, first of you would think this film was made. Now, that's the first thing. You you started planning this, and you filmed this how long ago? I first read the script nearly three years ago, and you know, we we had the pandemic and we finally got to make it get Sigourney Weaver into be this amazing activists and you know, I think at the time we knew that there were what we call abortion deserts in America, which are areas where abortion was so inaccessible that basically people were living in in a time that was like pre row And this film really presents the dangerous, um often desperate situations that pregnant people found themselves in when they didn't want to be pregnant. And you know, we all know that abortion bands don't ban, you know, they don't they don't solve abortion because as long as they've been pregnant people that we people that don't want to be pregnant, And this film reminds us that their safety matters, right, that we can recenter women and healthcare that they need um and make make sure that it's safe for them. And safety relies on legality, frankly, um, and that that's that's sort of the time that we are now talking about. It was in the in the movie, but it's today in fourteen states. It also showed a side of the conversation that is necessary but painful at the same time. You know, the film isn't flippant when it comes to talking about abortion. You know, you know, there's there's the scene, for instance, where we're in the room, we're seeing a lot of what the procedure is. We're seeing the pain, we're seeing what the woman goes through, and I wanted to know why you felt it. What's so important to have that in the story. Some would gloss over it, Some would say, oh, no, no no, we don't want to put that in because it makes it complicated. But it felt like it was kept in for that reason. You know, one in four women American women have an abortion, so it's a pretty common practice. And there's this mythology, there's this lie, frankly that that anti abortion activists will say, which is that abortion can kill you, and that is simply not true. Abortion is very, very It's safer than getting your wisdom teeth out, it's safer than a colonoscopy. So the James didn't lose a single life. They performed eleven thousand abortions, didn't lose a single life. And so I think partly why we wanted to put the procedure and was just to normalize it, you know, just to destigmatize the entire process and to show you that she was fine after and went and had spaghetti. So she's like, it's a it's a it's a procedure that somebody is having to have autonomy over their lives. You also choose to have many funny moments in the film, which which somebody wouldn't think at first. You know, if if I said to you, oh, there's this film and it's about abortion, it's about people go like, oh wow, this is going to be a very serious one. And it is serious, but there are so many moments where you find like laughing out loud as well, like really really laughing out loud in a in a human way. You know, that also feels very intentional. Why not just have it be very drab and and and and I think we all felt like the way to de politicize this whole thing, which has become so politicized, is um to remind people about the stories. Right, It's really it's these are real people's lives that these politicians are messing with. You know. These are real women who have hopes and dreams or already have kids for whatever reason, are making the decision to seek out abortion healthcare, and regular real women. They have fun too. You know, they laughed too. You know. I also we have my rule about this character was I just said, I don't want to cry after because she's so relieved after her abortion. She chooses her life. She's the very life affirming decision for her um. She's not particularly tortured over it. She's already a mom and her pregnancy is threatening her life and she wants to stay alive to be a mom to her daughter. And because she suddenly realizes when she's faced with life or death, wow, I have so much more life to live. I have so many things to do. Shit, I gotta I got a list. I gotta get through, you know. And she's really has a real awakening, political awakening and emotional awakening. And I love that for the character. I mean, total right turn in her life, right right right now. It's it's it's a it's a change in direction because it's a moment where, you know, we don't want to spoil it for everyone, but it's just that that key moment where somebody realizes their life is at risk, they need to have this procedure, and then they have to fight to basically save their own life. It's it's a powerful one. I feel like you're one of the more perfect people to tell this story. No, because because of what what you represent. You know, you've been a champion of women in all fields where it's business with its film. You know, people have come up to you and they've they've gone, like, you are you? You know, you create some of the funniest films for women to act in. You You're You're funny behind the camera. You're funny when it comes to the writing. And what I loved is something that you said recently, which which was everyone will say to you. Many people will say, oh, it's it's powerful that you're doing this, because you're doing this to show that women can do it, and you make films for the women. You You said something to the effect of, what I make films because I like making films and I am a woman and I'm having fun. What do you think people miss sometimes about a woman doing any type of job that they just want to do? You know, well, do we have three hours? I mean, you know, I think there's a lot we live row For me, I'll speak to it in terms of the film right now, which was when Dobbs. The Dabbs decision is a decision that overturned Rob Way that came down this summer. When it happened, I felt foundationally like less of a free person than I did the day before, and so and I and and so. When you live in a society where your human rights can be taken away from you, you're kind of a second class citizen. And when you're considered a second class citizen, everybody thinks, how does the second class sit? And get a directive? Hollywood movie? Like, it's that deep, you know what I mean. It's like, it's the way. It's that there are people that are entitled to do things, and then there are women who have to fight to do things right. It's almost you're lucky. It's like, how do it? You're not lucky. You're amazing. You're truly one of the funniest people I know. And the film is amazing. Thank you so much for joining me again. I appreciate you. Thank you so much for being well you fact. Everybody, make sure check out the film. It's going to be in theaters everywhere you watch movies. Watch The Daily Show weeknights at eleven ten Central on Comedy Central, in stream fool episodes anytime I on Paramount Plus. This has been a Comedy Central podcast