‘Unplanned’ movie moves the heart, will change minds about abortion

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By Michael Ashcraft —

“Beam him up, Scotty.”

Saying these words of grim humor, the doctor pushed the vacuum closer, sucking up legs, then torso, then the head.

Abby Johnson had been a Planned Parenthood director but had never seen images of the baby during an abortion. Today, she was pitching in to help the surgeon perform the procedure by manning the ultrasound.

What she saw made her cry. The baby wriggled and tried to escape the vacuum.

“They always do,” the doctor deadpanned.

Unplanned — in theaters now to coincide with the 40 Days for Life to mobilize prayer warriors outside abortion clinics — is the dramatization of a former clinic director who turned pro-life based on a book of her life.

Abby became the head of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Texas following missteps in college and out of a sincere desire to help women. She was born into a Christian family, but got attracted to the Planned Parenthood pro-woman propaganda at college club day.

First she volunteered. Then she had two abortions, one surgical, the other chemical. After graduating, she went on staff and worked her way up to director. During her tenure, she oversaw approximately 22,000 abortions.

Despite the trauma of her own abortions, she still clung to the ideals of the pro-choice movement — that is, until she saw the baby squirm and try to escape death on the ultrasound screen that guided the surgeon’s aim of the vacuum.

She fled to the bathroom and cried. Later, she walked down the street to the Coalition for Life’s office. She decided to resign.

Soon she was outside the fence pleading with young girls not to abort.

Stung by the betrayal of one of its high-ranking staff, Planned Parenthood sued both Abby and the head of the local Coalition for Life.

Ashley Bratcher does a compelling job portraying the conflicted Abby. The film could have easily been overly depressing, giving the grim subject matter. But it successfully incorporates light-hearted moments, humor and love stories to keep viewers engaged.

Here’s a strong irony: the movie is rated R, which means you can’t see it if you’re 17 years old unless you are accompanied by an adult. It is rated R for the accurate portrayal of a procedure a minor can get without any consent from parents.

Every mainstream media — except Fox — refused to run ads for the movie.

As a grown man hardened by plenty of tough life experiences, I still cried about 15 times during the movie.

Yet I left the theater uplifted and hopeful that God will turn America against this grave sin.

To know more about a personal relationship with God, click here.

Michael Ashcraft pastors the Lighthouse Church in Van Nuys and sells bamboo steamers on Amazon.

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