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What's more, Waitress, Knocked Up, August Rush, and Juno all prominently feature ultrasound images showing the child at various stages of development—powerful images that in real life have helped many young mothers decide against abortion and choose life instead.

Does this all add up to a Hollywood "trend"? Have Tinseltown's filmmakers, oft regarded as liberals and frequently blasted as purveyors of immorality, gone pro-life?

It at least represents some changing perspectives and plot lines. Abortion had been the option of choice in films like Dirty Dancing (1987) and The Cider House Rules (1999), and came to the fore in 2004 with Alfie, Vera Drake, and Palindromes. A 2004 Wall Street Journal commentary observed that Hollywood was handling abortion "with breezy self-righteousness," adding, "There is really only one kind of abortion drama that post–Roe v. Wade Hollywood permits, and that is one that ultimately endorses use of the procedure."

Fast forward to 2007, when Gerard Baker of London's Times said this about Knocked Up and Waitress: "While most women in real life will choose to have an abortion in these circumstances, neither film features any consideration of a termination. … This has some feminists outraged." And last summer, The New York Times ran a story titled, "On Abortion, Hollywood Is No-Choice," observing that those two films went "out of their way to sidestep real life. Nearly two-thirds of unwanted pregnancies end in abortion. … The possibility of not having the baby is never discussed by either woman despite her circumstances."

While several Christians in the industry applaud the pro-life choices depicted in these films, they're reluctant to call it a trend.

"There's no question that after a polarizing 30-year battle over issues like abortion, we're seeing a new environment in Hollywood and in the culture in general," says filmmaker and media guru Phil Cooke. "But I'm always hesitant to make 'pronouncements' about the entertainment industry, because media often simply reflects changes that are already happening in the culture." Indeed, abortion rates have been slowly declining in the U.S. in recent years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and The Guttmacher Institute.

Rob Johnston, professor of theology and culture at Fuller Theological Seminary, notes that with the exception of Bella, these films aren't being made by Christians.

"The church cannot take credit for this newfound interest [in pro-life storylines]," says Johnston, author of Reframing Theology and Film. "Rather, we need to thank a growing number of filmmakers for portraying the preciousness of life. All life has a sanctity that increasing numbers of people are recognizing."

Craig Detweiler, Johnston's colleague at Fuller and author of A Matrix of Meanings: Finding God in Pop Culture, says the "trend" may simply be a reflection of good storytelling principles—especially in comedies like Knocked Up.

"Comedies almost always end with weddings and births," says Detweiler. "That's the Shakespearean way. It's tough to turn an abortion into a comedic or happy ending, but a baby makes audiences coo and smile. Additionally, films are often about leaps of faith—and nothing takes more faith than bringing a child into this cracked and crazy world."

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February 2008, Vol. 52, No. 2