What to Expect When You’re Expecting is a hilarious and heartfelt look at the joys and challenges of impending parenthood. If you enjoyed this star-studded romantic comedy, here are 20 more movies that capture the humor, emotions, and life changes that come with having a baby on the way. From lighthearted laughs to touching tales, these films are perfect for expectant parents or anyone who loves a good story about the journey to parenthood.
1. Bridget Jones’s Baby (2016)
Bridget Jones’s Baby offers a funny and relatable take on pregnancy in your 40s. Renée Zellweger reprises her role as the beloved Bridget Jones, who finds herself unexpectedly expecting after breaking up with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth). In a hilarious twist, she’s unsure if the father is Mark or her charming new American suitor Jack (Patrick Dempsey).
This heartfelt comedy beautifully captures the joys, fears and surprises of pregnancy later in life. Zellweger shines in showing Bridget’s emotional journey, while Firth and Dempsey provide plenty of laughs as the potential baby daddies vying for her affection. With touching moments and witty dialogue, it’s a must-watch for Bridget Jones fans and mums-to-be alike.
2. The Back-up Plan (2010)
In The Back-up Plan, Jennifer Lopez plays Zoe, a single woman who decides to take control of her life by getting pregnant via artificial insemination. But in a classic rom-com twist, she meets the potential man of her dreams, Stan (Alex O’Loughlin), the same day as her procedure.
As the two navigate their new relationship, Zoe must figure out how to tell Stan about her pregnancy and grapple with the challenges of impending motherhood. Lopez brings heart and humor to the role, portraying the very relatable fears and hopes of becoming a parent. This charming film is perfect for anyone who has faced the pressures of their biological clock.
3. Life as We Know It (2010)
Life as We Know It takes an unconventional look at parenting, with Katherine Heigl and Josh Duhamel as Holly and Messer, two single adults who become caregivers to an orphaned girl when their mutual best friends die in an accident. Though the two can barely stand each other, they must learn to co-parent and create a loving home.
Heigl and Duhamel have great onscreen chemistry as the unlikely duo forced into parenthood. The film strikes a nice balance between comedic moments as they fumble through baby duties and more emotional scenes as they cope with grief and grow to love their unexpected family. It’s a sweet, funny reminder that sometimes life’s greatest gifts come in surprising packages.
4. What to Expect When You’re Expecting (2012)
The inspiration for this list, What to Expect When You’re Expecting follows five interconnected couples experiencing the joys and pains of impending parenthood. From pregnancy woes to adoption challenges to surprise babies, it covers a range of relatable scenarios with an all-star ensemble cast.
Standouts include Cameron Diaz as a celebrity fitness guru struggling with pregnancy side effects, Jennifer Lopez as a woman preparing to adopt, and Elizabeth Banks as an author having a difficult pregnancy. The film does a good job portraying the messy realities of preparing for a baby while still keeping an uplifting tone. It’s a fun watch for expectant parents who want to feel less alone in their experience.
5. Nine Months (1995)
In this ’90s romantic comedy, Hugh Grant stars as Samuel, a happily childless man who panics when his girlfriend Rebecca (Julianne Moore) announces she’s pregnant. As the two clash over their readiness for parenthood, Samuel must confront his fear of growing up.
Grant is a master of the rom-com genre and shines here as the reluctant father-to-be slowly warming up to the idea of a baby. Moore brings likability to Rebecca even as pregnancy hormones have her acting a bit crazy. With plenty of laughs and a sweet central love story, Nine Months is a classic for a reason.
6. Baby Mama (2008)
Tina Fey and Amy Poehler make a hilarious duo in Baby Mama. Fey plays Kate, a single businesswoman who hires Angie (Poehler) to be her surrogate when she can’t get pregnant. But when Angie shows up on her doorstep needing a place to live, the two very different women must learn to cohabitate.
Fey and Poehler’s SNL-honed chemistry is on full display, and they mine a lot of laughs out of the uncomfortable realities of pregnancy and their characters’ odd couple dynamic. But the film also has a sweet side as Kate prepares for motherhood. Expect a lot of belly laughs with this pick.
7. Knocked Up (2007)
One of Judd Apatow’s signature crude-yet-heartfelt comedies, Knocked Up follows the fallout of a one-night stand between slacker Ben (Seth Rogen) and career woman Alison (Katherine Heigl) that results in an unplanned pregnancy. The two decide to try to make it work for the baby’s sake, but their very different lifestyles lead to major tensions.
Rogen and Heigl are an unlikely but surprisingly winning screen pair, with Rogen providing most of the laughs and Heigl grounding things as the straight woman. The film earns its R rating with plenty of raunchy humor, but it has an underlying sweetness as it explores the ways having a baby can change your life. If you want something a bit more adult, this is a great pick.
8. Juno (2007)
An indie comedy with a huge heart, Juno stars Elliot Page as the titular pregnant teenager who chooses to give her baby up for adoption to a wealthy couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman). But as her due date approaches, Juno starts to question her decision and whether the adoptive parents are truly ready.
Page gives a star-making performance as the whip-smart, sarcastic Juno whose confident exterior hides a well of emotions about her situation. The film deftly balances quirky comedy with an emotional core as it deals with themes of growing up and choosing your family. It’s a great watch for anyone considering adoption or appreciating the complexities of placing a child.
9. Waitress (2007)
Before she was a writer/director, Adrienne Shelly starred in this indie gem as Jenna, a small-town waitress with a gift for baking pies. When Jenna unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she sees it as a wake-up call to finally leave her controlling husband and pursue her dreams of opening her own pie shop. Things get complicated when she starts an affair with her married OB-GYN.
Shelly wrote and directed the film as well, and her voice shines through in the unique characters and blend of humor and poignancy. Keri Russell is immensely likable as Jenna, and the film has a cozy, quirky charm as it explores finding hope and purpose in an unplanned pregnancy. Trigger warning: there are themes of domestic abuse.
10. Away We Go (2009)
Directed by Sam Mendes, Away We Go stars John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph as Burt and Verona, an unmarried couple expecting their first child. With no real roots tying them down, the two set off on a cross-country trip to find the perfect place to raise their family, visiting friends and relatives along the way.
Krasinski and Rudolph make an utterly charming central pair, and the film has a loose, low-key vibe as they meet a variety of oddball characters and ponder what kind of life and parents they want to be. It’s a sweet, funny meditation on creating your own idea of home. The hip soundtrack by Alexi Murdoch is a bonus.
11. Obvious Child (2014)
For a different perspective, Obvious Child stars Jenny Slate as Donna, a young stand-up comic who gets pregnant from a one-night stand and decides to have an abortion. The film follows Donna in the weeks leading up to her appointment as she processes her choice and its impact on her relationships and career.
It’s a refreshingly honest, non-judgmental look at a topic not often covered in mainstream films. Slate brings vulnerability and humor to the role, and the film doesn’t shy away from showing the real emotional and physical experiences of abortion. But it’s also a relatable coming-of-age story about a woman defining herself on her own terms.
12. Riding in Cars with Boys (2001)
Based on a true story, Riding in Cars with Boys stars Drew Barrymore as Beverly, a teenager in the 1960s who gets pregnant at 15 and must put her dreams on hold to raise her son. The film follows her struggles over the next 20 years as she battles to find her identity outside of being a mother.
Barrymore gives one of her best performances as the complex Beverly, who loves her son but resents how having him derailed her life. The film doesn’t sugarcoat how hard being a teen mom is, but it also has moments of joy and humor as it shows Beverly’s resilience. It’s an emotional, empathetic look at an experience not often shown on screen.
13. Where the Heart Is (2000)
Where the Heart Is stars Natalie Portman as Novalee, a pregnant 17-year-old who is abandoned by her boyfriend at a Walmart in Oklahoma. With nowhere else to go, she secretly starts living in the store, befriending the quirky locals as she prepares for motherhood.
Portman brings a soulful vulnerability to Novalee, and the film has a sweet, fable-like quality as this unlikely community comes together to support her and her baby. Though it doesn’t shy away from the hardships Novalee faces, it’s ultimately an uplifting story about finding family in unexpected places. Ashley Judd and Stockard Channing co-star.
14. Saved! (2004)
The dark comedy Saved! stars Jena Malone as Mary, a devout Christian teenager who gets pregnant after having sex with her gay boyfriend in an attempt to “cure” him. Ostracized from her judgmental community, Mary finds solace in other misfits as she questions her faith and future.
Malone anchors the film with a complex performance that balances Mary’s religious conviction with her growing disillusionment. It’s a biting satire of evangelical culture with some laugh-out-loud moments, but it also has empathy for its characters as they navigate difficult choices. Mandy Moore and Macaulay Culkin co-star.
15. Precious (2009)
A harrowing but ultimately hopeful film, Precious stars Gabourey Sidibe as Claireece “Precious” Jones, an abused, illiterate 16-year-old pregnant with her second child by her own father. But when she enrolls in an alternative school, a teacher helps Precious see her own worth and potential.
Sidibe is heartbreaking and inspiring as Precious, a young woman who has endured unimaginable trauma but slowly learns to define herself beyond her abuse. The film is unflinching in its depiction of the brutal realities she faces, but it’s also a moving testament to the power of education and self-love. Mo’Nique won an Oscar for her searing performance as Precious’s abusive mother.
16. Unexpected (2015)
Cobie Smulders stars in Unexpected as Samantha, a dedicated inner-city high school teacher who finds herself unexpectedly pregnant at the same time as one of her most promising students, Jasmine (Gail Bean). The two form a friendship as they face the challenges of impending motherhood at very different stages of life.
Smulders brings warmth and relatability to Samantha’s journey becoming a mother while trying to maintain her identity outside the home. The film thoughtfully explores the ways race and class impact the experience of pregnancy, and the bond between Samantha and Jasmine is touching without being cloying. It’s a quietly moving film about two women supporting each other through a major life transition.
17. Grandma (2015)
Lily Tomlin shines in Grandma as Elle, a broke, misanthropic lesbian poet whose teenage granddaughter Sage (Julia Garner) shows up needing money for an abortion. The two spend the day driving around Los Angeles trying to scrounge up the cash, working through some of Elle’s past relationships in the process.
Tomlin is perfectly cast as the acerbic Elle, and she has great chemistry with Garner as the two prickly characters slowly open up to each other. The film deals with serious issues like grief and reproductive rights with sensitivity, but it’s also very funny, with Tomlin getting in some great one-liners. Marcia Gay Harden, Judy Greer, and Sam Elliott co-star.
18. Tallulah (2016)
Written and directed by Sian Heder (CODA), Tallulah stars Elliot Page as the title character, a young drifter who impulsively steals a baby from a neglectful mother and passes it off as her own to her ex-boyfriend’s mother, Margo (Allison Janney). An unlikely bond forms between Tallulah and Margo as they both grapple with their ideas of motherhood.
Page brings a scrappy energy to Tallulah, a character who makes questionable choices but has a good heart. Janney is equally good as the uptight Margo, who is forced to confront her own failings as a mother. The film is a thought-provoking look at what it means to be a good parent and how sometimes the strongest family bonds are the ones we create ourselves.
19. The Snapper (1993)
Based on a novel by Roddy Doyle, The Snapper is an Irish comedy-drama about Sharon (Tina Kellegher), a 20-year-old working-class woman who becomes pregnant after a drunken encounter at a party. She refuses to name the father, causing gossip to swirl in her close-knit Dublin community as her family comes to terms with the news.
The film has a lively, irreverent sense of humor, poking fun at the nosy neighbors and family members who won’t stop speculating about Sharon’s situation. But it also has real affection for its characters, particularly Sharon’s loving but befuddled father (Colm Meaney). It’s a warm, funny slice of Irish life that doesn’t judge its protagonist for her choices.
20. Geek Charming (2011)
A Disney Channel Original Movie, Geek Charming stars Sarah Hyland as Dylan, a popular high school girl who gets a reality check when she becomes pregnant and is shunned by her shallow friends. She finds an unlikely ally in Josh (Matt Prokop), a film geek she previously looked down on, who offers to help her navigate her new reality.
Though it has a predictable premise, the film has a sweet message about looking beyond appearances and finding your real friends. Hyland and Prokop have cute chemistry, and the film is refreshingly frank about the challenges Dylan faces as a pregnant teen. It’s a feel-good pick for when you want something light and uplifting.
From comedies to dramas to romantic tales, these 25 movies like What to Expect When You’re Expecting offer a diverse and entertaining look at the joys, challenges and life changes that come with having a baby. Whether you’re an expectant parent looking for relatable laughs or simply a fan of heartwarming stories about love and family, these films are sure to deliver. So grab some popcorn, settle in and enjoy the ride!
