Another faith-based movie filmed partly in Birmingham, 2011’s October Baby is a poignant look at the abortion debate as told through the story of an abortion survivor, Hannah (played by actress Rachel Hendrix), who suffers from multiple serious health issues due to having been born prematurely during the course of a botched procedure that also killed her twin brother in the process. But she doesn’t know that. Now 19 and trying to figure out the cause of her ailments after having suffered a medical emergency onstage at the Alabama Theatre during a play, while at the doctor with her parents, she discovers that not only is she adopted, but also the likely truth behind what has been the root of all of her medical problems over the course of her life. A movie that’s also about a journey of self-discovery, the film follows Hannah’s attempts to find her birth mother in Mobile to figure out who she really is and why her parents didn’t want to keep her and her brother in the first place.
A moving story that tackles a delicate subject matter with maturity, October Baby also explores the ideas of forgiveness and grace in the face of great personal heartbreak, and ultimately offers redemption in the end for not just Hannah and her birth mother, but also her adopted parents as well, who also secretly struggled after the loss of twins early on in their own marriage. Featuring significant sequences shot around Blue Water Park in Pelham, Samford University, The Cathedral of Saint Paul, as well as the 22nd Street Bridge downtown, Birmingham and the surrounding areas play a big part in bringing both the themes and symbolic backdrops of the film to life, making it an indispensable part of its cinematic tapestry.
FUN FACT: Saturday Night Live fans may recognize cast member James Austin Johnson playing the annoying Truman in one of his very earliest onscreen roles well before his popularity on the long-running comedy series.
Trailer Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONxDDZ1m3vU