Sundance Institute
MOVIE REVIEW
The Janes (2022)
“The Janes” opens with archive street footage of fabulously dressed women in the 1960s. The immediate point that makes is that while fashions change, people more or less stay the same. But codirectors Emma Pildes and Tia Lessin use the fashions of the late ’60s and early ’70s to make a quiet point in their story of the Jane Collective, an underground network in Chicago, at a time when abortion was illegal, that safely arranged at least 11,000 abortions in five years.
Dozens of talking-head interviews with the women who made up Jane explain, over photographs of their younger selves or stock footage of the time, the steps it took for them to be so committed to such a radical cause. Most were heavily involved in the leftist political groups of the late ’60s, but disillusioned with its profound sexism, which meant their contributions were unvalued and overlooked. Some witnessed the horrifying aftermath of botched abortions, which were so frequent they necessitated an entire ward in Chicago’s public hospital; some knew women and girls who died from terminations gone wrong; some had unpleasant abortions themselves. But they all, separately and together, realized that providing a safe and clean space for unwanted pregnancies to be terminated was practical activism that could be done without male interference. It was expensive: $500 ($4,112 in today’s money), at a time when a one-bedroom apartment in Chicago was $150 a month ($1,234 today, as if you could easily find an apartment locally at that price anymore). But the reasons for the expense and the complicated logistical arrangements needed to keep the network concealed are laid out in well-remembered details.
While a few husbands were aware of the work, the only man directly involved was the first abortionist. He’s interviewed under the pseudonym Mike, and still professes pride that he was unusually good at his job. Multiple Janes express their surprise that he wasn’t patronizing and had a reassuring bedside manner – both rarities among the hugely male medical profession of the time. He’s not the only person who appears under a pseudonym; several Janes appear using only their first names, as evidently the stigma surrounding their work still hasn’t quite gone away. The collective was brought down by that stigma; two sisters-in-law of a woman planning to use Jane reported her to the police in 1972, and the homicide sergeant in charge of the subsequent raid still seems baffled that this was considered a good use of his time. But the publicity surrounding the raid made the collective busier than ever, even when the risk of running or using the service was at its absolute highest. The stakes are always very clear, but in this telling not even the threat of 110 years in prison dampened anyone’s resolve. The only Black member of the collective found the group a lawyer, who showed up for court the first day in a canary-yellow suit with matching handbag. It’s nice to see a movie about power that fully appreciates the power of fashion.
The fact that Roe v. Wade is law in the United States, and the women are speaking openly about their experiences, means it doesn’t have the dramatic push of the fictional “Call Jane” (which also had its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival). But the movie seems aimed for an America where Jane’s services will be needed again, which might be why so many of the Janes agreed to speak out publicly at last. Its style is paint-by-numbers but that allows the women themselves to shine. As a historical document this is unmatched; the candor of the Janes and their obvious, continuing pride in the work they did means this is a documentary that will be referred to for a long time.
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