In 2015’s Alison’s Choice, Chanel Marriott plays Alison.

Alison is a teenager who has a difficult relationship with her father.  He holds back his emotions from her.  She’s been left feeling insecure as a result and is perhaps a bit too dependent upon validation from other men.  For instance, her no-good boyfriend, Rick (Julian Alexander), bullies her into having sex in his tiny car.  When Alison later discovers that she’s pregnant, Rick’s response is to tell her to get rid of it.  He tells her to go find a clinic and have an abortion and then talk to him later.  Rick makes it clear that he will not paying for the procedure.  He also leaves it up in the air as to whether or not he’ll even come to the clinic to support Alison.

Classy guy, that Rick.

At the clinic, Alison finds herself having doubts.  Does she really want to get an abortion?  The clinic’s rather harsh and antiseptic atmosphere doesn’t make things any easier.  One nurse (Liz Randall) tries to pressure Alison to go through with her abortion.  The doctor (Britt Prentice) confesses that he can’t guarantee that abortion isn’t murder.  At the front desk, Ms. Glo (Bunny Gibson) asks Alison is she’s really sure she wants to go through with the procedure.  A pushy social worker named Marta (Amy Lydon) assures Alison that it’s not big deal.  Lecretia (Alicia Monet Caldwell) makes fun of Alison for being a first-timer.

And, of course, Jesus (Bruce Marchiano) shows up as a janitor and encourages Alison not to get an abortion.  Actually, he encourages everyone all over the world not to get an abortion and, whenever anyone does, he starts crying.  He says that he’s been working as a janitor since 1973.  That, of course, was the year of Roe v Wade.

Bruce Marchiano has played Jesus in a number of films.  He played Jesus in The Encounter, which is something of a guilty pleasure of mine.  Marchiano has a calm and soothing voice and his eyes tend to radiate kindness, which makes him a good choice to play Jesus.  From what I’ve seen of him in various faith-based productions, he’s not a bad actor at all.  He can deliver his lines without looking straight at the camera and he’s capable of showing emotion.  By the standards of many faith-based films, that makes him almost Brandoesque.

Unfortunately, Alison’s Choice is so heavy-handed and awkwardly acted by everyone else in the cast that Marchiano’s characteristically good and empathetic performance can’t really save it.  I’m not going to get into the specifics of whether or not the film is correct about abortion, beyond saying that this is not a film that is going to change anyone’s mind about the issue.  It’s a heavy-handed pro-life tract.  (Then again, there’s also been more than a few heavy-handed pro-choice tracts.)  What I will say is that Alison, as a character, is so indecisive and, quite frankly, annoying that it didn’t take me long to lose interest in her.  Even after she becomes convinced that she’s actually talking to Jesus, she still can’t decide whether or not she loves her boyfriend.  Girl, Jesus just told you that your boyfriend is no good.  I don’t care what anyone thinks about abortion.  If Jesus suddenly shows up and tells you to dump your boyfriend, you do it.

Eh.  I’m going to go watch The Encounter again.