The draw to HBO Max for me is the documentary “Expecting Amy.” It details her pregnancy and preparation for the 2019 Netflix comedy special “Growing.” Neatly divided into three parts that I am just now realizing were about one hour each, it is either a long documentary or short miniseries. So, for a new streaming service, a perfect length.
I enjoy hearing about Amy Schumer and Chris Fisher’s relationship. I suppose it’s aspirational for me, how they seem to be very much themselves without apology while they support and care for one another. They found each other a little later in life and had already established themselves in their own rights.
The documentary also explores how difficult pregnancy can be. There’s this weird culture where people think women would never get pregnant if they knew all the horrible things that will happen. (It’s certainly true for me!) I find it refreshing and hopeful that we now live in a society where this is acceptable to talk about and show, and appreciate the honesty in this documentary as well as the humor.
We also get to see how a comedy special develops, how standup comedy is formed and formulated, and how a comedian works on her craft. It’s not often or easy for this process to be documented and it’s a special gift for aspiring writers and fans of comedy to see.
Expecting Amy is a slice of life at a moment in time for a family, and I enjoyed watching Amy Schumer and Chris Fisher’s journey through pregnancy, comedy, and birth.
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