Maternal mortality: the film "an outstanding dad", inspired by real facts, lifts the veil

Since its release on Netflix on June 18, the film "A Dad Outstanding" has not stopped making noise. This dramatic comedy inspired by a true story tears us to tears. A father, devastated by the sudden death of his wife, finds himself alone with his infant in his arms. The tragic death of his wife in the delivery room haunts his mind and crushes his plans for the future. Distraught, the man, played by Kevin Hart, is torn between dark thoughts and renewed hope. Despite his slumps, he puts on his multifunctional cap so that his daughter, Maddy, evolves in the best conditions.

Scenes of touching tenderness mixed with sincere poignant tableaux, all interspersed with humorous notes... this mosaic of almost palpable emotions pierces the screen. A salutary work that pays tribute to a hushed scourge: maternal mortality.

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In the 7th art, parental figures are wound up in a dizzying film of stereotypes. Overprotective mothers, spies at heart, fathers stuck on the bench of absentees, egocentric, often endowed with an innate laziness… these crude representations ring false. At the 21st, they even seem implausible. To rejuvenate this archaic caricatural image, a handful of films portray modern families, sometimes united, sometimes eroded.

Directors sometimes dig into their personal memory to solidify the veracity of the script. This was the case of Noah Baumbach in his incisive work “Marriage Story”. A united family, swept away by the storm of disputes, splits into a thousand pieces. This brilliantly transcribed painful experience echoes a current phenomenon: divorce. According to figures, there are 130,000 separations per year in France. However, this is only the visible part of the tumults of the life of parents.

Maternal mortality, a cataclysm that explodes daily life

Other more terrible phenomena are similar to devastating tsunamis. Infant mortality, miscarriage, incurable disease… these aspects tinged with bitterness struggle to unfold in dark rooms. But with his film "Un peerless dad" Paul Weitz, he rubbed himself against a perilous thread by addressing maternal mortality. A sensitive subject regularly swept under the carpet of taboos. Yet, although rare, this premature death continues to snatch destinies.

According to figures from Inserm and Public Health France, between 50 and 100 women perish each year during pregnancy or childbirth. Cardiovascular diseases, complications, obstetric hemorrhages… after having gone through infamous pain, these fighters join the paradise of aborted mothers. A descent into hell for the father, who suffers a double penalty. "Un peerless dad", a real hit on Netflix, sketches with realism this long journey of reconstruction, strewn with sobs, apprehensions and remorse.

Today was a good day pls look at this custom made tortoise table my dad spent over 6 weeks working on (he grabbed j… https://t.co/S1Wr1C17oY

— Toad 🐢 B L M (COMMS OPEN) Thu Oct 17 06:09:19 +0000 2019

"An outstanding dad", the fight of a father who is struggling alone with his daughter

Surprisingly, comedian Kevin Hart, rather attached to comical roles, embodies this father with finesse destitute widower. In "A Dad Outstanding", he puts himself in the shoes of Matthew Logelin, a devoted, sensitive and brave man. Overnight, his peaceful daily life took a dark turn. As he prepares to welcome his first child, an irremediable and deeply unfair event comes to decimate his joy.

His wife, Liz, did not survive. Matthew is heartbroken and his soul is like an empty shell, but like a fierce warrior, he gets up and tries to offer his daughter Madeline some stability. An unprecedented balancing act to which he had not warmed up. Alone, he bends to the sometimes tough challenges of fatherhood. At first, the feeling of incapacity sticks to his body. This new status is a plunge into the unknown.

A revealing film that raises burning issues

This man who walks around alone with a baby in a sling, who telecommutes with tweets in the background and who has become a diaper pro comes up against demeaning speeches. "You think you can take it but you can't", "You won't have the patience", "This child needs female representation"... this song that goes on a loop as soon as he sets foot in the public space blurs the faint glimmer of trust he had earned.

"An outstanding dad" shows how these inappropriate and unfounded words can mark. In the collective imagination, this label of clumsy, impassive, disinvested and authoritarian dad is still anchored. With its crisply sweet sequences, this film proves that these shadow figures can be all-terrain. Thanks to his determination and his comforting clown side, Matthew led his daughter on the slope of happiness in the raw state. A hairdressing session that turns into laughter, a lullaby revisited by three crazy friends, merry-go-rounds that turn into a chase... we witness simple moments, dripping with authenticity.

A necessary nod to a true story, little publicized in France

Despite the obstacles, the fears and the distressing times, they held the course, together. Accomplices, they advance towards glorious horizons under the benevolent eye of their appointed guardian angel. An unbreakable and vibrant accord that makes a few tears roll down our cheeks. This glaring story of truth is far from being a pure fictional invention. To conceive "Un peerless dad", the director was indeed based on the biographical bestseller "Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love" by the real Matt Logelin.

The plot recounts the bumpy route of this humble hero. With his wife Liz, they were promised a bright future but a pulmonary embolism that occurred after childbirth brought him down. In the space of 27 hours, her state of health worsens and she joins the abyss of the immaculate sky. Matt is overcome with suicidal thoughts, but chases them away for his Maddy.

An intimate dive that takes us to the guts

For him, writing will act as therapy. He opens a blog on which he demystifies fatherhood and then exposes himself through stories without filters. This support serves as a logbook. The man shares his sorrows, his setbacks and his glimmers of optimism. He plunges back into the past, describes his deceased wife with poetry as a Charles Baudelaire would do. A moving declaration of love that now vibrates on the small screen.

"Un peerless dad" skilfully handles the theme of mourning. No exaggeration, no demoralizing heaviness, this film honors with dignity the strength of spirit and the constancy of this unique father. To have !