‘Kinda Pregnant’ is a decent film.

‘Kinda Pregnant’ is a decent film.

The lengths some movie characters will go to in order to maintain a good comic lie are by now well known to us. However, it’s still a unique achievement when Amy Schumer, who plays a baby-mad single lady in ‘Kinda Pregnant’ pushes a roast turkey up her dress in an attempt to keep the illusion going while pretending to have a baby bulge.

Perhaps you’re thinking, ‘This is too absurd.’ Just the stuffing. However, I see no reason to criticize the setup of ‘Kinda Pregnant’ a humorous and frequently insightful parody of parenthood, both real and imagined, if we purchased “Some Like it Hot” and “Mrs. Doubtfire.”

Kind of a retro comedy, “Kinda Pregnant” made its Netflix debut on Wednesday. Similar to “40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Wedding Crashers,” the title alone essentially sums up the film.

However, like any good high-concept comedy, “Kinda Pregnant” is mostly a fantastical method for Schumer, the film’s star and co-writer, to riff openly on her subject. This encompasses the full range of pregnancy experiences, including physical changes, gender reveal parties, and personal jealousies, along with a fair share of pseudo-pregnancy pitfalls.

Ten years have passed since Schumer was practically made a movie star with the 2015 film “Trainwreck,” which was directed by Judd Apatow. However, Schumer and Julie Paiva’s ‘Kinda Pregnant’ almost as successfully evokes Schumer’s comedic voice, which is what made the sketch series “Inside Amy Schumer” so fantastic.

The first scene of the film shows Lainey (Schumer) as a little girl playing with toys and dreaming of becoming a mother. Lainey is so devoted to the character that she yells at her companion during simulated labor before apologizing nicely, saying, “Sorry, but the expectant mother often lashes out at her support system.”

However, Lainey, a Brooklyn high school teacher, is far from her ambition as middle age draws near. Her longtime boyfriend (Damon Wayans Jr.) asks her to join a threesome at the dinner where she suspects—no, is so sure that she tears apart the dessert seeking for a ring—that he will pop the question. Lainey’s lesson on “Romeo and Juliet” at school takes a tragic turn when she returns.

When Lainey’s married closest friend (Jillian Bell) reveals she is pregnant, the situation gets even worse. Lainey exclaims, “Get rid of it!” and then apologizes. Later, when shopping for clothes, Lainey inadvertently tries on belly padding. The salesperson offers her a foot rub and a burrito right away. She inquires, “Who is the father?” Lainey answers, “Door dash,” then adds, “driver.”

Watching Lainey fabricate even more absurd stories in an attempt to pass for pregnant is a big part of the pleasure in “Kinda Pregnant.” (Lainey goes farther by implying that it occurred at “a Black Friday Eve sale” after inadvertently choosing Thanksgiving as the date of her birth.)

But when she meets a lady (Brianne Howey, refreshingly real) at a pregnant fitness class that she actually likes and wants to be friends with, the ruse gets harder. Complicating matters further, Lainey begins to develop feelings for a different man she meets at a coffee shop.

Forte stands out in “Kinda Pregnant,” a film full of humorous characters (others include Alex Moffat as a foolish soon-to-be parent and Urzila Carlson as a guidance counselor). Forte is extremely comfortable in a more romantic comedy context for a performer of such crazy insanity. In addition, he has a delightfully absurd job—even by romantic comedy standards—driving a Zamboni through Central Park.

The rest of “Kinda Pregnant” is probably predictable. The cinematic humor, which has been stagnant in recent years with few big-screen exceptions, is not advanced by director Tyler Spindel, nephew of producer Adam Sandler.

Crucially, though, he allows his actors the room to be authentic, and Lainey’s fervent need to start a family comes off as both extravagant and sincere. “Kinda Pregnant” reflects the anguish of wishing you were pregnant, but “Knocked Up” encapsulated the humor of becoming unexpectedly pregnant.

The Motion Picture Association has given the Netflix film “Kinda Pregnant” a R rating due to its sexual content, profanity, and drug usage. It lasts for 97 minutes. I give it two and a half stars.