The history of the dark days when abortion was illegal not only in the U.S., but also in Britain is littered with tragedies dealing with botched procedures and destroyed lives. The film “Vera Drake” explores the every day life of an abortionist in the early 1950’s Britain.

Vera, played by Imelda Staunton is a kind woman who works very hard to take care of everyone – her children, husband, aged mother, and girls who get “in trouble.” After spending days cleaning the homes of affluent Londoners, she travels the streets visiting women in need of “help”, often following the instructions of her long-time friend, Mrs. Lillian Clark. All of the girls she visits are not wealthy, and there is a short side-story of the daughter of one her employers getting an abortion – showing how the more affluent take care of their little problems.

Once the law finally catches up with Vera, she admits her guilt from the beginning, although she maintains that she was only guilty of helping girls. As the investigation moves forward, Vera finds out that her friend was actually charging the girls she was sent to help – something Vera would never do.

This film moves rather slowly, appealing more to people who enjoy character-driven stories. Personally, it is a film that I pull out on a regular basis, when I’m in the mood to watch something that is moving, but not a tearjerker – although Imelda Staunton cries quite a bit in it. The film remains relatively neutral on the issue of abortion in general, presenting the situation on a very human level. There are people who stand on both sides of the debate throughout, but their commentaries are always in the context of sorting through personal feelings, not preaching (with the exception of the law enforcement officers and judges.)

The relative neutrality is refreshing, since viewers don’t tend to feel that they are being beat on the head to take one side or the other. It allows for focus on the characters as opposed to the issues. Also, it provides a fairly accurate view of life at that time, the people’s mixed feelings about a dirty little secret that was hidden under the veil of everyday life. “Vera Drake” is an excellent film that depicts an accidental pro-choice activist whose naïveté makes her an endearing character one cannot quickly forget. I recommend it highly to anyone who enjoys British films – and, of course, who has any interest in the history of the times when abortion was outlawed.