The fact that Cody, herself a mother of three, drew into her own personal experience for this screenplay lends an extra layer of credibility to an often glossed-over aspect of motherhood that we almost never get to see onscreen. Theron gained nearly 50 pounds for the role, which isn't as remarkable as it's been made out to be in the coverage of the film, but is important in the way it conveys the feeling of a new mother battling her own body in order to get through her day. The micro-aggressions she faces on a daily basis that start with her pregnancy — "you know, there's still traces of caffeine in decaf," a stranger informs her when she orders at a coffee shop — and continue when her daughter Mia is born, compound an already difficult situation. Frankly, it's enough to make one question why anyone would ever want to go through this in the first place — and I have to admit, as someone who isn't a mother, I left the theater feeling more than a little terrified.