Fifteen and Pregnant 1998

Tina Spangler is a 14-year-old girl whose world shifts after a brief, complicated romance with Ray Wood. Ray ends the relationship, telling her he must focus on his athletic goals. When Tina discovers she has started her period, she feels a mix of relief and fear, and on her 15th birthday she is despondent, wondering why another year has passed without a boyfriend.

Tensions rise in the car as they listen to a radio program about teenage pregnancy. Tina’s mother asks if she knows anyone who is sexually active, and Tina responds with evasive answers. At a sexual health clinic, Tina learns she is pregnant. Her friend Laurie Walsh, a young mother who became pregnant at 17, shares her perspective and urges Tina to tell her mother. Tina’s conservative Christian mother, Evie Spangler, is shocked but decides to help, while Tina’s father Cal Spangler remains supportive and comforting.

Tina tells Ray, who initially pretends happiness and promises to be there, but his commitment proves unreliable. Tina begins pregnancy classes with Evie, and after hearing a story from a girl about the hardships of teenage motherhood and a boyfriend who cheated, she calls Ray and vents her fears about his role as a father. She tries to make him stay, but when Ray is less present, she grows suspicious. At the mall, she discovers Ray kissing another girl and ends the relationship for good.

Throughout the pregnancy, Tina’s younger brother Adam Spangler tries to be supportive, while her younger sister Rachel Spangler reacts with both disgust and jealousy to the attention Tina receives. When Rachel breaks her ankle, she asks to live with Grandma, and Grandma Spangler invites her to stay. As the due date approaches, the pregnancy becomes overwhelming, and Evie grows increasingly anxious.

In the hospital, Evie and Cal support Tina through labor. Ray arrives with a new girlfriend, but Cal firmly turns him away in the waiting room. > sperm doesn’t entitle you to much

After a long, grueling labor, Tina gives birth to a baby boy named Caleb. The family—Cal, Evie, Adam, Grandma, and Rachel—gathers outside the hospital for a small, intimate reunion as they welcome the newest member of their family. The story tracks a teenager’s explosive transition into motherhood, highlighting the complexities of parental love, obligation, and the resilience that can emerge from difficult choices.