Movie Review - Juno
I watched Juno a movie about an independent, confident and wise sixteen-year-old pregnant teenager. Juno’s parents are divorced and she lives with her father, stepmother and young half- sister. Paulie is Juno’s love interest and the father of her baby. Paulie’s mother does not think Juno is good enough for her son and is not pleased that they are friends; because of this, Juno does not allow her parents to tell Paulie’s mother that he has impregnated Juno.
Unplanned pregnancy and the effect on a teenage girl is the theme I found most interesting in this move and will explore in this post. Although Juno explores the idea of having an abortion when she discovers she is pregnant, I felt that a choice was not available for her because of the lack of clinics available to perform the procedure. When talking to her best friend Juno rules out going to one clinic because as a minor she would need to inform her parents. When Juno visits the one clinic that will allow her to have an abortion without parental consent, she leaves the waiting room before completing the paperwork. The clinic, which I felt was unreputable, waiting room is dark and dirty, the receptionist is not helpful and a classmate is outside picketing the clinic. According to Wikipedia, “Juno was interpreted by some critics as having a pro-life theme.” I would have like to see Juno receive counseling in the film and then make her decision. I feel that if Juno could have received counseling in the movie it would have been beneficial to girls in the same situation and it may have helped them make a knowledgeable decision.
When Juno talks to her parents they are supportive of her decision to put the baby up for adoption and both are, involved in making sure she receives medical care as well as making sure the adoptive parents do not exploit her. Other adults in the movie are not as supportive. An administrator at the school gives her a dirty look and the ultrasound technician belittles her. Juno realizes that classmates at school are talking behind her back and that although she had sex with someone in order to become pregnant she is the only one that has telling evidence of the relationship.
When thinking about purity balls I do not think Juno would have been the girl thought of as pure and worth inviting to the ball even before her pregnancy. Although she is not a minority I think that Juno’s class status and her family not being religious makes her unworthy of the virgin label. Alternatively, it could be that because she was confident and self-aware she would have been considered too much of a feminist. The progressive puppy website states, “New York Times: Recent studies have suggested that close relationships between fathers and daughters can reduce the risk of early sexual activity among girls and teenage pregnancy.” I felt that Juno had a good relationship with her father and that “date nights” would not have changed her mind about having sex.
Eatheana West
Unplanned pregnancy and the effect on a teenage girl is the theme I found most interesting in this move and will explore in this post. Although Juno explores the idea of having an abortion when she discovers she is pregnant, I felt that a choice was not available for her because of the lack of clinics available to perform the procedure. When talking to her best friend Juno rules out going to one clinic because as a minor she would need to inform her parents. When Juno visits the one clinic that will allow her to have an abortion without parental consent, she leaves the waiting room before completing the paperwork. The clinic, which I felt was unreputable, waiting room is dark and dirty, the receptionist is not helpful and a classmate is outside picketing the clinic. According to Wikipedia, “Juno was interpreted by some critics as having a pro-life theme.” I would have like to see Juno receive counseling in the film and then make her decision. I feel that if Juno could have received counseling in the movie it would have been beneficial to girls in the same situation and it may have helped them make a knowledgeable decision.
When Juno talks to her parents they are supportive of her decision to put the baby up for adoption and both are, involved in making sure she receives medical care as well as making sure the adoptive parents do not exploit her. Other adults in the movie are not as supportive. An administrator at the school gives her a dirty look and the ultrasound technician belittles her. Juno realizes that classmates at school are talking behind her back and that although she had sex with someone in order to become pregnant she is the only one that has telling evidence of the relationship.
When thinking about purity balls I do not think Juno would have been the girl thought of as pure and worth inviting to the ball even before her pregnancy. Although she is not a minority I think that Juno’s class status and her family not being religious makes her unworthy of the virgin label. Alternatively, it could be that because she was confident and self-aware she would have been considered too much of a feminist. The progressive puppy website states, “New York Times: Recent studies have suggested that close relationships between fathers and daughters can reduce the risk of early sexual activity among girls and teenage pregnancy.” I felt that Juno had a good relationship with her father and that “date nights” would not have changed her mind about having sex.
Eatheana West
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