cute. but try not to think too much.

Rating: 7/10 (23 May 2008)

i watched this movie twice, my eleven years old daughter downloaded it to her ipod and loves it. and wanted me to see it. so i did.
cute and pleasant, well made little movie for a long flight. decent acting and directing. nice music. makes you feel good.
it also makes you think. which is a sigh of good art, right? wrong. i cannot believe that juno actually aspires to make you think. because if you do think about it, you come to a conclusion that this movie is actually not all that great.
the characters are totally lovable, but bizarrely unrealistic, especially juno and her supercool, down-to-earth and witty parents.
which is all fine.
but then, juno ( this very smart and sensitive teenager, hiding behind snappy and mildly obnoxious one liners) and her parents (these very wise, down-to earth, sensitive and loving people) collectively decide it is a good idea for juno to NOT have an abortion but be a "little trooper" and go through with "this thing". and give the baby to a deserving mother.
if these people are so humane and amazing, then what the f!#@ is stopping them from actually embracing the baby and raising it up as a family? they all seem to have enough love and emotion and wisdom to handle such a thing. they are not rich, but they do not seem to be too poor either... alas, juno is not ready to be a mom and her dad is not ready to be a "pop-pop." so the baby goes to a lucky yearning childless woman with an immature soon- to-be ex-husband. everyone ends up a little sad, but eventually, life is back to a sunny day and a happy song. the end.
i would really love to know what diablo cody had in mind when she came up with the story.
the movie's message about life and pregnancy is confusing at best: like, getting pregnant and giving up your baby for adoption is pretty much the coolest thing on the planet, dude. yeah, it will make you a little sad, but your loving dad will stroke your head as you lie on the hospital bed once all those contractions are finally over, and he will promise that you will be back one day. and then your boyfriend comes and hugs you and everything will be alright soon.
i happen to know a woman (a neighbor) who gave up her baby, because she had not been "ready to be a mom." she always came across as little odd, but our kids loved her and she was obviously very fond of them. one evening we invited her over for a beer in our back yard. she got tipsy and then told us her story. i will not go into details, but to sum it up - she never managed to erase her given-up daughter, who is now seventeen, off her mind. she is in touch with the adoptive mother. the adoptive father is out of the picture, divorce happened when the girl was three years old.
i know a lot of women (myself included) who had an abortion. it was emotionally taxing and very sad. you feel awful - especially if you get pregnant with someone you are in love with. i cannot imagine giving birth and then losing the baby to another mom. what's the emotional difference between that and the baby actually dying? i guess if you believe in heaven, there is no difference. theoretically.