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The shockingly clever film Juno (2007) written by Diablo Cody, tells the unique story of a witty teenager's pregnancy and how she grows up mentally, while she happens to be growing rounder physically. From the beginning of the film, it's made very obvious that Juno is a minor, who in no way expected or wanted this pregnancy. This is made evident when she tells Paulie Bleeker, the father of the child, that she is pregnant and he responds along the lines of "like our moms and teachers?" Juno is clearly the first pregnancy of their generation, which excludes her from her peers further. The film follows Juno throughout her entire dilemma, for a story duration of the full nine months. In this seemingly short amount of time, Juno's unfortunate situation allows her to glimpse into the complicated world of adults for awhile. Although at times it seems like she's in over her head, Juno learns that despite the media's portrayal of teenage pregnancy, she is perfectly capable of resuming her carefree youthful attitude after giving birth.
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Throughout the film, Cody plays around with an ironic & unique attitude surrounding teen pregnancy. For example, the abortion clinic that Juno visits when she first discover's she is pregnant, has no sense of seriousness at all. The receptionist is playing a video game while explaining the policies, and offers Juno Boysenberry flavored condoms, even though sex is typically the last thing recommended for a pregnant teen. Upon sitting in the lobby for a mere few minutes, Juno realizes that she cannot have the abortion and leaves the clinic in search of a couple to adopt her baby.
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Cody maintains this ironic attitude while Juno is on the hunt for a couple, by placing the adoption ad in the penny saver, where one would normally find furniture or pets for sale. Once we meet Mark & Vanessa Loring, the epitome of the "perfect" couple according to Juno, it's clear which of the two is actually ready for parenthood. While Vanessa is obviously overjoyed that she may become a mother, Mark seems rather flustered when asked if he's excited to be a father. However, he is very much into music and horror movies, which forms a bond between him and Juno. As we see Juno grow up throughout the film, Mark does quite the opposite.
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When the audience first meets Mark, he dons a preppy sweater and khaki combo. However, this eventually morphs into jeans and band tee's the more time he spends alone with Juno. Juno's style for the most part stays the same, however she does dress up a little bit more every time she goes to the Loring's home. It's clear there is something deeper going on, when Mark makes Juno leave every time Vanessa gets home.
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We can begin to see the tension growing between the couple in the scene where Vanessa is attempting to paint the nursery. Vanessa is wearing an old Alice in Chains t-shirt to paint in, showing she obviously does not care about the shirt's condition any more. While at one point these two people may have been on the same page, the crossed arms and constant disagreement in this scene show just how much they have grown apart.
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It's no surprise to the viewers when Mark announces he has been thinking about leaving Vanessa, however it is a surprise for Juno. Even though it seems like Juno has grown feelings for Mark, the last thing she wants is for this marriage to fall apart before the birth of her baby. This is a major turning point in her maturity level, which is evident by witnessing Juno cry for the first time in the film. Even when she first discover's the pregnancy, Juno cracks witty remarks to hide her fear. At this point, everything has just gone wrong for Juno and she feels completely alone. However she realizes that even if Mark doesn't want a child, Vanessa still does. In fact, she has been the only character in the film that has always been ready for this baby.
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After a long nine months for Juno, and a short 90 minutes for us, Juno is finally free of the pregnancy that completely turned her world upside-down. Her attempts to become an adult before she even knows what it means to be one, have given her clarity over what she really wants and needs right now. Paulie Bleeker has always been there and in love with her, and it took this whole event for Juno to realize how important he was to her. She may have just given up their child together, but nothing in the film brought them closer together. Although Juno may have thought her youth and innocence were over once she first saw that pink plus sign, it is now that she realizes just how much time she has left to grow up.
Works Referenced:
Juno. Dir. Jason Reitman. Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2007. DVD.
Barsam, Richard, and Dave Monahan. Looking At Movies. 4th ed. New York: W.W Norton &, 2013. Print.
All images screen-capped by yours truly.
Juno. Dir. Jason Reitman. Fox Searchlight Pictures, 2007. DVD.
Barsam, Richard, and Dave Monahan. Looking At Movies. 4th ed. New York: W.W Norton &, 2013. Print.
All images screen-capped by yours truly.