Mommy-hood in the Movie ‘Juno’: “I am a sacred vessel; all you got in your stomach is taco bell.”
***SPOILER WARNING*** If you plan on seeing the movie ‘Juno’ and don’t want any spoilers – Don’t read this blog post! Come back and read it after you have seen the movie.
I got a chance to go out and see the movie ‘Juno’ tonight with my friend Melia after I laid Annabelle to bed. The movie is about a precocious sixteen-year-old named Juno and her journey through pregnancy.
As far as pregnancies in the movies go, I thought it portrayed pregnancy pretty close to the real thing. Except that I noticed some of her symptoms were out of order in the movie, but I could overlook that detail. It is a movie. “And if it is any consolation I have heartburn that is radiating in my knee caps.” So true!
We see Juno attempt to get an abortion, but decide not to because “the baby has fingernails.” I thought the protest and abortion scene was interesting, because I like to see how conservative hot button topics are portrayed in television and film. I always thought that protesters in front of abortion clinics weren’t very effective, but in this movie it was. Thank God that Su-Chin was one brave girl giving her time and speaking truth and yelling “Babies want to get borned! Babies want to get borned!” Su-Chin was not portrayed with excessive mocking or in a heavy sarcastic tone. It was somewhat mocking, but not as bad as it could have been.
Juno is quite verbal throughout the movie that she is giving the child up for adoption, but we see her struggle with the decision. We see her grow attached to the child inside of her when the baby kicks and she is playing with a car on her belly. In the end, she gives the child away. The scene pans to her and Bleeker crying in the hospital bed. Of course, I was balling! I don’t know if I could ever do what she did. I am glad that she did have some emotion over her baby, after she was very casual in the beginning of the film about the baby.
At the end of the film Vanessa brings the baby home, because “she was born to be a mom.” During the film I kept waiting to see if Vanessa would turn out to be fake or a horrible person, but she never did. She genuinely wanted to be a mom. When you see her holding the baby, you are happy for her. In the back of my head, I was wondering how she is going to care for a newborn all by herself. I couldn’t imagine. I was upset about her husband. My friend said that Mark leaving Vanessa made the movie more realistic.
The ending is bittersweet, but I am somehow happy with the way things turned out. I enjoy funky indie films and the verbal banter in the movie. My most favorite character was “Dwight”, “That ain’t no etch-a-sketch. This is one doodle that can’t be un-did, homeskillet.”
Have you seen the movie? Did it remind you of ‘Saved!’ or ‘Little Miss Sunshine’? What are your thoughts on the portrayal of pregnancy in the movie?
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I haven’t seen it yet. I skipped your “at the end” paragraph in case it’s a spoiler, but all in all it sounds like a good movie.
Ok, for some reason the spoiler warning didn’t show up for me….so I’m glad I skipped what I skipped! lol!
I saw it last night!! I loved it. It totally made me cry too. Juno was fortunate to have supportive parents and friends, and for me, the sweetness came in her relationship with Bleeker.
I found it disappointing that Vanessa is “on her own” now with the baby; is that realistic, a single mom adopting? I don’t know anything about that. But it was unfortunate how quickly the couple decided to break it off.
“I don’t really know what kind of girl I am.” – Juno
“You’re so cool and you don’t even try.” – Juno
“I try really hard, actually.” – Bleeker
And I was like, “Bravo, stepmom for being so wise and supportive!!”