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Outside the Junoverse

by Gabrielle on January 15th, 2008

Juno is the first movie that’s sparked my interest in a while. Trailers are funny. Topics are relevant (perhaps too close to home for me on some levels). Characters likable. Reviews are good. My MIL loved it. My co-workers – ditto. Bloggers whose opinion I trust like Jade and Pamela Jeanne give it the thumbs up. I am pretty sure I want to see this film.

Thing is, you’re going to have to wait a while for my review. I just don’t go to the movies.

Every time I think a night at the cinema is a good idea, we have yet another Bad Experience. Whether it’s a kid in front of me jumping on the seat throwing popcorn at Jar Jar or a woman behind me having her own (very vocal) revelation thanks to Michael Moore, I am hard pressed to recall a time when I have actually enjoyed going to the movies.

So that leaves me with HBO, cable, Blockbuster and Netflix to give me my celluloid fix. And that’s fine. Except for when there’s a movie I really want to see. Like this one.

Juno does have its critics. In an article for RHRealityCheck.org, Arthur Shostak regrets that the film didn’t take the opportunity to talk about abortion more frankly and details the inaccuracies portrayed in it. Nevertheless, he says,

The film’s many shortcomings not withstanding, it warrants MUST viewing by all readers of this critique, as it reveals much about what we are up against where mass media treatment is concerned. Indirect in its underlying condemnation of abortion on request, the film is a far more costly blow against abortion rights than anything the anti-abortion crowd could possibly hope for or ever produce - and they are big gainers (at no cost to them) from its sappy popularity.

Ellen Goodman of the Washington Writers Group also wonder s what kind of message Juno is sending:

Here is a cinematic world without complication. Or contraception. By some screenwriter consensus, abortion has become the right-to-choose that’s never chosen….In Juno the abortion clinic looks like a punk-rock tattoo parlor.

Bob Bamman, LCSW writes a thoughtful piece about the flick for Resolve, He wishes that the film more explicitly acknowledged the fictional account of adoption:

As a cinematic experience Juno is funny, heart wrenching, and well acted, but prospective adoptive parents should go in to it with the knowledge that it’s portrayal of adoption practice is largely inaccurate, and should be prepared to have their emotional heart strings, often already frayed by infertility and disappointment, further tugged on.

I need to wait for Juno to slowly creep up to the top of my Netflix queue to add more to this discussion. But if you’ve seen the film and would like to add your two cents, visit the adoption bulletin board on resolve.org where they are hosting an online discussion. You must be a registered user (free) to access the bulletin board. Follow this link to register.

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POSTED IN: Adoption, Choice, living with infertility, motherhood