Juno - The Plot, The Oscars, And Maybe Some Of The Moral Purposes

February 23, 2008

 

Rating: 4 out of 4 stars
Writer:  Diablo Cody
Director:  Jason Reitman

Juno Plot Summary In A Sentence:                                           

Juno MacGuff, a teenage girl, gets pregnant out of marriage and works to decide who should adopt her baby, who should she depend on, and who should she love.

(Click on images if you wish to view them individually.)

Introduction:                                                                           

The Oscars are tomorrow night, so I thought I’d post these comments about the movie Juno ahead of its win or loss for this year’s best picture.  This post is not a prediction of the Oscar winner.  I have not seen all the nominated films, so I’m not positioned to make a prediction.  But if Juno wins the best Oscar, I’ll be very happy. 

Today’s post is not a review of the film, but rather a collection of observations and responses to it. 

Too many mornings I wake up feeling depressed because so much of the world around me is poorly illuminated.  I feel like someone has been hitting me with a pillow for a long time – it’s not that it hurts badly;  rather, it’s just numbing, bothersome, and unpleasant.  And I’d prefer it to stop.

Often you’ve heard the cliché:  “There’s too much bad news.”  And while that is likely true, what bothers me probably more is how news is often interpreted and presented very poorly.   

If there is a point in a day where the cycle of negative news and stupid interpretations becomes too much, I try to write a post that shares some artist’s good ideas in a light attempting to be worthy of them.  I write posts to counter the massive forces of stupidity waged persistently against us.

My first love taught me this:  Question everything, especially the easy things that everyone is happy to assume are true.  She questioned everything, regularly suggesting ideas to me that very few people around us thought were good or true.  However, over time as I grew older, I was amazed in how many ways her doubts and investigations of the status quo were justified.  At the time, I thought she was just being difficult, ornery, and bull-headed, enjoying anger for anger’s sake, wanting to be argumentative, and asserting power.  I wasn’t smart enough at the time to either look for or see the supportive reasons for her anger.  Since her, I search to find supporting reasons for anyone’s anger.

I was not the first person in my social group to see the movei Juno . . . I was probably the last.  Each of them indicated to me it was a good film, and I should see it.  Like so many good stories I’ve seen recently, this one was written by a woman, Diablo Cody, who has often taken her own unconventional paths.  It was directed by Jason Reitman (“Thank You for Smoking”), the son of the famous and excellent comedic & dramatic director Ivan Reitman.

I expect there could be a lively debate on this premise:  Most great films contain core moral messages that prove to remain true over time.  Personally, I think it’s possible to create good and popular film that neither contains much of a moral message nor focuses on examining a significant moral position.  But for a film to be great, it must intentionally portray some strong, timely, and enduring moral messages. 

It’s common to criticize “moral messages,” but when they are delivered tactfully, carefully, and accurately, they can enliven a generation.  I cannot think of a commonly considered “Great” movie that does not have moral purposes at its core.  Consider 10 films you believe are great.  Do all of them have some core moral purposes?  Here are 11 films that come quickly to mind:  Citizen Kane, Pulp Fiction, Hoop Dreams, Cars, The Godfather, Schindler’s List, Cast Away, When Harry Met Sally, It’s A Wonderful Life, Brokeback Mountain, and Crash.   None of those films exist apart from their moral centers.

I’d welcome any debate on these topics, and I’d enjoy any other uncommon moral ideas anyone else observed in the film Juno.

Maybe Some of the Morals of the Film Juno:           

Some really good teenagers have sex because it’s pleasant and fun.  (Juno and her boyfriend, Paulie Bleeker)

Having at least one friend who stands by you when you make unpopular or socially taboo decisions can improve your world.  (Juno and her friend, Leah)

Some people may be helped by having at least one person who will love them no matter what they do.  (Juno and her father, Mac MacGuff)

You can genuinely love someone and still give them to others.  (Juno and her baby)

Few people build their loving relationships using only the “ideal” and “safe” methods.  Most people make major “errors.”  (Almost every major character in the movie)

You may ultimately be more defined not by the “mistakes” you make, but rather by how you respond to them.  (Juno and her pregnancy)

You cannot effectively judge a person’s character primarily based on their age or whether they conceived a child in or outside of wedlock.  (Juno and her boyfriend, Paulie Bleeker)

Evaluate individuals individually.  If you believe a person can do what you need them to do, don’t unfairly hold their spouse’s or associates’ actions against them.  (Juno and her decision to let Vanessa Loring, the divorcing woman, continue to adopt her baby because she believed Vanessa would still be a good single mother.  “Vanessa.  If you’re still in.  I’m still in. – Juno”)

It’s very valuable to keep thinking clearly while important things are angering you and not going the way you want them to go.  (Juno continuing to make caring decisions toward Vanessa Loring after Mark Loring reveals he is separating from his wife)

Don’t plan for a life without mistakes.  Focus on finding people who can adapt with you and help you move forward after mistakes.  (Almost every major character in the movie)

It may be a good thing to choose to return to old loves - even when dominant social pressures discourage you from returning to old loves.  (Examples include:  1)  Juno returning to her old boyfriend who got her pregnant outside of marriage.  2)  Vanessa Loring returning to her dream of raising an adopted child even when she will have to do it on her own.  3)  Mark Loring returning to his dream of creating music that has more meaning to him.)

Humorous Highlights:                                                 

Some girls dig a guy with fresh breath.  (Paulie Bleeker and his Tic Tacs)

Sometimes it’s okay to use sarcasm, overstatement, and criticism . . . as long as you are still pointing toward something true.  (Juno and “Thank You for Smoking”)

Clichés and Assumptions The Film & Story Challenged:  

No one cares about stories about unmarried pregnant teenagers.

Teenage couples who get pregnant should be kept apart.

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I loved the movie Juno.  It reminded me that there still are incredibly smart people working hard to illuminate quality and controversial ideas.

© All rights reserved by the respective artists.

Juno on IMDb

Juno on Wikipedia

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