January 1, 2008
This is what Lindy Keffer, reviewer, had to say in Plugged In about the movie Juno.
Excerpt: As Juno, Ellen Page is completely adorable. And wow, can the girl talk! She leads the cast through 92 minutes of rapid-fire repartee. (Think Gilmore Girls on prenatal vitamins.) Audiences have to stay on their toes to keep up, and even then, if they’re unfamiliar with what the film’s screenwriter Diablo Cody calls “teen speak,” they’re still likely to get left behind.
Speaking of teens, Juno is—if nothing else—a telling inside perspective on the new teenage sexuality (or at least the world’s version of it). All the old rules are out the window. Sex is just as likely to happen between best friends (or even near-strangers) as it is between those who are seriously dating. And having sex isn’t necessarily a precursor to the deepening of commitment. It’s just one of many complications to be factored in as teens are defining their relationships.
Pregnancy, likewise, doesn’t carry the social stigma it used to. Which is not to say that Juno makes it out to be a breeze. It’s clear that the heroine is in over her head at times—but the film is über-careful not to judge any of the moral decisions made by any of its characters.
This deliberate moral relativism is also the reason why the film comes off as mildly—almost accidentally—pro-life and pro-adoption, rather than decisively so.
As a snapshot of adolescent culture—complete with crude language—Juno offers a conversation-inspiring perspective to adults who care for teens. Is this really the way things are now? Can anything be done about it? Those questions aren’t exactly posed in the film, but they’re sure to arise in the minds of some viewers afterwards.
For teens themselves, though, who are already swimming in the culture, Juno will only reinforce the complete lack of a moral compass.
RATED PG-13
DISTRIBUTED BY
Fox Searchlight
DIRECTED BY
Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking)
STARRING
Ellen Page as Juno MacGuff; Michael Cera as Paulie Bleeker; Jennifer Garner as Vanessa Loring; Jason Bateman as Mark Loring; J.K. Simmons as Mac MacGuff; Allison Janney as Bren MacGuff; Olivia Thirby as Leah; Rainn Wilson as Rollo
REVIEWED BY
Lindy Keffer
FROM Suzie: Last week I spoke with a teen who just had a baby. It’s hard. Life has changed, and the guy who promised he’d love her forever is nowhere to be seen. Sex is so much more than a moment or a feeling. Way more. I hope you’ll go to Plugged In, one of the best sites on the web, and check out the rest of this review.
Cindi Hoppes says:
I have two teenage sons with girlfriends. These are topics I think about very much! My oldest has been with the same girl for almost four years and the younger for 6 months. Both have been talked to by their dad and myself. So far, so good. I know there are no guarantees! Cindi