Juno

Reluctantly, I went with my wife to see the movie Juno. I was reluctant to see this movie because what little I knew about it involved a unplanned pregnancy. I usually don't like to see chick-flicks with a message. But I'm glad I went, and I recommend it.

The jist is that Juno MacGruff, a 16 year old, discovers she is pregnant by her friend Paulie Bleeker. She decides to have the baby and puts the child up for adoption with an affluent
couple. However, Mac, the father, decides to divorce Vanessa, who wants to adopt the child. Vanessa ends up keeping the baby boy and Juno and Paulie struggle to return to a normal, caring relationship.

It could have easily turned into a pro-choice or pro-life tract. To the contrary, it put both extremes in a poor light. Little of the movie dwealt on what led to the pregnancy. It seemed to be a combination of boredom and soft music. Neverthless, the consequences of keeping the child was portrayed in such a way as to make any teenager think twice about becoming pregnant. The movie all of the cross currents that attend such pregnancies-- the struggle to maintain respect from parents and peers, combined with fear, doubt, sickness, hopelessness, and hope.

I thought Ellen Page who played Juno was especially good. It wouldn't surprise me if this movie won an Academy Award or two.