MOVIES: "Juno"

[Naztakuan]

Why on earth has no one mentioned Juno? I mean with all this hubbub about the Golden Compass you’d think SOMEOME would have mentioned this movie. I haven’t see this mvie yet as I am no in the states but I would like to. It’s about a Teen that get’s pregnant but gives it up for adoption. It’s not really serious it’s a cute heart warming funny film. at least that’s what I get from the preview

movies.go.com/juno/d911562/comedy

just click on trailers and clips if you wanna see the trailer.

 

[Dale_M]

RottenTomatoes also gives it very high marks.
rottentomatoes.com/m/juno/

I hestitated mentioning the film because it is rated
PG-13, for mature thematic material, sexual content and language.

Not having seen the movie, I wasn’t sure whether it was the sort of film which would be offensive to CAF members. It may well be a great film for teens and adults… after all, you can’t discuss teen pregnancy without at least alluding to how the pregnancy occurred.

 

[Sr_Sally]

We saw a preview for this before 'Bella". What are you hearing about this movie? It is about a young girl who becomes pregnant and arranges an open adoption. I doubt the movie is as family-friendly as Bella, but I’m wondering what others think?

 

[Sr_Sally]

Bella is also rated PG-13. We went to see it last night, and while my dh and dd liked it (as did I), the scene of the child being killed upset my son quite a bit.

The previews were troublesome–I guess because it is PG-13–there were 2 for R rated films. And while the previews didn’t show any explictly R rated stuff, there was plenty of scary stuff that I didn’t need either of my kids to see.

But, we also saw a preview for Juno. I wouldn’t take my kids to see it, but it does look very cute. I will probably arrange a girls’ night to see that one.

 

[JimmyJeff]

Resurrecting an old thread. I saw this movie yesterday and I loved it. Sure, the girl is smart mouthed, messed up and clueless (but hilarious) and some people may be offended by her mouth (I’m not easily offended because I was a rotten teenager). I thought she was adorable. She was all set to go and get “rid” of it and then a little protester tells her “it” has fingernails and she can’t do it. I watched it with my mother who gave up a baby for adoption when she was 16 and so it was kind of emotionally wrenching for me but I thought it was a very good movie.

 

[wjp984]

Ya, they totally made the abortion clinic look like this awful place. It was great and maybe for people seeing the movie, the bad way it was portrayed and Juno’s decison to run out and have the baby instead will make others hesitate when thinking about an abortion.

 

[ThomasFrancis]

I’ve seen this film twice, and I truly enjoyed it. Though it was vulgar at times, I thought the message of Juno was somewhat conservative in a framework and story very much within the mainstream of Hollywood. Character developments and changes also take place beyond Juno’s choice to not abort her baby, which leaves the audience more appreciative of true love and family. For mature viewers, I’d have to reccomend this film.

 

[OSUbride0708]

I LOVE this movie. I am so pleased by the good reviews it’s received on here. It was funny but at the same time it was a tear jerker. I cried at the part in the mall when Vanessa is feeling her stomach, the part at the end in the hospital when Juno and Bleeker are laying there and she’s crying and definitely the part at the end when they showed the frame over the crib and the note Juno gave Vanessa. Ahh. Not to mention it was HILARIOUS. I went to see it with my mom and she was cracking up at some of the vulgar things Juno said, and I’m a college student so I’m just immune to it.

 

[jdmayer]

Great movie, I thought the vulgarity actually served an important purpose… to show us exactly what the mindsets of the characters are, etc. Really impressed, love it.

 

[psteichen]

Great movie, I thought the vulgarity actually served an important purpose… to show us exactly what the mindsets of the characters are, etc. Really impressed, love it.

I thought overall it was an okay movie considering the main character does the right thing, but I certainly think the vulgarity was over the top. The movie portrayed the potty mouthed teens as normal, while the prolife protester girl is portrayed as a dimwit with bad grammar. The movie also reinforces the stereotype that all teens have sex, and only a few unlucky ones get caught. Also, none of the adults in the movie can maintain a healthy marriage. Divorce is portrayed as the norm.

If you’re trying to raise your kids to be good Catholics, this will certainly be a bad example for them. I’m not sure I would even recommend it to other adults unless you want to depress them about the state of our culture. Its great that the main character didn’t kill her baby, but while the movie portrays this as a good decision for her, it stops far short of condemning abortion. I wouldn’t classify this so much as a prolife movie, but as a regular pop culture love story in which the girl happens to choose life. Lets just say I was hopeing for more.

 

[jdmayer]

I thought overall it was an okay movie considering the main character does the right thing, but I certainly think the vulgarity was over the top. The movie portrayed the potty mouthed teens as normal, while the prolife protester girl is portrayed as a dimwit with bad grammar. The movie also reinforces the stereotype that all teens have sex, and only a few unlucky ones get caught. Also, none of the adults in the movie can maintain a healthy marriage. Divorce is portrayed as the norm.

The movie reflects reality. “Potty mouthed teens” are normal. LOTS of teens have sex, and while I don’t know the statistics, I think that a good percentage of American teens are “sexually active”, especially those with a purely secular upbringing. Most adults DON’T maintain healthy marriages. Divorce IS the norm.

Juno shows that even in these dire situations, people can see the good and strive for it. As the film goes on, you should notice that the vulgarity (which is striking at the beginning of the movie for us, but probably not for the population at large) drops out. Juno changes as she learns to love outside of herself (first her child and then her boyfriend).

The things that you are complaining about are things that the movie is addressing head-on, and taking the right stance. Juno sees how prevalent broken marriages are, and this scares her to the point of not believing that ‘true love’ is possible. Her father’s response: it’s hard to believe it by looking around, but it is. Relationships CAN work.

Unlike Bella, Juno manages to reveal the beauty and complexity of people, and the inherent worth of life while RETAINING a realistic perspective. Bella exists completely in la-la land.

As for the pro-life girl at the abortion clinic, I wasn’t offended. I didn’t think she was a stereotype but a person. The movie wasn’t making any jokes at that character’s expense. If anything, that scene portrayed something very Christian: truth and grace can work through anyone. The truth has value in itself, a life of it’s own that exists beyond the person speaking. It’s that “dimwit” who makes the concept of life CONCRETE for Juno. Pretty wonderful stuff.

I found this movie refreshing for the very reason you disliked it: it isn’t a piece of pro-life propaganda (again, see Bella). Instead, it’s actually a work of art that can be classified as ‘pro-life’ because the story is told from a perspective that sees life as beautiful.

 

[Little_Mary]

Definietly for mature audiences only. We put the DVD on tonight with the family and turned it off shortly thereafter when Juno described in vivid detail what she thinks about when she sees the boys’ track team in training.

It was totally unnecessary, low, baudy, and base. I wish my children (13 and 15) had not heard what she said during that scene.

Bella gets the same message across in a very “cool” way as well (if that’s important to you) without ever stooping to vulgarity.

I give Juno two thumbs down.

 

[jdmayer]

Definietly for mature audiences only. We put the DVD on tonight with the family and turned it off shortly thereafter when Juno described in vivid detail what she thinks about when she sees the boys’ track team in training.

It was totally unnecessary, low, baudy, and base. I wish my children (13 and 15) had not heard what she said during that scene.

Bella gets the same message across in a very “cool” way as well (if that’s important to you) without ever stooping to vulgarity.

I give Juno two thumbs down.

It certainly isn’t a “family flick” like Finding Nemo or Chronicles of Narnia.

Little Mary, I’d suggest doing a little bit of research before watching a movie for the first time with your kids. The rating available on all Juno poster or the dvd case says: “PG-13, for mature thematic material, sexual content and language.” It’s rare that any PG-13 movie will be squeaky clean. In addition, a quick perusal at a thread like this (or a Christian review site) would have alerted you to the vulgarity. There is no sense in getting surprised or offended when something is what it claims to be.

Like I mentioned before, I don’t think that Juno so much “stoops” to vulgarity as much as it recognizes that vulgarity is common tongue for a lot of kids these days, and doesn’t shy away from showing that realistically. Even people who cuss can do heroic things.

I think Juno is a movie that will have a wonderful effect on a certain audience. It caught on very well with the same crowd that enjoys the ever-popular raunch-fests (it exists in the same world, so to speak) but is in a lot of ways “subversively” good. A love for people and life in general comes across stronger and stronger as the movie progresses. Characters mature and the vulgarity drops out, etc etc.

Not for everyone, though, obviously.

 

[Little_Mary]

It certainly isn’t a “family flick” like Finding Nemo or Chronicles of Narnia.

Little Mary, I’d suggest doing a little bit of research before watching a movie for the first time with your kids. The rating available on all Juno poster or the dvd case says: “PG-13, for mature thematic material, sexual content and language.” It’s rare that any PG-13 movie will be squeaky clean. In addition, a quick perusal at a thread like this (or a Christian review site) would have alerted you to the vulgarity. There is no sense in getting surprised or offended when something is what it claims to be.

Like I mentioned before, I don’t think that Juno so much “stoops” to vulgarity as much as it recognizes that vulgarity is common tongue for a lot of kids these days, and doesn’t shy away from showing that realistically. Even people who cuss can do heroic things.

I think Juno is a movie that will have a wonderful effect on a certain audience. It caught on very well with the same crowd that enjoys the ever-popular raunch-fests (it exists in the same world, so to speak) but is in a lot of ways “subversively” good. A love for people and life in general comes across stronger and stronger as the movie progresses. Characters mature and the vulgarity drops out, etc etc.

Not for everyone, though, obviously.

I thought hearing Jennifer Garner gushing over it on a talk show was research enough. Lesson learned.

I understand what you are saying about being “subversively good”; however, I am of the opinion that film makers and tv show makers for that matter, should set the standards higher.

Then maybe, just maybe, over a very long period of time, we will all slowly raise our standards as well.

I don’t think showing vulgar teenagers as they really are in a movie does the viewers any good. Instead, it dulls the senses to what is wrong and what is moral.

The girl in the movie, Juno, obviously had a very casual attitude towards sex and abortion. While this, sadly, may be true in reality, I don’t think it should be spotlighted as the norm as it was in this movie.

The dialogue and some of the scenes could have been shot very differently and the movie still could have gotten all of its messages across.

Bella did.

Just my :twocents:

 

[vashsunglasses]

I was pretty underwhelmed by the movie. They were trying WAY too hard to impress indie fans and teenage girls. I found the characterizations to be shallow (especially for Juno) and the dialog was rediculous. Nobody actually speaks in solid 100% slang 24/7 like Juno did… nobody. Also, I spent the entire movie wanting to slap her for her rude attitude and wondering why her deadbeat parents let her get away with teen sex/pregnancy without punishment. Jennifer Garner’s character was the only bright spot in this otherwise dismal film. I would have rather watched a film that focused on her, with the over the top Juno being a secondary character.

 

[yellowbird]

Loved the little sister’s name: Liberty Bell

Loved the way the stepmom put that rude sono tech in her place.

Favorite lines:

Juno MacGuff: I think I’m in love with you.
Paulie Bleeker: You mean as friends?
Juno MacGuff: No… I mean for real. 'Cause you’re, like, the coolest person I’ve ever met, and you don’t even have to try, you know…
Paulie Bleeker: I try really hard, actually.

I also liked when Paulie’s friend said “Did you hear Juno is pregnant?”

(yeah)

Did you hear you’re the father?

 

[kevinsgirl]

I loved the movie. While Bella might be more family friendly, Juno had a wider, more teenaged audience and, in my opinion, really reached the age groups and personalities that might be in the situation of choosing abortion over adoption.

It’s definitely not a movie for young children…I wouldn’t let my kids watch it until high school…but I would want them to watch it then. Teenage pregnancy is a very real thing and something that most kids will deal with in some way as they grow up (a friend, a family member, etc.). I think the movie did an excellent job of presenting the right thing to do in a way that is appealing to those who aren’t against abortion for religious reasons.

 

[Nordar]

I thought overall it was an okay movie considering the main character does the right thing, but I certainly think the vulgarity was over the top. The movie portrayed the potty mouthed teens as normal, while the prolife protester girl is portrayed as a dimwit with bad grammar. The movie also reinforces the stereotype that all teens have sex, and only a few unlucky ones get caught. Also, none of the adults in the movie can maintain a healthy marriage. Divorce is portrayed as the norm.

If you’re trying to raise your kids to be good Catholics, this will certainly be a bad example for them. I’m not sure I would even recommend it to other adults unless you want to depress them about the state of our culture. Its great that the main character didn’t kill her baby, but while the movie portrays this as a good decision for her, it stops far short of condemning abortion. I wouldn’t classify this so much as a prolife movie, but as a regular pop culture love story in which the girl happens to choose life. Lets just say I was hopeing for more.

You missed the point of the whole movie!

 

[Nordar]

The movie reflects reality. “Potty mouthed teens” are normal. LOTS of teens have sex, and while I don’t know the statistics, I think that a good percentage of American teens are “sexually active”, especially those with a purely secular upbringing. Most adults DON’T maintain healthy marriages. Divorce IS the norm.

Juno shows that even in these dire situations, people can see the good and strive for it. As the film goes on, you should notice that the vulgarity (which is striking at the beginning of the movie for us, but probably not for the population at large) drops out. Juno changes as she learns to love outside of herself (first her child and then her boyfriend).

The things that you are complaining about are things that the movie is addressing head-on, and taking the right stance. Juno sees how prevalent broken marriages are, and this scares her to the point of not believing that ‘true love’ is possible. Her father’s response: it’s hard to believe it by looking around, but it is. Relationships CAN work.

Unlike Bella, Juno manages to reveal the beauty and complexity of people, and the inherent worth of life while RETAINING a realistic perspective. Bella exists completely in la-la land.

As for the pro-life girl at the abortion clinic, I wasn’t offended. I didn’t think she was a stereotype but a person. The movie wasn’t making any jokes at that character’s expense. If anything, that scene portrayed something very Christian: truth and grace can work through anyone. The truth has value in itself, a life of it’s own that exists beyond the person speaking. It’s that “dimwit” who makes the concept of life CONCRETE for Juno. Pretty wonderful stuff.

I found this movie refreshing for the very reason you disliked it: it isn’t a piece of pro-life propaganda (again, see Bella). Instead, it’s actually a work of art that can be classified as ‘pro-life’ because the story is told from a perspective that sees life as beautiful.

Totally agree with everything you said, my grandaughter 17 and several friends of hers saw the movie and they just loved it.

1. It made them realize the importance of NOT being sexually active, that it does have negative consequences such as an umwanted pregnancy.
2. Abortion is wrong, and adoption is always an alternative.
3. Marriage is important and you should be very sure when you want to marry soemone.
4. Family itself it very important

In essence they got nothing but positive feed back from the movie, which incidentally the Author has said that she wanted it to have a positive effect on teens. She is very young only in her early 20’s and lived a wild life, she was tying to convey that there are consqences and responsibility for what you do in life.

I loved the movie. the vulgarity was necessary or else the movie would have not been real, teenagers are the way she portrayed them. not all, but most especially the ones she wanted to reach so she had to be real and truthfull.

 

[SeekerJen]

Definietly for mature audiences only. We put the DVD on tonight with the family and turned it off shortly thereafter when Juno described in vivid detail what she thinks about when she sees the boys’ track team in training.

It was totally unnecessary, low, baudy, and base. I wish my children (13 and 15) had not heard what she said during that scene.

Bella gets the same message across in a very “cool” way as well (if that’s important to you) without ever stooping to vulgarity.

I give Juno two thumbs down.

Um…that’s the kind of thing my friends and I would say when we were that age. It’s not classy, sure, but even though we were 8th graders at an orthodox Catholic parish school, we were still immature teenagers. Right or wrong, many kids do think and talk that way and not all of them are the “bad” kids.

I enjoyed this movie. I thought Ellen Page was adorable and portrayed Juno very believably. I also had to fight tears a few times. My husband and I are infertile, and I was really able to put myself in the shoes of Jennifer Garner’s character. I hope someone is that generous to us someday.