“It’s so 2000s quirky that it almost feels like a period piece,” writes Letterboxd user @ripoffshorts. Certainly, Juno couldn’t have been made in any other era. The film has all the quirkiness you would expect of the pre-iPhone, Plain White T’s, jeans-under-skirts world that was 2007. But that’s why we love it right?
Juno is a witty teenage girl who falls pregnant by none other than Michael Cera (okay, technically by Paulie Bleeker, who is played by Michael Cera). She initially heads to the abortion clinic, but decides to keep the baby after running into a pro-life classmate.
The problems with Juno don’t arise from the subject matter, but from the depiction of the subject matter. The anti-abortion protester is a character the audience are supposed to sympathise with as they make peaceful conversation. However, considering the climate following the 2022 overturn of Roe v. Wade, with many people in need of abortion reporting harassment and attacks from pro-life protesters, such a presentation lacks sensitivity. The handling of reproductive rights in the film lacks a widened awareness into just how this issue has evolved in the past decade, an issue which has threatened the safety and rights of those that require healthcare.
Juno finds a couple, Mark and Vanessa, who want to adopt the baby. This is where another problematic storyline develops. The couple are presented as an uptight wife and a cool, young-at-heart husband. This dynamic is used to justify Mark’s actions as he comes on to Juno (yes, the 16-year-old having the baby he’s about to adopt) and decides to leave his wife. The film reinforces the idea that age gaps are romantic and that boys don’t have to grow up. Ironically, Jason Bateman’s character suffers from arrested development.
That being said, there is much to love about Juno too. Vanessa raises the baby as a single mother, fulfilling her dream unhindered by her pathetic husband. Juno and Paul support each other and grow closer after the birth. And, J.K Simmons plays a heartwarming, grouchy-yet-caring father, though it was hard to shake the feeling that he would start shouting, “Not my tempo!”
From the illustrations dissolving into scenes to the comforting folksy soundtrack, Juno is a cosy classic with a happy ending that I will continue to rewatch every autumn, despite its faults.
“Juno is the best movie ever! Go see it 20 times!” by Steve Rhodes is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.the