In the movie Juno, directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody, the protagonist/narrator named Juno, a sixteen-year-old high school student, finds out that she is pregnant and after a disturbing encounter with a pro-life protester from school and an unsettling abortion clinic receptionist, Juno decides she’s “staying pregnant.” Juno confides in her friend Leah, who suggests looking in the Penny Saver to find adoptive parents, where she finds Mark and Vanessa. But although the movie is mostly filled with adults, and a handful of teenagers, diegetic elements, such as clothing and dialogue, reveal the characters’ child-like qualities.
For example, the future adoptive father (Mark) had a dream of being a musician until he married Vanessa and used his musical talents to compose jingles for commercials; Mark had to give up his dream of becoming a musician to join the “adult” world. In the scene where Juno meets Mark and Vanessa, the couple is dressed in blue sweaters and collard shirts, giving the sense that Vanessa probably dressed him so that they would coordinate (like she would a child). But later in the movie, as we discover Mark doesn’t want to be with Vanessa, he dresses more casual in flannels, which symbolizes Mark re-excepting his youthful side. While Mark dresses like an adult, in a collard shirt underneath a Kashmir sweater, he cannot deny his youthful dream of becoming a musician.
Juno, on the other hand, is the opposite; while Juno dresses (from the beginning) in flannel shirts, hoodies, and wears a skirt over her jeans, her emotional capacity is much greater than most young women (and even her baby’s would-have-been adoptive father). Not only does Juno carry a baby for nine months (in high school!), but she also internalizes her baby’s father asking another girl to prom and Mark leaving Vanessa. In the same scene when Juno meets Vanessa and Mark, when asked if she wants “any other type of compensation,” Juno replies, “No. No, I don't want to, you know, sell the thing, I just... I want... I just want the baby to be with people who are gonna love it, and be good parents, you know? I’m, I’m in, I’m in high school. Dude, I’m just, I’m ill equipped.” This dialogue reveals that Juno actually has a much more mature view of the world and a deeper understanding of the people around her. Although Juno uses slang like "dude" and "shut your friggin' gob," this dialogue between reveals that her maturity and understanding of the situation is much more evolved than what one might originally think.
Juno understands that she isn’t ready to raise a child, but, unlike Mark, Juno accepts it and tries to do what’s best for everyone, including her family, the baby and Vanessa. Because of their similar situations, Mark and Juno develop a playful and almost romantic relationship, this may be because of Juno’s yearning to have a “perfect” family, like Vanessa and Mark appeared to have, since Juno’s mother left and started a new life with a new family. When Mark confesses to Juno that he’s leaving Vanessa, Juno falls apart because she feels like she’s loosing her family again.
Also, the non-diegetic elements, such as animated titles and the opening scene, make parts of the film look like a teenager's doodles, which also helps trigger a theme of youth throughout the movie. For example, in the opening titles, the background is drawn on graphing paper and the animation lacks detail, making it look like a teenager's in class doodles. The seasons of the movie are also marked throughout the movie by similar animated titles, and this highlights the theme of youthfulness in the Juno.
In the end, Juno sets an example of several different kinds of families and family relationships; not all families have a mom and a dad and kids, and Juno reflects these different aspects of family and changes that families encounter and endure. For example, Juno’s mother left and started another family, Juno’s dad remarried and had another child, and Vanessa will raise Juno’s baby as a single mother. Juno set a high bar not only as an excellent, entertaining film, but also as a change in the way media views family.
Work Cited
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