'Juno' Scores Four Award Nominations

Photo of Colleen Raezler.
By Colleen Raezler (Bio | Archive)
January 22, 2008 - 14:45 ET
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Ordinarily there wouldn't be a link between an awards ceremony and the anniversary of legally sanctioned abortion. But this was before "Juno."

Today marks the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court case which gave women access to legal abortions. This morning the Academy Award nominees were also announced, and "Juno," a movie in which a teenage girl chooses adoption over abortion, scored nominations for Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay, Best Director and Best Picture.

That's right. A movie in which a young pregnant girl chooses life for her baby, was chosen by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences -- more than 6,000 filmmaking professionals -- as part of the cream of the 2007 film crop. In other words, Hollywood is recognizing a pro-life film as superior.

Maybe Hollywood is embracing "Juno" because the pro-life messaging is almost accidental. Diablo Cody, the author of "Juno's" screenplay, told Beliefnet.com that "it wasn't a conscious decision to make the story as unbiased as it is." Director Jason Reitman told Entertainment Weekly that the movie "seems to be a mirror and people [on both sides] see themselves in it." He also pointed out that "politics ‘was never the purpose.'"

Or maybe it's because Hollywood is experiencing a mini-baby boom.

Or maybe it's just a shift in the culture. The Guttmacher Institute, the research arm of Planned Parenthood, released a study just last week that indicates the number of abortions is at the lowest level since 1976.

No matter what the reason, it's good to see the Academy recognizing movies with good messages for once.

 

—Colleen Raezler is a research assistant at the Culture and Media Institute


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I saw Juno and while the

January 22, 2008 - 14:54 ET by Darth Dutch

I saw Juno and while the girl definitely chooses life over abortion, I wouldn't get too excited about Hollywood changing its moral compass to embrace more pro-life movies.  Both Juno and Knocked Up espoused pre-marital sex as a good thing and pregnancy was just an unfortunate consequence of it.  It seems to me that they made it more pro-life simply so they could have a story in both cases; you abort the baby, there goes your movie.

Darth Dutch

recount dammit!

January 22, 2008 - 14:57 ET by TruthMonger

they surely picked the wrong film - hanging chads perhaps - were diebold machines used in the voting? and where's cheney and rove at this very moment...?

Yea! I was glad to see this

January 22, 2008 - 14:57 ET by balboa

Yea! I was glad to see this movie get the recognition it deserves.

I saw this movie

January 22, 2008 - 15:02 ET by pwoz

with the expectation that it'd be good, but it wasn't. The girl was too hipster/witty/annoying for me to give a darn about her situation.

Is this the best that boringwood can come up with? YAWN

I can see how you'd feel

January 22, 2008 - 15:12 ET by balboa

I can see how you'd feel that way. I thought the dialog sometimes was too cutesy, but overall the movie was great. It's definitely a quirky film that won't appeal to everyone.

I'm more

January 22, 2008 - 16:03 ET by pwoz

I'm more of a 300 fan :)

300

January 22, 2008 - 16:06 ET by balboa

See, I loved that movie, but there were so many that thought it stunk because it wasn't historically accurate, forgetting that it was based on a comic book.

Love the way they shot "300." The scene where the ships are being lost at sea and the Spartans were watching from the shore was really cool.

Contradicting messages

January 22, 2008 - 15:01 ET by true_texan

Although I have not seen this movie (and do not want my teenagers to see it either), this movie is a contradiction in nature.  The synopsis on IMDB.com states:

"Juno (Ellen Page) is a Mid-Western highschooler, who decides one day, out of boredom or curiosity, to have sex with her friend Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera), a member of her school's track team. She likes him well enough, but isn't hung up on him. This one time encounter results in Juno's pregnancy." 

Yes she gets pregnant and maturely decides to keep the baby and give it up for adoption.  BUT if she didn't have sex to begin with (because she was bored) then she wouldn't be in this predicament.  Where was the lesson in abstinence, birth control, STDs, contracting AIDS, etc?  I think Hollywood is glorifying casual sex and teenage pregnancy, making it look all rosey and glowing and an easy decision to make.  Kids see enough teen mothers in their high schools; they don't need it reiterrated in a movie. 

Contradictions with consequences

January 22, 2008 - 15:23 ET by NiftySwell

I think you really need to see the movie before basing a response on a summary. The message I and my teenage son got out of this was that acts through boredom have real long term consequences. They discuss at length the reason for the pregnancy and dont gloss over that in the movie...My favorite part was where the girl is in the clinic and because she was told that the baby had fingernails made her think and consider that the baby was living being....then it turned from not just wanting to put her baby up for adoption but caring that the baby had the best possible parents. That was no small unbiased, non-political detail! It was a very moving real life movie based on the consequences that kids make....probably thousands of them every day. Unfortunately, I and everyone I know engaged in the behaviour you are stating we shouldn't when we were too young and not married. Fortunately, I later married her...and then went on to start a family...luckily.

Thankfully, this is a popular movie that makes people think. I am afraid some, like you, will never be happy with a move in the right direction unless it is an 'in your face' movie full of over the top religious and ethical messages that no one will want to go see- especially the younger crowd.

For once just embrace the fact that it is a movie that does not glorify or gloss over the abortion issue the way they have in the past and that young kids are seeing and thinking about the issue and realize they have choices...plus it had a happy ending for everyone involved stating that adoption can be a positive thing not just a nine month wait to give away a baby.

It is the left that has recently put up all these strongly worded judgemental Anti Bush, Anti War movies shoved into the face of the public that are losing millions of dollars and turning off the public by trying to present subjective material as fact to demonize the right.

From parent to parent..................

January 22, 2008 - 16:35 ET by true_texan

I am afraid some, like you, will never be happy with a move in the right direction unless it is an 'in your face' movie full of over the top religious and ethical messages that no one will want to go see- especially the younger crowd.

So you're allowed to have an opinion about me, someone you've never met before, but I'm not allowed to voice an opinion about this movie since I've not seen it?  I find that to be a little hypocritical.  Besides, I am happy with many movies I've seen that contained no religious or ethical messages.  This is just one I happen to have issue with.

I wasnt judging you..just addressing your statement

January 23, 2008 - 03:12 ET by NiftySwell

'I think Hollywood is glorifying casual sex and teenage pregnancy,
making it look all rosey and glowing and an easy decision to
make. Kids see enough teen mothers in their high schools; they don't
need it reiterrated in a movie. '

I was basing it on your comment ...which since I saw the movie, I felt was inaccurate for this example. Others who have seen the movie agree. See the movie- I think you would like it. It doesnt glorify casual sex and it doesnt dismiss the consequences as you state in your comment.

I'll give it a fair shot....

January 23, 2008 - 06:01 ET by true_texan

I am open-minded enough to agree to go see it then make an honest assessment. 

I saw Juno

January 22, 2008 - 16:40 ET by candance

Overall yes, if I had a teenager I would let them watch this film. It doesn't glorify teen sex. It realistically shows how girls get pregnant and all the trials you go through because of a baby. No one in the film justifies the sex. Even Juno says she regrets it.

Besides, if a teen girl didn't get pregnant there would be no movie. It really wasn't anything like Knocked Up. It was much more serious and grounded in reality. And the abortion clinic scene was IMO the best part. They really made abortion look like a bad idea.

 

I think art is reflecting

January 23, 2008 - 12:19 ET by mbuel

I think art is reflecting reality... there is a massive shift against abortion and realizing how ugly it is.

The guys who made knocked up were also behind 40 year old virgin which featured a guy who saved himself for the right girl who made "some mistakes" and was now a single mother. I think that is a good thing, and I expect hollywood to shift in this direction as younger conservatives start injecting their ideas into movies... look at some of the flicks Adam Sandler has been involved in that are pro family... Click, 40 first dates, etc.