'Juno' Scores Four Award Nominations

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.