Juno (2007)

The other night my wife and I finally had the chance to see the surprise indie hit Juno. The movie stars Ellen Page (X-men 3) as the titular character who finds herself pregnant within the opening moments of the movie. Unlike other movies about adoption or teen pregnancy this movie tries to avoid romanticizing the situation, and more or less succeeds. Juno confides in a friend (and the baby's father) that she has decided to get an abortion. However, her experience at the abortion clinic is by no means positive. She is greeted outside the clinic by a friend from school who happens to be picketing. After an awkward discussion on school assignments, Juno enters the clinic. Once in the clinic the cold indifference of the receptionist and other distractions lead Juno to leave the clinic and make the decision to keep the baby. The rest of the movie follows Juno in her attempts to locate an adoptive family (played by Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) and continue her pregnancy.While the movie does not advocate a traditional "pro-life" message it still promotes life. Sure, Juno, her best friend and her step-mother all put abortion on the table as a realistic option; however, Juno chooses not to go through with it in large part because she heard that the child inside her has fingernails. Since Juno's step-mother works in a beauty salon this resonates with Juno in a powerful way. The very fact that Juno chooses a family in which to offer life to, regardless of prior beliefs about "choice" speaks (whether it wants to or not) to the inherent value and pull that life can have on a person.This movie does not show abortion as romantic and legitimate (though the characters are not opposed to it). However, while adoption is not romanticized it is legitimized as real and meaningful. For me, any movie that can get away without being preachy, but still show the strengths of adoption (while not ignoring the struggles and frustrations of the situation) is well worth seeing, especially when it is done as well as Juno.