Juno (Movie)

* Bibliographic information
Reitman, J. (Director). (2007). Juno [Motion Picture]. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, and Jennifer Garner.

- 2008, Won an Oscar for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen: Diable Cody
- 2008, Oscar Nominations for Best Achievement in Directing: Jason Reitman, Best Motion Picture of the Year, and Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Ellen Page.


* Plot Summary
Juno, a quirky sixteen-year-old and her best friend, Paulie have sex for the first time and she winds up pregnant. After going to an abortion clinic waiting room she decides to keep the baby and put it up for adoption after it is born. She finds a couple in the PennySaver interested in adopting the baby and contacts them. She tells her parents who are surprised because Juno is such a smart responsible teenager. Juno goes on with her life and does not let her pregnancy get in the way of having fun or falling for Paulie. She spends a lot of time with the adoptive couple, both yuppies, one uptight and neurotic and the other laid back. This witty comedy is a new take on teen pregnancy perfect for today’s generations.


* Critical Evaluation
This witty original movie has become very popular and has catapulted the two young stars into the spotlight. The dialogue was so unique and memorable that fans everywhere bought the DVD upon its release. The topic of teen pregnancy is usually put aside for serious movies or after school specials but the writer and director of this movie created a situation where it is okay to laugh with the pregnant mom and laugh at their awkward sexual encounter and still get that it is an important issue. Juno and Paulie are very relatable for teens because for most, their first time is less than stellar and the relationship they have with that first lover is in many cases confusing. Teen pregnancy is an important topic that many teens are not going to a theatre to see discussed for two hours. With Juno they did, because people saw it and raved about the clever dialogue and the strong female character, Juno who people love and root for.


* Reader’s Annotation
Juno just found she is pregnant after one sexual encounter with her best friend. Through her sarcasm and wit she confronts with her decision for her unborn child.


* Information about the director
Jason Reitman was born in Quebec, Canada. He lives with his wife and child in the United States. He is a director, screenwriter, actor and producer. His trademark is making comedic films about serious topics. Him and his wife love hockey and follow the Vancouver Canucks and the Los Angeles Kings. He graduated from Harvard-Westlake School and majored in English/Creative Writing at the University of Southern California.


* Genre
Comedy; Teen Issues, Pregnancy


* Curriculum Ties, if any
Health / Sexual Education:
This movie talks about teen pregnancy and how easy it is to get pregnant if you are not protected. The movie also shows how hard it is to decide whether to keep a baby and what a mom must deal with after making that decision.


* Movie Discussion Ideas
1) What could Juno and Paulie have done to prevent getting pregnant?
2) If Juno had not gotten pregnant, how do you think her and Paulie’s relationship would have progressed?
3) Talk about how Juno’s parents reacted to the news that she was going to have a baby. How would most parents react, including your own?


* Interest Age
15 and Up / PG-13


* Challenge Issues and Defense
Challenge Issues: Teen pregnancy, language, and teens having sex.

Defense Ideas:
11) Ask the patron about the movie and issue in question and find out how much they know about the movie.
2) Help the patron become more familiar with the film and its content.
3) Show the patron positive reviews for this movie, such as ones found on Yahoo!Movies, http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809834191/critic.
4) If available, introduce the patron to people who have seen it in the library or tell the patron what you thought of the movie if you have seen it.
5) Show the patron the collection development policy for that particular library. For example, the one for the San Diego County library, http://dbpcosdcsgt.co.san-diego.ca.us/screens/Intranet/policy/sdcl-policy_O.41_material-selection.pdf
6) If they still want to file a grievance about the movie begin the necessary paperwork by giving them the forms they need to fill out. In the San Diego County system, the grievance will then go to The Challenged Materials Team. If the committee cannot resolve the issue, it then goes to the County Library Director for a final decision. http://dbpcosdcsgt.co.san-diego.ca.us/screens/Intranet/policy/sdcl-policy_O.34_intellectual_freedom.pdf


* Why did you include this movie in your titles you selected?
I included this movie because like I said above, teen pregnancy is a very important topic that many teens do not want to talk or hear about because they do not think it will happen to them. Juno is a great movie for conveying the message, “it can happen to anyone”. I think teens should be allowed to watch this movie so they will see that even smart kids who have sex once can get pregnant and everyone who gets pregnant has to deal with the consequences of that one time when they decided protection was not needed.