Does it Really Take Two to Tango?

Juno is a film about teenage pregnancy. The main character, Juno MacGuff, finds out she is pregnant after having sex just once. Juno decides against having an abortion and chooses to put her baby up for adoption. After Juno carefully picks the couple she is going to give her baby to the couple separates. Juno carries her pregnancy to term and gives birth to a boy. Vanessa Loring, a now single mother, adopts the baby willing and wanting to raise him on her own. After giving birth Juno begins dating Bleeker, the baby’s biological father, and her life goes back to “normal.”

“June bug, that is a tough, though, thing to do; it’s probably tougher than you can even understand right now.” (Juno, 2007) I feel as though Diablo Cody (Writer) and Jason Reitman (Director) created the film Juno to “tap the glass” and make the viewer aware that most teenagers can handle more responsibility than society thinks they can, or allows them to. As Thomas Hine writes in The Rise and Fall of the American Teenager, “They (teenagers) have problems, of course, but they feel confident about coping with them.” Juno is one of those teenagers that proves she can make handle stressful situations and make responsible decisions. After being faced with the reality of abortion Juno decides to carry the baby to term and give it up for adoption. Juno researches adoption and choose a couple almost entirely on her own. Juno is also able to handle the ridicule she received, at school, the doctor’s office, and in public, for being a pregnant teen. There is a fine line, and this film is not promoting teen pregnancy but it is showing that teenagers make mistakes; teens can have an unplanned pregnancy just like any other women can, but there are options, and they can get through it. “It’s not the end of the world.”
After watching this film I was very frustrated and confused with the gender roles. I didn’t know whether to take Juno’s independence as a good thing or a bad thing. I could not, or did not want to, believe that Bleeker was not going to take any responsibility for Juno’s pregnancy. “What, are you ashamed that we did it? Cause at least you don’t have the evidence under your sweater.” (Juno, 2007. Juno speaking to Bleeker) Bleeker’s life when on as normal while Juno went though a very difficult situation alone. He was “off the hook”, not even his mother knew the child was his, while Juno walked around “looking like a planet.” (Juno, 2007)

Through out the film there were very strong female roles and not so strong male roles. Juno was strong and witty while her stepmother and friend, Leah, stood by her side during the pregnancy. The two were not only emotional support but they were with Juno at her ultrasound and even in the delivery room. Both Bleeker and Juno’s father did not take part in the pregnancy. In the end of the film Vanessa Loring, Jennifer Garner’s character, is an excited, new single mother ready to face the world with her son by her side. The strong, independent female characters show the women don’t even need men.

Is female independence the message this film, or is the message something more dangerous? I think it is a really good thing that Juno is a strong, independent female and doesn’t need Bleeker, but what does this say to teenagers? I feel the film may be sending a message that says: if a female gets pregnant it is her body, her decision and her problem. Both the male and female involved should be taking responsibility for their actions.

The film Juno touches upon several issues including teenagers and gender. There are both positive and negative messages to be found through out the film. Although the film is created with an ideal audience, and an intended theme or message I feel as though parts of the film can be open for interpretation, allowing the viewer to make the decision for him or herself.