Juno

A quirky comedy set in the off-beat world of upper Midwestern teenagers – but it has more plot then Napoleon Dynamite.

Sixteen year old Juno gets pregnant and, after considering an abortion, decides to carry the baby to term and give the baby up for adoption. The high-energy, wise-cracking teenager spouts allusions and one-liners that flow more naturally from the pen of a twenty-something scriptwriter than from the mouth of a 16 year old punk rocker, but actress Ellen Page carries it well, giving the film wit and intelligence, as well as an airy freshness.

Two interesting points in the film:

First, Juno’s experience at a women’s clinic suggests that the rising generation wants to re-open the question that has been closed by nearly all but a shrinking religious minority – When is a fetus a human life? The film never asks the question directly, but Juno’s dilemma and resulting choice gives us hope that she (and others of her generation if she is representative) are more willing to view an unborn child as a person rather than a mere coagulation of cells.

Second (and this question is asked far more openly) Juno practically begs for assurance that a relationship can “last forever.” Apparently exhausted by the tickle down effects from two generations of disposable relationships, Juno speaks for her tribe in her longing for permanence. Unfortunately, the film offers only a superficial answer.

The movie sports a PG-13 rating, and for those who may be content-sensitive, the dialogue is well-laced with casual cursing and sexual frankness. That said, I think the film is worth watching. If, as I said earlier, the character Juno is representative and the rising generation is asking serious questions about the sanctity of life and marriage, then we bear a responsibility to be prepared to offer answers that are both deeply rooted in Truth and savvy to the way they receive and process information.