Teen-o "Baby Mama" Juno

Teen pregnancy is an ongoing problem. About 80 percent of all teenage pregnancies are unintended. Kids have sex irresponsibly and end up having to deal with the consequence of being forced to take care of a baby while a baby. In a 2005 poll taken by Planned Parenthood, In 2005, 10 percent of all U.S. births were to teens. And only about two or three of every 100 pregnancies by teenagers give birth to children that they give up for adoption. 21.7 of teenage pregnancies end up with abortion.

“And she being with child cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be”
- Revelations 12:2

It is not always the hardest thing to approach the issue of sexual intimacy when there is a strong relationship between a teenage boy and a teenage girl. Some are strong-minded and stick to getting good grades so they could be that doctor, lawyer or marketing expert that their dreams see. Then there are the curious ones who approach it because they are taught it exists and all their friends are doing it. And then there are those who none of their friends are really doing it yet but get convincing lines from their boyfriends like, "your lips are like a ribbon of scarlet. Oh how beautiful is your mouth! Your cheeks are like pomegranate halves - lovely and delicious. Your neck is a s stately as the tower of David. . . . Your breasts are like twin fawns of a gazelle, feeding among the lilies.” - Song of Songs 4:3-5

In the case of Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page), the leading role in the movie of the same name Juno, it was pure curiosity that lead to her getting pregnant by her friend Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). It took her about 3 pregnancy tests to convince her that she was pregnant and almost instantaneously decided to do something about it.

Children are a gift from the Lord
- Psalm 127:3

Juno decides that she should have an abortion, knowing that she is too young to care for a baby but decides that she can’t go through with it and decides to go take the adoption route. What was surprising to me was how smart Juno was to look through the classified ads on her own to find a couple looking to adopt. And her friend Leah (Olivia Thirlby) was so supportive of her through the entire thing to help her in trying to do what was best, regardless of how she chose to handle it. That is when she lets her family on to her secret.

Mac Mac Gruff (J.K. Simmons) and Bren Mac Gruff (Allison Janney) play as Juno's father and stepmother. Her parents didn't see it coming. But when the news come, as a surprise, though it upset them to learn of this untimely truth, they helped her to get medical help and to meet the prospective parents.

By visiting the doctors, Juno and her family discover that she is just over 3 months pregnant. And the thing she kept riding on was that she knew the baby was alive because he or she had fingernails. The movie Juno took viewers through the emotions that come with pregnancy and Ellen Page really played a good role of leaving a good feeling despite the trials she would have to face in bringing into the world a baby as a teenager. Now instead of being the normal teenager, she has to walk through school with a baby in the stomach and be the item of focus for eyes that often don’t have nice things to say. Now she is forced to change her eating habits, having to use the bathroom more often and having to be more careful in the things that she chose to do.

Jennifer Garner and Mark Jason Bateman play the roles of the prospective parents Vanessa and Mark Loring. They seem to be the ideal couple. Vanessa and Mark live in a rich neighborhood and in a beautiful home. Juno immediately connects with Mark because he is deep into his music like she is. Mark was the writer of popular commercials. Vanessa is confident in the fact that she would make a great mother and has a really good heart. I loved seeing Jennifer Garner in a different role. I was hooked on the television show Alias and loved her role. I am a big fan of hers because of that show. Seeing her in action made a big difference in the flow of an already good movie that I really enjoyed.

The story centers around Juno MacGuff. She is comedic, sharp-tongued and witty. She has a good mind and a sweet heart. She made a dumb mistake but at the same time is also a very smart young girl and one I really admired. She knew the deal and was very open-minded. She took things for what they were and gave into everything that came her way 100 fold. The movie showed her come into knowledge of wrongs from right. She learned about love and about life. Ellen Page really played a great role for the part.

What I did not like about this movie was Mark’s attitude. Juno and him form a bond because they shared the same interest. I think Juno might have gotten a little too caught up in their life. She would pop up at their house and while Vanessa was not there, they would get into the music thing or into watching movies they really liked. At first, I saw it as cool because at least she really got to know who the child she was about to bear was going to be taken care of. But then Mark revealed to her his ugly side and he turned out not to be as cool as I thought. And that is when Juno really understood the truths that settled into her soul a little harder than she thought.

“When you are drawing up the lists of life’s miracles, you might place near the top the first moment your baby smiles at you“
- Bob Greene

Having a child is no easy thing. It is so easy to jump into bed with someone and have sex but then the consequences that precede are often for life. You have to worry about having to feed the baby, when the baby needs medical attention and diapers which is not cheap. Then there is the issue of the father not wanting to be a part of the child's life which leads to a single mother even before the prom. I saw it with my own eyes a girl barely 20 raising 5 kids on her own. Think about having to dish out money for medical necessities for 5 people other than yourself, food, and clothes and still not be old enough to drink or to get lower rates on care insurance.

Juno did the right thing in looking for adoptive parents. A fetus is still a life and when you abort it, you are killing a life. But she went through the 9 months like a fighter and did what she had to do to keep her sanity. She might have let a lot of people down when they saw her stomach getting bigger with a growing baby, but she was able to face her fears and make responsible decisions about it.

Juno even found love in the father of the baby. And the music that played in the background was wonderful, including the acoustic flowery song that Ellen and Michael sing together entitled Anyone Else But You by the Moldy Peaches. This is a movie I think would be a good one for teenagers to see with their parents. The storyline, actors and musical sequences behind the scenes made Juno to be a great movie.