The romantic comedy Juno does an amazing job mixing the hardships of teenage years and the comedy those years bring. The film is about Juno, a sixteen year-old junior in high school living in Minnesota who discovers she is pregnant with her best friend Bleeker's baby. Although this film covers a hard topic such as adoption, abortion, and teen-pregnancy, it sometimes keeps a light heartened, funny tone. The main character, Juno keeps a very sarcastic dialogue throughout the entire film, making her character not seem pathetic but charming and goofy. Juno's relationship with Bleeker also encompasses any awkward, suburban high-school type relationship that the viewer cringes watching, but also keeps a smile on your face. The whole movie uses witty dialogue to help the viewer stay upbeat through the hard times of the movie, like when Juno is contemplating abortion or when the father who is trying to adopt Juno's baby tries to make a pass at her.
By keeping a light tone but hitting somewhat controversial topics, the movie accurately portrays how it is important in life to have a sense of humor and optimism. Even when Juno tells her parents that she is pregnant, of course they were disappointed, but they also were very calm and still able to crack jokes. In life, I think it is important to take life as it comes and not to get so down when something doesn't go your way. As the common phrase goes, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!" Juno uses comedy to help the viewer grasp the dramatic, heavy topics and keep the mood endearing and light. Although Juno and Bleeker don't necessarily get married at the end, they do end up together and this ending makes sense more because of the modern setting and the ages of the characters. Although this movie doesn't follow the strict boundaries of a dramatic comedy where the characters experience a change for the better and work things out with the hope for the future, the change that Juno experiences helps her become a more complex, understanding person in the future. The change, or becoming pregnant, isn't necessarily a change for the "better", but I think the movie shows that life will go on and in the end, Juno found her happiness from the experience of being pregnant. Overall, I think the film promotes hope and optimism from coping with the turns life may give you.
I think a lot of times we're so caught up in how horrible the world around us is, and while that's valid, movies like Juno allow us to laugh a little at it. Heavy topics are easier to talk about when they're speckled with humor. And if we don't talk about them, then they won't go away, right?
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that hard topics are easy to talk about when you can laugh about them too. I loved this movie, both for its humor and its message. I love that you talked about Juno´s message about optimism and making lemonade out of a sour situation.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that hard topics are easy to talk about when you can laugh about them too. I loved this movie, both for its humor and its message. I love that you talked about Juno´s message about optimism and making lemonade out of a sour situation.
ReplyDeleteI really liked how you brought up of Juno is a more modern version of the classical definition of a comedy. Also, they way you explain how it deals with heavier topics, while using humor to discuss these issues displays a really interesting use of how comedy can be used in our culture today.
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