Movie Info

RATING:

PG-13 for mature thematic material, sexual content and language.

GENRE:

Comedy, Drama, Teen

RELEASE:

Dec. 5, 2007

STARRING:

Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Olivia Thirlby, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman

DIRECTOR:

Jason Reitman

DISTRIBUTOR:

Fox Searchlight Pictures, 20th Century Fox International

 

Please Note

In providing movie reviews on our site, CBN.com is not endorsing or recommending films we review. Our goal is to provide Christians with information about the latest movies, both the good and the bad, so that our readers may make an informed decision as to whether or not films are appropriate for them and their families.

MOVIE REVIEW

Juno

Movieguide Magazine

What's This?

CBN.com - Juno is the story of an offbeat, 16-year-old girl, played by Ellen Page, who must deal with the consequences of her unplanned teenage pregnancy.

When Juno tells her boyfriend Bleeker, played by Michael Cera, that she is pregnant, the high-school track star looks like he might run the other way. Instead, like a deer caught in headlights, he asks her what she is planning to do. Juno replies that she is going to have an abortion.

At an abortion clinic that does not require parental consent, Juno runs into a fellow high school student picketing the clinic. The young woman pleads with Juno that the baby already has a heartbeat and a brain, but no statistics will change Juno’s mind until the girl tells her that the baby already has fingernails. As Juno ponders her baby’s fingernails, she makes the decision to not go through with the abortion but instead to tell her parents, have the baby, and give the child up for adoption.

With some research, Juno finds the perfect adoptive couple for the child, Vanessa and Mark, played by Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman, respectively. Her child is an answer to their prayers for a little one. With some unexpected twists and surprises, Juno’s life is forever changed by the little pregnancy that begins as an accident and ends as a blessing.

Artistically, Juno is a very solid movie. The script is fresh and engaging, the directing is simple and honest, and the performances are dynamic and heartfelt.

Morally, however, Juno is not as solid. Although there is a strong pro-life message emphasizing the blessing of adoption, the movie contains mixed moral messages. From parents that don’t seem too distraught that their 16-year-old daughter is pregnant to a man leaving his wife so that he can “find himself,” from abortion clinics that do not require any form of parental consent for minors to an abundance of discussions about teenage sexuality, Juno loses its heart in its worldview problems.

Teenage sexuality and teenage pregnancy are a problem in our hedonistic society where Hollywood promotes lifestyles that glorify immorality and sex without consequences. The filmmakers did, at least, show the consequences of such activities, and for that they should be commended. That said, the movie’s discussions of teenage sexuality as well as its worldview problems and strong foul language at times outweigh its pro-life message, so Movieguide® recommends extreme caution.

Address Comments To:
Peter Rice, President
Fox Searchlight Pictures (Fox Atomic)
20th Century Fox Film Corp.
A division of Fox, Inc. and News Corp.
10201 West Pico Blvd., Bldg. 38
Los Angeles, CA 90035
Phone: (310) 369-1000
Fax: (310) 369-2359
Website: www.foxsearchlight.com

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