Juno is a film released in 2007 written by Diablo Cody, starring Ellen Page as Juno and Michael Cera as Juno’s best friend, Paulie Bleeker. The film tells the story of the coming of age of the title character Juno. Sixteen-year-old Juno becomes pregnant after impulsively having sex with Paulie, who at the time was a virgin. After realizing that she was pregnant, Juno’s friend, Leah, suggests that she has an abortion.  Juno eventually rejects this idea, and decides instead  to give the child up for adoption. The film depicts the process of her decision-making and shows how it impacts her maturity level and growth. 

    Again, following a suggestion by Leah, Juno looks in the local Penny Saver for adoptive parents and finds the paper has a “‘Desperately Seeking Spawn’.  They're right by the ads for like, iguanas and terriers and used fitness equipment.  It's totally legit.” (Drake, et al. 2007). Among the inconsequential  advertisements in the paper, Juno finds Mark and Vanessa Loring, a young couple wanting to adopt. She choses them based on their good looks and how happy they appeared in their photograph.  Throughout the adoptive  process, we see Juno grappling with personal issues such as her relationship with Paulie, her perception of family, and her relationship with Mark (the intended adopted father).  Juno eventually realizes that although Mark and Vanessa looked like the perfect couple, they have problems in their marriage.  The marital issues they face compel Juno to make adult decisions which she is psychologically ill-prepared to make.  Although the Vanessa and Mark Lorings marriage fails, Juno ultimately decides to give the child to Vanessa which depicts Juno’s maturity. Juno comes to accept that family is more than just a biological bond.  The movie shows the changes in Juno both physically and emotionally as her pregnancy progresses, and ends on a hopeful note, with Juno seemingly reclaiming her youth and some of her innocence.

 

**See Video 1 on the 'VIDEOS" page for an overview of the film.**