Summary and Response of Juno: Not Just Another Teen Movie
In “Juno: Not Just Another Teen Movie”, first year college student Ali Heinekamp argues against critics of the 2007 film Juno, stating that despite the film’s unrealistic hangups it manages to present a “believable [and] moving” story (199). She opens her essay by first addressing the problems found in Juno’s storyline, citing that the struggles of teen pregnancy come across as “sugar-coated”, and that the dialogue is “too good to be true” (198). Heinekamp then counters those claims by making the point that although Juno may have elements of a campy teen movie, there is “emotional heart” to the film that sets it apart. (199). High emotional junctures in the film such as “when Juno accuses … the baby’s father of being ashamed of the fact that he and Juno have had sex” show a “break in Juno’s strength”, further developing the reality of her character and situation (199). The “juxtaposition” of these emotional peaks and the “quirks” of teenage life build an image of a girl being thrust out of the naivety of her teen years too soon (199). This image being reinforced via “visual cues” such as Juno calling “an abortion clinic, on a phone that looks like a hamburger” and her birth scene, where “she wears long, brightly striped socks” (199). To combat the idea of dialogue “too clever to be realistic”, Heinekamp claims that it only makes moments where there is a lack of this wit more powerful (200). An example of this being