Juno - A Positive or Negative Affect on Teenagers?

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Recommended: Teenage pregnancy in media

In 2007, Fox searchlight released Juno in Canada and United States of America as a comedy-drama directed by Jason Reitman. The film became hugely successful earning Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and Oscar nominations: Best Picture and Best Actress for Ellen Page (Juno-film: www.wikipedia.org). The film written by Diablo Cody depicts a story of female character name Juno MacGuff, with an unexpected pregnancy leading her into an adoption rather than an abortion. The decision leads remarkable change of her surrounding life in family and school. As the movie received numerous positive feedbacks, but the movie also portrays controversial issues such as rational decision of pro-life vs. pro-choice, consequence of unprotected sexual relationship of teens, and reality of parents’ reaction. The initial purpose of the film is purely in terms of entertainment for teenagers and the family members to wonder what they will do, if a similar circumstance arises. Whether, there was a hidden message in the film or not it’s questionable. Regardless, of what the original intention of Cody, it is more beneficial for the school as an institute not to cause any potential agreement issues by advocacy towards adoption, lacking coverage of protection methods of sexual intercourse, and depiction of parents’ easy reaction to the incident. Although, it may provide some benefits in limited aspects of the field, the loss of schools’ credibility will be much higher than gain of usage of this film as education curriculum.

The film obviously deals with a controversial issue of pro-life vs. pro-choice but the film leans more towards one side. As the film viewed by educated adult, he or she can see areas that can potentially help teenagers by making c...

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...at can cause negativity, even a movie rated as PG-13 for the general public can’t safely bypass potential hidden messages skewed towards one side. The movie has the strict distinction between usage for entertainment and education. The school has the strict distinction between positive and negative impact it occurs on students and organization.

Works Cited
A. O. Scott. “Seeking Mr. and Mrs. Right for a baby on the Way.” NYT Critics’ Pick, 5 December 2007. Web. 9 Feb. 2010.

Juno. Dir. Jason Reitman. 25 December. 2007. Fox Searchlight, 2010. DVD

“Juno (film).” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 3 February 2010. Web. 9 Feb. 2010.

Saltau, Margaret. “Not Just Another Teen Movie: Juno – a study guide.” Screen Education Issue 52, 2008: 110-116. Print

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Teen Pregnancy.” 4parents.gov, 13 August 2009. Web. 9 Feb. 2010.

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