Failures and Triumphs of Ordinary People in Juno Essay

Failures and Triumphs of Ordinary People in Juno - Essay Example The toe-curling awkwardness of the ‘love scene which proceeded this moment is shown without romance, making the audience cringe at the utter recklessness of the teens. The pathetic irony of the sixteen year olds predicament is heightened by the store clerks comment, "Thats a doodle that cant be undone" and the non-reaction of Junos best friend, Leah the cheerleader, who cant seem to get her mind around the situation. Juno seems headed for heartbreak, as she mechanically attempts to deal with her pregnancy by calling the local abortion clinic, as her friends have done. Her boyfriend Bleeker (Michael Cera) though sensitive, avoids involvement with the "whatever you want to do is fine with me" line, despite Junos dramatic efforts to tell him that their fling has had lasting consequences. He is able to continue his typical high school life, running with the track team and even lining up a prom date in view of Junos unsuitability. This harsh realism stands in stark contrast with the classic teen love scene with soft lighting, spinning cameras, and music. This is the hard reality which sexually active teens experience, and Juno takes it head-on, with a surprising sense of humor which makes you admire the little sparkplug Juno who wont be undone by her one immature act. Before her ex-military dad (JK Simmons) and distant step mom Bren (Allison Janney) are apprised of her crisis, Juno finds herself approaching alone the retro "Women Now" abortion clinic, where she encounters a timid teenager chanting, "Babies want to be borned". The two girls, who are classmates, recognize each other and a start to chat about school, however, as Juno continues on to the entrance of the clinic, the girl suddenly remembers why she is there, and frantically reminds her, "Your baby has a heartbeat and fingernails now."