Jason Reitman's 2007 film Juno addresses a difficult and potentially controversial topic: unwanted pregnancy and the challenges of deciding whether to terminate the pregnancy or carry it to term. Braha and Bryne describe Juno as a "comedy-drama," but it is also a young adult film because its protagonist is a teenager and because it frankly addresses coming-of-age issues linked to uniquely adolescent sexuality and gender identity. The film focuses on titular character Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) and her decision to carry the pregnancy to term and give up the baby for adoption. Focusing on Juno empowers the protagonist and shows that Reitman deliberately sets out to make a film that is as much about the politics of sexuality and gender as it is about the specific issues related to decisions related to abortion. Juno remains fully in control of her decisions about whether or not to stay with Paulie and of course decisions related to the baby. Therefore, the film has a feminist approach. Yet inadvertently or not, Reitman ends up drumming up questions related to the depiction of masculinity, and Juno does convey problematic gender discourse in spite of its essentially feminist outlook. By conveying a soft brand of feminism with ironic overtimes, the Reitman film manages to appeal to a broad mainstream audience, pleasing the pro-life set in that Juno keeps the baby and also avoiding what could have easily become proselytizing for the anti-choice movement.The writing is one reason why Juno became relatively successful, earning Diablo Cody an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Adding liberal doses of both wet and dry comedy helps to uplift what might otherwise been a heavy film about a difficult subject. For example, when Juno breaks the news to her parents about her pregnancy, their reaction is ironic and wholly unexpected. After the dad says, "Did you see that coming?" Mom replies, "No, I was hoping she was expelled or into hard drugs." Then...
Anything but this." Making fun of the issue helps to dissipate some of the tension surrounding an unplanned teen pregnancy but also covertly covers up an underlying pro-life discourse because making light of the situation suggests that getting pregnant and carrying the child to term is not the end of the world even for a teenager still in school. The film fails to get into the negative effects of teen pregnancy, presenting an unnecessarily rosy picture. Still, the writing remains clever and punchy throughout the film, as when Juno's friend comments that there are advertisements for parents who are "desperately seeking spawn." In addition to clever writing, Juno is successful in spite of its thematic flaws because of its tone and style. Geared toward a young adult audience, the film is quirky with a protagonist who is frank and honest about herself and has a realistic outlook on life. For example, Juno's father mentions, "I didn't know you were that kind of girl," to which Juno responds, "I don't really know what kind of girl I am." Reitman addresses issues related to adolescent identity formation as well as issues related to gender.
Gotham is a dark place, which manifests evil in the character of the Joker (Jack Nicholson). Bruce Wayne, Batman, is the force with which evil must reckon. Batman, however, has his own dark side, which is manifest in his costume, his gothic style mansion, and the technology he employs to combat the Joker and other criminal elements. In this film, Burton needed only a few big name and talented actors
One critic states, for instance, that for the liberal nature of the film, the work does not actually promote the 'pro-choice' message that is so important to many women. This critic is Gloria Feldt, who is an author, activist, and is the former president of Planned Parenthood. She knows the experiences portrayed in the move well, in fact, firsthand, since she was a teenage mother once. Feldt states, "The dialogue
As depicted here, the other female actresses in the film -- played by actual Africans -- are naked above the waist. The white actress is not. Indeed, the lower photograph depicts Gehrts-Schomburgk reclining on a leopard skin rug, while a topless native woman fans her with an elaborate fan made of feathers. The ludicrous excess of the colonialist fantasy could not be more evident here. Yet this actress is the
Strategic Plan for AOL What is the meaning of progress? In general it means that the group of individuals or organization is being able to keep pace with the changes that keep coming in with time. AOL was a very large and important unit in the Internet services before the broadband access concepts came in. Today, their technology is backdated and they are trying to come in with new technology. At
There isn't one time in the film that Martin doesn't act out of passion. Unlike Oedipus, Martin does not choose blindness but rather it is a result of his passion and desire for Mini. Watching Mini's First Time, the audience has a sort of god-like perspective as perhaps the audience felt in one of the great Greek theatres. As one watches the film, there is a definite feeling that it
classic story A&P, John Updike pays tribute to two Greek motifs, the heroic epiphany leading to the emergence of the classical hero and the power of beauty. In this work, Sammy is the hero, trapped in the work-a-day world, who because of beauty's inspiration is motivated to seize the opportunity to act in grand and noble fashion. Like many heroes, especially Paris, in Homer's Iliad, Sammy is inspired to
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