Some Background
Directed by Jason Reitman, Juno is a movie that takes you through an unexpected journey with a young teen named Juno. Juno isn't quite apart of what you would call the popular crowd, Juno is a girl that expresses herself more as a misfit. Unexpected to Juno, she realizes she is pregnant and goes through the process of what to do next, including telling the father and long time friend Paulie Bleeker. Juno first considers abortion by which she decides against for myriad of reasons which leads her to go through the pregnancy and have a closed adoption with a wealthy family she found in the Pennysaver. We follow Juno throughout her pregnancy and all the emotional roller coasters that comes along with being pregnant as a teen.
Characters
Juno: Played by: Ellen Page (Round Character)
Round characters according to the class textbook are characters that possess numerous subtle, repressed, or even contradictory traits, which can change significantly over the course of the story. Juno is a round character because throughout the movie Juno grows as a person. In the beginning of the movie Juno is more influence-able and irresponsible. For example, when Juno calls her best friend Leah when she finds out she is pregnant, Leah automatically assumes that Juno is going to get an abortion (following the A typical for teen pregnancies today), Juno then decides that abortion is an option and that she is going to have the procedure. Juno also is being told to take prenatal vitamins and eat healthier not her own account but that of her step mothers Bren. But, as we progress throughout the movie we see Juno grow into more of an adult. When Juno makes the decision all on her own to still give her child to Vanessa, even after she has learned that Mark and Vanessa will be getting a divorce, really shows us that Juno wants to keep her word and believes Vanessa is the best option for her child. Juno by the end of the movie has stopped acting like a child by pushing Bleeker away and has confronted her problems by finding a way to apologize to Bleeker.
Round characters according to the class textbook are characters that possess numerous subtle, repressed, or even contradictory traits, which can change significantly over the course of the story. Juno is a round character because throughout the movie Juno grows as a person. In the beginning of the movie Juno is more influence-able and irresponsible. For example, when Juno calls her best friend Leah when she finds out she is pregnant, Leah automatically assumes that Juno is going to get an abortion (following the A typical for teen pregnancies today), Juno then decides that abortion is an option and that she is going to have the procedure. Juno also is being told to take prenatal vitamins and eat healthier not her own account but that of her step mothers Bren. But, as we progress throughout the movie we see Juno grow into more of an adult. When Juno makes the decision all on her own to still give her child to Vanessa, even after she has learned that Mark and Vanessa will be getting a divorce, really shows us that Juno wants to keep her word and believes Vanessa is the best option for her child. Juno by the end of the movie has stopped acting like a child by pushing Bleeker away and has confronted her problems by finding a way to apologize to Bleeker.
Vanessa: Played by: Jennifer Garner (flat Character)
Flat character as defined by the book is a character that is uncomplicated and exhibits few distinct traits that do not change significantly as the movie progresses. Vanessa is a flat character because from the very moment Vanessa is introduced into the movie we know what Vanessa wants and what kind of person she is and the view of her character doesn't change as the movie progresses. When Juno first meets Vanessa and Mark, Vanessa is portrayed as this wealthy, perfectionist women that her only goal in life is to become a mother, she even says in the movie " I was born to be a mom." Our view of Vanessa is never changed throughout the movie, we know who she is at the beginning and we know who she is at the end, she never makes us question what her motives are or how she feels.
Flat character as defined by the book is a character that is uncomplicated and exhibits few distinct traits that do not change significantly as the movie progresses. Vanessa is a flat character because from the very moment Vanessa is introduced into the movie we know what Vanessa wants and what kind of person she is and the view of her character doesn't change as the movie progresses. When Juno first meets Vanessa and Mark, Vanessa is portrayed as this wealthy, perfectionist women that her only goal in life is to become a mother, she even says in the movie " I was born to be a mom." Our view of Vanessa is never changed throughout the movie, we know who she is at the beginning and we know who she is at the end, she never makes us question what her motives are or how she feels.
Narrative Structure
Act 1: This scene is where character, setting and tone are established. Here we get a sense of what type of character Juno is, she is stubborn and assertive and we establish that she is a round character. Setting is the time and space of which a story takes place, in this movie the setting is a typical school year and from the beginning scene we know we are starting the film from the Fall. Tone helps us determine the attitude and mood of a film, the tone within this film I would describe as witty and sentimental, we really get the witty aspect of the film when Juno is buying another pregnancy test from the clerk in the store.
Act 2: Here is where the majority of the film takes place, this is where Juno is in her pursuit of her goal and goes through all the conflicts and obstacles. This is a scene from which Juno is at the house of the perspective adoptive parents of her child. This is scene is about Juno tackling the obstacle of finding a suitable home for her child head on. There are many other obstacles in which Juno faces in this portion of the Narrative structure but I chose to highlight this particular scene because I believe it to be the start of the rest of the story in the film.
Act 3: The scene in which Juno has given birth is where the conflict is resolved. Throughout the film Juno expresses how she doesn't want to be pregnant and here is where that is no longer the issue. Bleeker and Juno also come to together in this scene to console Juno giving the viewer a sense of completeness, that now everything will be alright.
References
Adopting Process. N.d. Photograph. Web. <http://ardfilmjournal.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/junocleancutspace.jpg>.
Juno Cover. N.d. Photograph. Web. <https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQppW6Zj846hX8tgbRlPjXrQitDkbTY_1BlOZsCTwuRtqNHijSw>.
Juno in Hospital. N.d. Photograph. Web. <http://bp2.blogger.com/_R5WS6_kmmTI/R768otvsiaI/AAAAAAAAFK4/nBf_m5rrngQ/s400/juno_2389.jpg>.
Juno. N.d. Photograph. DeviantART. Web. <http://alicexz.deviantart.com/art/Juno-286745529>.
Juno Pregnancy Test. N.d. Photograph. Web. <http://static.rogerebert.com/redactor_assets/pictures/scanners/jumping-the-snark-the-juno-backlash-backlash/ellenp.jpg>.
Vanessa. N.d. Photograph. Web. <https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRqT6h4A_EkwL8RJXGE_69QwmwA39lAXRQHVVtEZ-u3aXASYLSZ>.
Juno Cover. N.d. Photograph. Web. <https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQppW6Zj846hX8tgbRlPjXrQitDkbTY_1BlOZsCTwuRtqNHijSw>.
Juno in Hospital. N.d. Photograph. Web. <http://bp2.blogger.com/_R5WS6_kmmTI/R768otvsiaI/AAAAAAAAFK4/nBf_m5rrngQ/s400/juno_2389.jpg>.
Juno. N.d. Photograph. DeviantART. Web. <http://alicexz.deviantart.com/art/Juno-286745529>.
Juno Pregnancy Test. N.d. Photograph. Web. <http://static.rogerebert.com/redactor_assets/pictures/scanners/jumping-the-snark-the-juno-backlash-backlash/ellenp.jpg>.
Vanessa. N.d. Photograph. Web. <https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRqT6h4A_EkwL8RJXGE_69QwmwA39lAXRQHVVtEZ-u3aXASYLSZ>.