Thursday, January 24, 2008

Movie Review--Juno--and adoption

Goodmorning! What a fun time I had last night. Went out with Wendy for Tai food (yummy) and then we headed over to the mall to see the movie Juno. I didn't know to much about the movie going into it. I knew that it had just been nominated for an Oscar, Jennifer Garner and Jason Batman are in it and the teenager in the movie gets pregnant. I didn't know really anything more than that. Usually I go on Plug-in Online (which gives movie reviews from a christian perspective) but I didn't this time. So I was a little shocked after only being at the movies for 3 minutes.

So I was right, the lead character Juno, 16 y.o., finds out she is pregnant and at first decides to have an abortion. She gets to the clinic and while filling out papers decides she can't go through with it and would rather give the baby to someone. Jennifer Garner and Jason Batman are the couple that Juno finds herself (in the penny-saver ad) to adopt the baby. So you may be wondering what I was shocked about. Basically the language used...and I am not talking necessarily about swearing. Juno sounds like how a REAL 16 y.o. might talk, slang used, and thoughts they might have. That is why I said in the first 3 minutes I was shocked because she said something that threw me (and I am not posting it).

But I will have to say, as an adoptive mother this movie touched me. I could relate to the adoptive mother's desire for a child and feeling like she was meant to always be a mother. The nervous anticipation. But with this movie I got to see it from the birthmother's view too. I was holding back the tears in the end when she gave the baby up. Juno's father is sitting by her bedside trying to comfort her and tells her "don't worry hun, someday you'll be back here on your terms." I was thinking about Emily's birthmother. Emily entered foster care right at the hospital. I was wondering how she might have felt leaving the hospital and leaving her baby. I sometimes don't understand how....Emily's birthmother did have a choice and she decided not to straighten out her life. I sometimes just don't get it, especially when I look down into those beautiful brown eyes of hers. One thing I do get: I know that God hand-picked her for us (and my other 2 adopted children too).

I related so much with the adoptive mother in the movie when she held the child for the first time. She was outside of the hospital nursery and a nurse came out and asked if she would like to meet her son (sniffle, sniffle), and she goes in and the nurse places him in her arms. They instantly click...they need each other. She turns around and sees a woman in the doorway (not knowing it's Juno's stepmom) and asks how she looks. "Like a new mom" she is told. They show a scene after of the new mom home in bed holding the baby--she's thrilled. That was me 7 months ago...actually, I just realized the date, it is exactly 7 months ago we picked Emily Grace up from the foster family to come and live with us. I love her so much. She truly is mine, through and through.

If you have ever considered adoption I highly recommend going through your state's foster care system. Both times we have adopted we have had great experiences.

Well I am off to get ready for co-op. I hope you have a great day.

Toodles,
Judy

1 comment:

Pat R said...

i assumed Juno was directed by the same guy that directed Knocked Up because it's about an unexpected pregnancy, and Michael Cera stars as Juno's boyfriend (he was one of the goofy kids from Superbad, a close relative of Knocked Up), but it turns out this is not the case... all in all the movie had in interesting/unique style