What [not] to watch: Juno

Last Saturday, I went to the cinema to see Juno.The movie is about how a 16-year-old deals with an unexpected pregnancy. First, she considers abortion, and then adoption.

I loved this movie for several reasons. In short, it was light and fun to watch, but really smart at the same time. And by "smart" I mean:

1. It was unpredictable. In most comedies, you can tell the end after having watches the first ten minutes. Here, I was absolutely clueless several times: where that girl and that guy gonna end up in a romance? Was she gonna keep the baby in the end? I can't remember a movie where I was that eager to see what would happen next.

2. It didn't have cliches. It seemed more like fighting with the stereotypes. For example, a pro-life activist was just a nice girl trying to do something good, and not agressive, cold-hearted, fighting for some outdated convictions.

3. It didn't have bad characters. No one was perfect, but everyone was basically good, everyone made choices based on his situation and point of view. No one acted in a certain way "just because he was the bad one", and that helped the viewers understand everyone's actions.

4. It was realistic. No scene where everything falls down, no scene where you ask yourself "who on Earth would act like that?" or how can anyone be so dumb. (These were funny when I was in pre-school.)

5. It was really nice and pro-life. Maybe a bit too nice, which made it a bit unrealistic to me. For example, Juno's school mate's reactions to her pregnancy weren't shown, but everyone who has gone to school knows what it looks like. But all in all, it's a move that shows normal people trying their best and I love watching that. (I can't stand war movies for example, they make me feel really bad.)

As for being pro-life, I love that it turned out this way without trying too hard. At the same time, it was in a way "pro choice", as it showed that the girl had many options and was absolutely free to make the choice for herself, and the choice she made turned out to be the best for everyone. But, that choice was life, and this film simply celebrates life.