Juno - discussion guide

Author: Nicola Lee

Summary

Amid the falling leaves and beautiful colours of autumn, quirky teenager Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) drinks ‘like, ten tons of Sunny D’, takes three pregnancy tests, and discovers that she has a big problem. As she tells the father, her close friend Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera), these situations, if left unchecked, typically lead to infants, so Juno decides to take matters into her own hands. Deciding against abortion, Juno and her best friend Leah (Olivia Thirlby) set out to find the perfect adoptive parents for the unborn child. As the year progresses, and her condition begins to show, Juno gets to know her chosen family, wealthy suburban couple Mark and Vanessa Loring (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner). She also confronts the judgemental attitudes of her school acquaintances and others in her own inimitable way, providing plenty of laughs for the audience, as well as some fearless insights into her wacky life.

As we see more of Juno and the people who are important to her, we begin to realise that nothing and no one in this film is predictable. Juno is certainly not a stereotypical sixteen-year-old. Eloquent and quick-witted, she is also a compassionate and courageous young woman, far removed from the common conception of teenagers as sullen, self-centred and angst ridden. In fact, very few of the characters in Juno are easy to dislike, and none are superficial. Juno’s gruff father (J. K. Simmons) reveals a warm and loving heart, her dog-obsessed stepmother (Alison Janney) is a true parent and a constant support to Juno. Leah, the best friend, is a cheerleader, but is happy to hang out with the less mainstream Juno without worrying about her image. Bleeker is athletic and ‘cool’, yet also sensitive and devoted to Juno. Even the apparently perfect Mark and Vanessa Loring have a few surprises to let slip.

Questions for discussion

1. Did you enjoy Juno? How believable did you find the characters, and with which of them did you find most easy to empathise?

2. Screenwriter Diablo Cody asserts that the film ‘raises a lot of questions about love, freedom, marriage and where we’re ultimately supposed to wind up in life.’ What did you feel were the key themes in the film? To what extent did you think that the film took these issues seriously?

3. Ellen Page, who plays Juno, says that her character is ‘completely devoid of stereotype’. To what extent would you agree with this assessment? How successful do you think the film was in avoiding stereotypes?

4. What was your favourite line of the film, and why? Why do you think people, especially teenagers, enjoy inventing new words and phrases to express themselves?

5. What are the most important traits of Juno's character? How would you describe her?

6. How did Juno's parents and friends react to her pregnancy?

7. Why do you think Juno decides against having an abortion? How did you feel about her decision to give her baby to the Lorings? What would you advise Juno to do in her situation?
 

8. Juno has some strong ideas about the kind of parents she wants for her baby. What did you think about her criteria, and what criteria would you set in her situation?

9. Juno’s family is loving and supportive, yet very few conventional family situations are shown in the film. How important is ‘family’ in Juno, and what do you think the film has to say about the way families ought to be?
 

10. What did you think of Juno’s relationship with Bleeker? Do you think it is likely that their relationship will last? How is love presented in the film? Did you agree with the conclusions the film comes to?