Film Illiterate, wherein the proprietor records movies seen, and sporadic progress through assorted lists of the "best". Originally started after regretfully renting something forgettable for the third time. I've forgotten what, but never again! A tedious endeavour since 2005. Hello. 🙂
For evidence of changing mores we need look no further than a comparison of 1967's Teenage Mother -- terrifying moral tale of a girl who went "all the way" -- and 2007's Juno, feature screenwriting debut of ex-stripper Diablo Cody.
Juno (Ellen Page), claiming boredom, seduces her best friend Bleeker (Michael Cera). The initial shock at finding herself pregnant is more disbelief than worry, and even that fades to a remarkable nonchalance once she decides to give the baby up for adoption. There is no drama from her father (J.K. Simmons) or stopmother (Allison Janney); the rest of the film uses the interplay between Juno and the prospective adopters, yuppies Mark and Vanessa (Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner), to drive a gentle coming-of-age.
If you're a moralizing sort, the film must seem disgracefully flippant in the face of teen pregnancy. Bringing a child into the world is Serious Business. Juno really is remarkably upbeat, oozing indie cred and quiry charm, in no small part sourced from the chirpy Kimya Dawson soundtrack. It's so light, so cheerful, that you can't help but enjoy it.
Where it fails worst is that it doesn't feel quite genuine -- over-written dialogue is laced with implausible pop-culture references, phrases clearly designed to make us say Oh That Juno She's So Cool And Quirky, etc. The characters are caricatures, new stereotypes of loving individualism, a Gen-X/Y fantsy of how cool they'd be about their cool kids takings things in stride and growing up to be bicycle-riding singer-songwriters with cool clothes.
I loved it, of course.