Last night I went to see Juno. It was everything I had hoped, based on the reviews and feedback I'd heard. What a daring and refreshingly unconventional look at life! I loved it. I laughed and I was moved - it was a triumphant ode to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of any seeming adversity. My friend was so touched, she cried.
Today, another friend mentioned that some who protest this movie on the grounds of its subject matter (teen pregnancy) claim that the response of the parents and the actions of the teen are unrealistic. Have they forgotten this is a movie? Wouldn't a critic who called Ratatouille unrealistic because it had talking rats seem a bit dimwitted? On some level all film is pretend. That's what suspension of disbelief is all about.
And it's not claiming to be realistic anyway. It's art. It can, as it has been said, hold the mirror up to life - but itself is not life. There are lots of ways to express that sentiment. Some may call it a "heightened reality." But whatever the terminology, art can depict an aspect of life or character and convey a message. And in dismissing the film as unrealistic, I believe those folks missed one of the major points of this brilliant film. That the way these people dealt with their issue - admittedly differently than the average person might have reacted - brought them closer together and created harmony and happiness and not chaos and pain. By accepting her plight with grace and dignity (and some choice sarcasm - excellently delivered by Ellen Page) rather than struggling against it, she was transformed from a naive girl to a mature woman with a deeper knowledge of life and the true nature of love.
I believe that's a lesson for us all. And hopefully one day that won't seem so unrealistic after all.
If you haven't seen it yet - go now. Yes, now before it's out of the theaters.
Today's Wisdom: Look for the love in all situations.
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