I saw Jun0 tonight at the theatre and was initially very excited to see it:
While I laughed outloud several times during the movie and liked the characters, I was taken aback at how adoption was discussed- or rather, the lack of discussion around the topic. How adoption is portrayed in the movie (no counsel to the birthparents provided) is illegal. The potential adoptive mother is a very sympathetic character, desperate for a baby and seemingly very deserving of one (whole other controversy there, whether adoptive parents 'deserve' children more than biological parents). I was startled that the scenes between the pregnant 16 year old girl and a potentially adoptive mother were usually the pregnant teen reassuring and supporting the potential adoptive mother- wtf? There was no mention of other young mothers who parent successfully. There was almost no mention of the potential negative ramifications of adoption other than the adoptive parents maybe turning out to be bad parents. No mention was made of the sense of loss and identity that can go along with adoption for the rest of the lives of those involved.
Another critical look at Jun0: Why Jun0 Matters.
A list created by young mothers, about what they love about being a young mother:
Why we love being single and/or young mothers
The film is being marketed to teens, I wish they had done a better job on having the main character explore the pros and cons of all her pregnancy choices.
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1 comment:
I thought that as a comedy it was really quite funny and I liked that I laughed out loud at so many funny parts.
I think though that you make great points about what the movie was lacking. I don't know if you seen me or not but when she was in the hospital crying after giving birth I cried too. I can't even imagine the loss one might feel at giving their child up (is that terminology offensive at all?).
I was brought back to the really difficult situation dh's sister was in with kind of giving her daughter up (family was raising her as a way of her not giving her up for adoption) and then the fight to get her back. I was brought back to discussions with my mom about not even being told that she could keep her own child until the day she had him (she was 13).
so as a funny movie, it was yes funny. but I do hope that the young audience that is potentially going to see this movie does not think this is a real look at what adoption is like.
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