Pregos Films; What Does It Mean For The Fetus Debate?

I saw both Juno and 4 months 3 weeks & 2 days last week. Juno is the indie superstar with four big nominations from the Academy Awards including Best Picture, Actress, Director and Original Screenplay. Juno tells the story of a witty and slightly tomboyish high school girl that is suddenly bore with the burden of an unexpected pregnancy. Most films at this point turn into a drama, but Juno is a comedy. We follow her as she as she decides between an abortion or an adoption but ultimately decides to give her baby up for adoption to a wealthy and desperate mommy wannabe. Anyone that can turn unplanned pregnancies into an enjoyable and heart-warming entertainment piece deserves at least one naked gold man. I came out of the movie announcing confidently, "I like that movie." What is there not to like? Juno is courageous, responsible, intelligent, rebellious, and knows a crap load about punk music. But a true task would be to make a humorous teen pregnancy film about a girl that is, let's say, a person of color. Or maybe in an urban environment? Or poor?

Okay, okay the purpose of Juno is to entertain the mind with happy fantasies and not smash you in the brains with unflattering realities that most young women have to face. That is the job of the Romanian film, 4 months 3 weeks, & 2 days. It received international acclaim by the International Federation of Film Critics and the Palme d'Or at Cannes Film Festival but no mention from the coveted Academy. 4 months tells a story of two college students living in communist Romanian in 1987 and their experience as they arrange an illegal abortion. Gabita, the pregnant roommate, nervous and slightly absentminded (who can blame her) is helped by her resourceful and pragmatic roommate, Otilia. The abortion comes at political, physical sexual cost that the women have to bare. There is not much action, the shots are long and dialogs are short. The chilling factor lies in the creepy Dr. Bebe and his description of the painful realities of an abortion. The experience is so raw and ugly, it felt like a warning to all the kids out there, "abortion, too scary to try!" It is hard to decide which political camp it belongs to because it can be used by pro-lifers as the dangers of abortion and pro-choicers as the danger of illegal abortion. What makes this film a winner is that the true fright stems from anticipation and uncertainty of the women's decision. The uncertainty of whether the young and scared women are making the right decision is what transcends the film from being "pro-life" or "pro-choice" to being complicated and humane. I don't think women always know if an abortion is good or bad, right or wrong despite its legal status. It is invasive, emotionally and physically draining, but when given no choice they become desperate and vulnerable, specifically to men.

Juno and 4 months should be a double feature, people should watch both, one right after another. It is might be a path to enlightenment, if not serving to stretch our imagination by playing out two opposing scenarios of unplanned pregnancies from a women's perspective. After watching 4 months I was able to understand why I liked Juno, how it might hurt romantic young girls, and how it perfectly reflects a moderate American perspective. I liked Juno because it is a sweet love story even though there were Christian undertones of "God wants you to have a baby" and "gift of life" J. Hoberman from the Village Voice made an excellent point, it is a Christmas movie about charity and giving, except the philanthropic act is about going through with an unplanned teen pregnancy and letting an unbelievably loving and beautiful woman adopt the child. It gives me hope, and it even makes me welcome the unexpected. But I hope teeny bopper hipsters that are humming to Juno's theme song or more accurately a lullaby are more educated on the realities of producing a person and not be romantic fools that believe in the power of the Pennysaver classifieds. Juno is edgy because it openly tells a story of a prego teen, without shame and with humor while still reflecting American values of faith, independence, conviction, and altruism. No wonder the all-American teen prego film got 4 yes'ums from Hollywood, while our more liberal European friends applaud 4 months' depressing honesty.

Is this the showing of conservative American media? In school, the only type of sex education that is relayed to our children is abstinence. (My German friends tell me they have young children's sex ed books with titles like "one plus one equals three." with pictures of mommy and daddy have sex but not without talking about a condom first!) Teens are taught how to use a condom but are required to buy condoms behind locked glass cases at CVS (I tried and it took me 20 mins to track down a store employee, how embarrassing). Though Juno is considered "alternative" (she has a punk attitude) the picture is a traditional pro-life tale; you should keep the fetus, it is a gift from god, hope and love will be embodied in the sea of affluent and desperate infertile couples. This is an acceptable film, if not a beautiful one but it is not the only conversation I want to have with young sexually active people. I love the movie, but by denying a nomination for 4months, an exceptional film of the same topic with a different view, you really limit the cultural and political discussions around unexpected babies.
Where does this lead us in abortion and baby debate? A little place not far from the circle of the usual arguments.

you may sing along, but dont get addicted.

- Diana Jou