I think the local NBC affiliate in Montgomery has one of the worst weather men ever in the history of weather men. He's totally awkward. When he does a promo for the nightly news, he smiles awkwardly at the camera after he's finished. They don't cut away from him forever...do they not see what I see? I have a feeling this guy is probably the nicest man you've ever met, but he is also the guy everyone in the station plays pranks on. He's so nice, he just takes it.
And local commercials here are ridiculous. Need I mention the "Flea Market" guy? He promotes his store with a catchy rap. We only slow down our Tivo fast forward to watch Sonic commercials and the "Montgomery, Flea Market, it's just like, it's just like, a Mini....Mall" commercials. If you're curious on that one, search for it on You Tube. These things have a way of living forever online.
This little town that thinks it's a city is just generally sad. There's a local car dealership named McGough (cue sound bite from "Liar, Liar" and Mr. McGoo jokes), the world's largest Confederate flag, and a state government so corrupt it would make Nixon blush. Every day I live here I think "This is what people elsewhere think of when they think of backwoods Southerners. No wonder they think we're so behind." Jane, get me off this crazy thing.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Juno
OK, I know I'm about a month behind the times, but we had to save our pennies before we could get to the movies to see the new indie sensation, Juno. It was worth the wait. I know I often use the term "refreshing" when I describe movies or TV shows that I love, but maybe it's because Hollywood is coming back to the types of entertainment that I love the most. Maybe it's because there's a war going on or the unrest throughout the world, or the mortgage crisis or the impending recession, but Hollywood has become increasingly positive. Shows are full of families who may fight, but actually like each other, characters are less dark and twisted, and story lines are uplifting and happy. And yes, I find that refreshing.
Juno is a different kind of movie than you have see anytime recently. Juno, the heroine of this little movie, is a different kind of female character than anyone has written before. She gets pregnant and then makes some remarkable decisions about dealing with it. She is happy with herself and, though she stands outside of regular social circles, she doesn't seem to judge or hate the popular girls or mock the stupid football players. She creates her own social circle, with a popular, pretty best girlfriend, and a boyfriend whose parents dislike Juno. There's no angst or judgment. Juno is just a girl who is who she is and doesn't really care who likes it or hates it.
And I know that people are getting caught up in the whole teenage pregnancy thing. I don't understand anyone's concerns--she chooses not to get an abortion and finds a family to adopt the child. More than that, she handles the whole thing with grace and dignity. She doesn't hide the fact from her parents, but give them the opportunity to help her deal with it. I guess people get caught up in the fact that Juno, though she knows the consequences are real, she doesn't regret having sex. She knows it was probably stupid (considering the fact that she is now knocked up), but nonetheless she doesn't regret her decision.
This rocks the worlds of social conservatives who want to remind our daughters to never ever have sex no matter what. But I see Juno as a girl who owns her mistakes. She doesn't wallow in self-misery and isn't racked with guilt. I wish I had been able to find the good in the bad, to be self-assured and to live outside of crippling guilt as a sixteen-year-old and I would wish the same for my (someday) daughter.
I can't finish talking about this movie without talking about the writing. Diablo Cody, a brand new screenwriter, is the new "it" girl for writing realistic, complex, likable female characters for Hollywood. Her dialog crackles with wit and good humor. It's sharp, edgy, and fun. Some of the lines caught me off guard. Juno makes fun of herself late in her pregnancy and tells someone that the kids at school are already calling her "the cautionary whale". Her parents have a conversation after Juno tells them about her pregnancy that they were hoping she had just been expelled or was into heavy drugs. And then there's the little Asian chick outside the abortion clinic, holding a sign that says "No babies like murdering" while she chants, "All babies want to get borned".
But the really great moments come when Juno meets the adoptive family for the first time. Jennifer Garner plays the emotional wife who is desperate for a baby. She has obviously been burned before and is supremely cautious as she talks to Juno about if she is seeking any other "compensation" for giving up the baby. Juno's response is beautiful. The thought of profiting from the situation has never crossed her mind. She just wants her baby to be loved and she likes the idea of giving it to a family who really wants a child. There's no sense of sarcasm or concern about it. She just knows she is "ill-equipped".
I love all the characters in this movie. They are all fully drawn, with dimensions we continue to discover as the movie progresses. The dialogue and story couldn't be more enjoyable. And Ellen Page as Juno made everyone fall in love with this movie.
Dear Hollywood, please make more movies like Juno. Not crappy knock-offs like you always do when a movie does surprisingly well, but actual movies where people act the way real people act, and we can leave the theater having actually thought about difficult subjects but feel happy and entertained and moved. I know it's a tall order, but I believe in you.
Thanks,
America
Juno is a different kind of movie than you have see anytime recently. Juno, the heroine of this little movie, is a different kind of female character than anyone has written before. She gets pregnant and then makes some remarkable decisions about dealing with it. She is happy with herself and, though she stands outside of regular social circles, she doesn't seem to judge or hate the popular girls or mock the stupid football players. She creates her own social circle, with a popular, pretty best girlfriend, and a boyfriend whose parents dislike Juno. There's no angst or judgment. Juno is just a girl who is who she is and doesn't really care who likes it or hates it.
And I know that people are getting caught up in the whole teenage pregnancy thing. I don't understand anyone's concerns--she chooses not to get an abortion and finds a family to adopt the child. More than that, she handles the whole thing with grace and dignity. She doesn't hide the fact from her parents, but give them the opportunity to help her deal with it. I guess people get caught up in the fact that Juno, though she knows the consequences are real, she doesn't regret having sex. She knows it was probably stupid (considering the fact that she is now knocked up), but nonetheless she doesn't regret her decision.
This rocks the worlds of social conservatives who want to remind our daughters to never ever have sex no matter what. But I see Juno as a girl who owns her mistakes. She doesn't wallow in self-misery and isn't racked with guilt. I wish I had been able to find the good in the bad, to be self-assured and to live outside of crippling guilt as a sixteen-year-old and I would wish the same for my (someday) daughter.
I can't finish talking about this movie without talking about the writing. Diablo Cody, a brand new screenwriter, is the new "it" girl for writing realistic, complex, likable female characters for Hollywood. Her dialog crackles with wit and good humor. It's sharp, edgy, and fun. Some of the lines caught me off guard. Juno makes fun of herself late in her pregnancy and tells someone that the kids at school are already calling her "the cautionary whale". Her parents have a conversation after Juno tells them about her pregnancy that they were hoping she had just been expelled or was into heavy drugs. And then there's the little Asian chick outside the abortion clinic, holding a sign that says "No babies like murdering" while she chants, "All babies want to get borned".
But the really great moments come when Juno meets the adoptive family for the first time. Jennifer Garner plays the emotional wife who is desperate for a baby. She has obviously been burned before and is supremely cautious as she talks to Juno about if she is seeking any other "compensation" for giving up the baby. Juno's response is beautiful. The thought of profiting from the situation has never crossed her mind. She just wants her baby to be loved and she likes the idea of giving it to a family who really wants a child. There's no sense of sarcasm or concern about it. She just knows she is "ill-equipped".
I love all the characters in this movie. They are all fully drawn, with dimensions we continue to discover as the movie progresses. The dialogue and story couldn't be more enjoyable. And Ellen Page as Juno made everyone fall in love with this movie.
Dear Hollywood, please make more movies like Juno. Not crappy knock-offs like you always do when a movie does surprisingly well, but actual movies where people act the way real people act, and we can leave the theater having actually thought about difficult subjects but feel happy and entertained and moved. I know it's a tall order, but I believe in you.
Thanks,
America
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)