The likelihood of Vanessa meeting someone again is pretty good, I would think. She’s quite beautiful and has a very loving heart.

As far as the breastfeeding thing goes, it was a pretty short scene, so I don’t think they necessarily needed to show her nursing, but you are correct. Breasfeeding an adoptive child is possible. I read a bit about it in Mothering magazine.

It’s not always easy, but a while the adoptive mother breastfeeds her child, a tube is attached to her nipple which is attached to a bag of formula which usually hangs over her back. Her child then nurses and continues to nurse because she is receiving food.

Mother and child continue with this scenario until the mother’s milk comes in (because her breasts have been stimulated by the nursing). This way the child doesn’t get discourage in the early stages when there is no milk.

I hope I explained that well enough.

God bless and thanks again for the advice.

AMDG,
Jo March

Ah! Little Women – also a favorite of mine. Good pick.

Maybe your folks could go see it first and see if they think it’s appropriate. The over all theme and good message of the movie trumps some of the language in my opinion. Let me know if you see it.

I’m a high school student. And we’re strict, but not too strict, so maybe I could talk my parents into letting me see it. It does look pretty good. Also, in case you were wondering about the sort of “proper” name, its not my real name. I’m just not allowed to use my real name on the internet, so I’ve adopted by favorite book character’s name: Jo March.

Thanks for the review! God bless!

~Jo March

Some of the language might not be appropriate if you’re family is really strict about movies. I was chatting with another Catholic speaker and singer (Sarah Bauer) the other day who also loved the movie. But she did stop and ask if I would recommend it for teens (specifically tell them to go see it). I guess it depends on the teen. I’m still pondering that. So if you are more sensitive to that sort of stuff or your family wouldn’t approve, perhaps I would refrain. How old are you if you don’t mind me asking? Any other opinions on this?

I’d have to concur with what Jill Stanek said a few months ago:

Don’t be thrown that “Juno’s” screenwriting ingenue, Diablo Cody [the pen name of Brooke Busey-Hunt, a 1996 Benet Academy graduate], is a stripper turned blogger turned movie writer. She handled the topic almost like we would, only with spice….

I haven’t seen Juno yet myself, but I’m assuming, for the sake of argument, that it’s as good as most pro-lifers I know who have seen it have said it is.

My general impression is that one’s opinion of art should not be affected by one’s opinion of the artist’s personality, worldview, imperfections, etc.

Since, per Romans 3:23, “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God”, artists are, like the rest of us, seriously flawed. Nonetheless, good art can be — and in fact, often is — produced by artists whose personalities or views we may not necessarily hold in very high regard.

Consider, for example, Mel Gibson’s famously ignominious anti-Semitic drunken rant — a self-evidently deplorable episode. Still, both The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto — each in its own way — were extraordinarily good films.

Or consider the example of Caravaggio. Unquestionably, he was one of the greatest artists not only of his day, but of the last 500 years. Yet in his personality, he was basically a bully and a jerk; famous for an uncontrollable temper, at one point in his life, he even killed (arguably murdered) a man.

All this is to say that for me personally, it’s worth knowing that Diablo Cody was a stripper, but for purposes of evaluating the merits of Juno per se — which, as I said, I haven’t yet seen — it doesn’t concern me.

I heard one of the writers who won an award for Juno went to Benet Academy is Lisle. The Chicago Sun Times also reported this individual used to be a stripper. What are your thoughts?

Mike

In the Love of Christ,
Miss March

I agree that many parts were not realisitc, but I think that’s what I liked about it. It was in some sense, just a movie.

My sister said she was surprised that Juno gave her baby to Vanessa even though she herself didn’t like being from a broken family.

As far as her relationship with Bleeker goes, I think he was really into her all along and was happy that she came back to him. But I agree that he seemed super laid back about the pregnancy.

Anyway, it was one of the best movies I’ve seen in a long time.

Unfortunately, I haven’t seen Bella yet and I’ve only seen part of Amazing Grace. My husband watched the whole thing and was extremely moved. And my Dad, Joe Scheidler, loved it. He felt it completely paralleled the pro-life movement.

Has anyone see Amazing Grace? I thought it was fantastic, because though it’s about the work of abolitionist William Wilberforce it definitely parallells(sp?) the work and upheaval prolifers are dealing with.