By: Emilia Moberg

*Warning: Spoilers and mentions of abortion*

‘Juno’ is a 2007 film directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody. It centers around 16-year-old Juno, played by Elliot Page, as she navigates being pregnant and adoption, on top of normal teen experiences and struggles. 

The film begins with Juno taking multiple pregnancy tests, which all come back positive. She decides to get an abortion. However, before entering the abortion clinic, Juno runs into her classmate, Su-Chin, who is protesting against abortion outside the building. The girls discuss a school assignment, and just before Juno enters the clinic, Su-Chin tells her that “her baby probably has fingernails!” Once inside, all Juno can focus on is the other patient’s fingernails. This deters her from getting the abortion and she decides to put the baby up for adoption. 

 I find this scene really important to understanding the meaning behind the film. Many critics have tried to claim the film as “anti-abortion” because of this scene, however writer Diablo Cody has firmly stated that she is pro-choice and that anti-abortion was not the message she was trying to convey through her writing. I agree with this and believe that Cody was trying to illustrate the juxtaposition of naivety and confidence that comes with young age. Juno did not choose to go through with the pregnancy because she thought abortion was morally wrong. It’s more plausible that she was unnerved by the thought of a baby having fingernails, as a 16-year-old might logically be. Juno felt empowered to get the abortion initially, but changed her mind over a small detail that may or may not be true. The movie does an excellent job of creating scenes that feel stylized, yet realistic to the teen experience, and bring the watcher into the Juno’s life. 

Despite critics, the majority of reactions to the film were overwhelmingly positive. It received an Oscar for Best Writing of an Original Screenplay, as well as 89 other film awards and 100 nominations. ‘Juno’ timelessly captures the essence of being a teenager and the complexities that come with it. 

By: McKenzie Welch

*Warning: Contains some spoilers*

Many people have heard the name Sherlock Holmes, but have you heard of Enola?

Enola, alone spelled backwards, is a display of what it’s like to live in someone’s shadow, especially when you have the same aspirations. Enola Holmes wants to be a detective, just like her brother, but somehow she always finds herself twisted up in cases much bigger than either she or Sherlock could have ever imagined.

‘Enola Holmes 2’ follows Enola as she navigates through starting her own business, the idea of loving someone else, and a case that continuously involves her in dangerous situations.
Life is hard, but life as a woman in 1885 is harder. Enola is perpetually looked down upon, especially in a detective setting, for both her age and her gender. As she tries to get her business off of the ground, it seems as though the people around her are using all of their force to push her down deeper. It isn’t until she finds a pro bono case for a young girl named Bessie that Enola finds herself with some work to do.

A case of a missing woman turns into a murdersome, blackmail-filled catastrophe quicker than the blink of an eye. Sarah Chapman, who is fighting for the lives of many girls working in a match factory, is missing. But who else is involved?

It isn’t long before it’s clear that Sherlock and Enola’s cases are intertwined. Again. Whilst neither of them are quite happy about the scenario, they do make a good team, and the pair result in plenty of humor-filled moments.

Whilst I won’t spoil the ending of the movie, I will say that it’s quite unexpected. The layout of the film makes it so viewers are practically detectives themselves, working alongside Enola to solve the case.

This movie has both romantic and humorful moments, but the true genre is action. There are many escape scenes, fight scenes, and more that kept me completely enthralled. Despite the main focus being action, there are many important themes that present themselves throughout the film, like being yourself and standing up for what you believe in.

The film was also somewhat based on a true story, as there was a real Sarah Chapman who stood up for the girls who were working and dying in a match factory due to the cheaper phosphorus the factory’s owners had decided to start using. This gave representation for the women working in the factory, and displayed the mistreatment of women in the nineteenth century.

All in all, I gave ‘Enola Holmes 2’ a rating of 4.5/5 stars. I greatly enjoyed the fact that, despite being action, the movie contained moments that were tender and based around family and friendships, which are two things that I find extremely important. Also, I was intrigued by the movie and its happenings the entire time I was watching.

My only critique was that some of the plot twists were fairly easy to decipher as long as you were paying attention, which can make the movie slightly less entertaining, but it was nothing too extreme as to deter me from finishing the movie.

I believe that if you enjoy action movies with moments of romance, comedy, and friendly banter, you should give this movie a try.

You can watch ‘Enola Holmes 2’ on Netflix.