Infertiles Can Giggle, Too!

, , 17 Comments

laughter
This infertile’s assessment of the movie Juno just might surprise.

The story concerns a knocked up teenage heroine. Early in the film we find her in a convenience store not wanting to believe the positive pee stick staring back at her. Kryptonite for an infertile, right? You think I’m supposed to be outraged, indignant…

Well you’d be wrong. I found the story endearing. I busted a gut from the snappy, offbeat dialogue and found myself rooting for the plucky ingenue.

Yeah. Truly. Caught you off guard, didn’t I? Come on now. You thought ‘infertiles’ were just a bunch of humorless, holier than thou, self-pitying wretches didn’t you?  Well, we’re not. We have the ability to suspend disbelief like anyone else. We can poke fun and appreciate biting irony as well as the next guy.

I’ll admit I found myself wondering, as I laughed, if I would have been able to chuckle quite as merrily at the story a few years ago. It made me appreciate how far I’d come in reconciling the ups and downs of our attempts to get pregnant.

My only nit with the film was the portrayal of the infertile character played by Jennifer Garner. I took some exception to how uptight she came across. Hey, we ‘infertiles’ have our moments, but we’re not one-dimensional automatons either.

See also  Not a Mother, but a Maternal Daughter

We have to have a sense of humor to survive the absurdities that come our way. It comes with the territory. How can you get naked on a regular basis in front of strangers and take yourself seriously? It’s just downright impossible. And let’s not even discuss the dildocam …

So, here’s to much laughter amid the weirdness that is life in 2008!

 

17 Responses

  1. loribeth

    January 1, 2008 2:17 am

    Thanks so much for the review!! I’ve heard great things about this movie in the press, but wondered how it would play for an infertile audience & was hoping someone would post about it. (However, I’ll probably put off seeing it until AFTER my upcoming 47th birthday…!)

    I had similar reservations about seeing “Knocked Up” this summer, & while the ending had me teary-eyed, I laughed my a** off through most of it.

  2. Lori

    January 1, 2008 3:04 am

    Now I want to see the movie even MORE.

    Wish we could have a virtual showing with all of us in attendance.

    Great review.

  4. Jenna

    January 1, 2008 6:18 pm

    Oh I’m so glad you liked this. I haven’t seen it yet but I’ve been hearing good reviews and this is another one that makes me think I might have to splurge on the price for a ticket.

  8. Bea

    January 2, 2008 3:11 am

    Thanks for the review. And you’re right – too much stereotyping goes on. It’s ok to break the mould!

    Bea

  9. Samantha

    January 2, 2008 3:18 am

    Glad you liked Juno. Maybe I’ll be brave and see it too.

    I’ll have to work on the laughter part for myself. I’m afraid I’m getting a bit on the uptight side.

  10. SaraS-P

    January 2, 2008 3:18 pm

    I really like how it didn’t sugarcoat adoption or teen pregnancy (my big beef with Saved was that there was no discussion of how she’d be able to raise the baby at such a young age).

    And Ellen Page kicks ass as an actress. I see her getting lots of work in the future.

    I liked that Garner’s character switched to the sympathetic character by the end. Yeah, the guy seems cool, but she was the one with real heart. I may like that portrayal since I sometimes am described as uptight. Her character might have a secret blog where she pours out her genuine self 😉

  11. Ann

    January 2, 2008 3:31 pm

    I must admit that I plan on avoiding this movie like the plague–especially in light of our recent loss. I’m disappointed that I have to avoid it, because it looks funny and it got good reviews, but I, too, am worried about Jennifer Garner’s portrayal. I hate the way “desperate” infertile women are portrayed in the media.

  14. JJ

    January 2, 2008 4:51 pm

    Happy 2008 PJ! I was THRILLED to get your card–what a handsome couple–and what a beautiful lady you are! Thank you so much for sending! Hoping that 2008 brings you many smiles!

  15. luna

    January 3, 2008 4:15 am

    I also loved Juno and had initially had a similar fear about and response to JG’s character (uptight, corporate, heartless, humorless). but in the end I also found that she was the one with heart and her hub was just a grown child. a bit of a reversal of what you are first led to believe… I thought it was a great flick that actually made me laugh and cry… ~luna

  16. chicklet

    January 3, 2008 5:19 pm

    I really wanna see this, in spite of the infertile-averse topic, so glad to hear I might actually get through it without stabbing someone:-)

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