Diablo Cody Reflects On ‘Juno’ And Its Critics 15 Years Later: ‘I’m Totally Pro-Abortion’

Juno, The then relatively unknown writer’s Diablo Code spec script quickly became a 2007 hit, earning an Academy Award, BAFTA, and Writers Guild of America Awards for Best Original Screenplay, Academy Award nominations for the film, and a twentieth. Year Elliott Page, who played the title character.

It’s been 15 years since the film was first released, but it’s still part of the zeitgeist, mingling with a particularly heated section of culture and politics at the moment, as conversations revolve around the ethics of the recent decision by Supreme Court. Roe vs. Wade, who for 49 years guaranteed the right to give birth, maintain a pregnancy or terminate an abortion.

Inside Juno, The teenage protagonist experiences an unplanned pregnancy and considers the option of abortion, but ends up deciding to move on and adopt. Over the years, the film has had vocal supporters and detractors who view the film differently based on its themes of reproductive justice. With that in mind, Cody spoke the hollywood reporter about his intentions when he wrote the film more than 15 years ago, and reflects on where he stands in today’s cultural context.

When you were writing the script. Juno, Remember how people used to talk about abortion and abortion rights?

I wrote the film in 2005, 17 years ago. The movie is officially older than the main character, which is crazy to think about. When I look back at the time when I wrote the script, I get nervous because I never thought at the time that my reproductive rights might be at risk. If someone had told me at the time, as a carefree young third wave feminist, that in 2022, Roe vs Wade Turns out I’d be horrified and assume we’re headed for some unbelievable dystopia, and maybe I was right. But at the time it seemed impossible. I took roe By itself, and many of us did. I was just creating; I never saw the film as any kind of political statement. I can’t imagine being so innocent again.

What inspired the story? June, a coming of age story in which the main character’s coming of age is expressed through her decision to almost abort an unplanned pregnancy, but then choose to move on to the fullest? Have you seen this before or felt like you were adding something new to the film scene at the time?

I think the main relationship I was interested in exploring in the movie was Juno’s. [played by Elliot Page] And the two adopted characters, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman. I found it to be a fascinating dynamic that I hadn’t seen on screen before. As for the pregnancy, I remember [director] Jason Reitman describes pregnancy as a “place” and I found it interesting. It was more of a stage.

The whole aspect of the election, as crazy as it sounds now, didn’t weigh heavily on me. I was thinking, “How can I bring this character into a living room with this couple who want to adopt a baby?” Because I wanted to write that scene. So everything I did up to that point was in the service of history. I really didn’t think of anything else. And to be honest, I thought I was writing a sample; I was trying to establish myself in Hollywood. It didn’t even occur to me that they were going to do a script; I wrote most of it while I was in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, at lunch. So I didn’t really consider it an influential work that I would review 17 years later, of course.

How was your experience working on this film? Have you ever had any rejection in Hollywood, especially for the subject? Has anyone else read it as potentially too polarizing or political?

Not at all, because it was a very low-risk film. There wasn’t much money at stake. And at the time, there was a real appetite in the screenplay market for these quirky independent films. it was a time Little Miss Sunshine s dynamite napoleon. I don’t think the movie is similar. June It will be released in theaters today. But at the time, people were still taking chances with these stories. I don’t remember anyone thinking it was provocative or anything.

June It was a critical and commercial success at the box office and sparked debate: some hailed it as a feminist film, while others criticized it. It’s like anti-choice. Did you know about the public dialogue surrounding the movie in 2007? And in the years since, have you been involved in the abortion treatment discourse?

I wasn’t very clear at the time because overnight I was thrown into this surreal reality of being a public figure, which was not what I expected. Frankly, it was traumatic, and I had my head so high that I didn’t know anything about the cultural dialogue surrounding the film. It’s so weird to just be a writer and think you’re going to have this anonymity forever, and then they laugh at you. Saturday night live.

I stayed out of the speech. This whole experience, which is now ancient history, made me very protective of myself. I’ve definitely been underground for a while, I don’t usually comment on my movies, but I’m strongly pro-abortion and have been my whole life. And it’s important for me to find out. But, you know, I can understand why people would understand the movie. Looking back, I can see how this can be perceived as anti-choice. And that scares me.

In 2008, I received a letter from some of my Catholic high school administrators thanking me for writing a film in line with the school’s values. And I asked, “What did I do?” My goal as an artist is to be a traitor to that culture, not elevate it.

What challenges have you faced writing about unplanned pregnancy and adoption? Did you have to do any reporting to figure out how to make the story authentic?

At the time, I was writing completely from the heart, which can be sad. Now I have kids and I’ve had that experience, so I think I could add more to a story like this. But I talked to some people.

Interestingly, the most intense critique I’ve seen of the Gen Z movie on social media has nothing to do with the abortion story, in fact it’s a pretty lively debate about the ethics of private adoption. Most teenage births don’t have a story like Juno where they have the support of family and, you know, Allison Janney. [Juno’s stepmother in the film] He has a back. Even if they wanted to, they can’t raise a child, so many of them feel compelled. This is a thread I saw on TikTok and I think it’s a very valuable conversation.

People sometimes cite the scene of Juno going to the clinic and the anti-abortion sign in front of her as anti-choice because it’s what helps her decide to continue the pregnancy and agree to a closed adoption. But on the other hand, maybe it’s realistic. Is there any part of the movie that you remake or revisit?

Here it is, as a teenager I struggled with the physical reality of the abortion procedure. I thought it was awful, which is not surprising given that I was bombarded with anti-abortion propaganda at school. And I think that’s reflected in the movie: she goes to an abortion clinic, she’s kind of a girl (which, realistically, she would have done at that age, especially given the religious trauma she was processing at the time). I am no longer afraid of abortion; I had one now. And it was hell, less terrible than childbirth. But the film is a reflection of how I felt when I was young.

I think maybe because I was inspired to use pregnancy as a place, so to speak, it’s because it’s just this metamorphosis. It was a fitting metaphor for coming of age, so I don’t regret writing the film. I think it’s important to continue to clarify my feelings on this, because the last thing I want is for anyone to interpret the film as anti-choice. This is my big paranoia.

I never thought about seeing the movie again; I feel like I should stay in amber. But I’d rather have that account there than [my] misinterpretation of silence.

Gender-inclusive language has recently surfaced in the abortion rights debate, and I’ve been struck by just how deep Elliott Page’s role as a pregnant protagonist is. Juno. I think it’s a very powerful connection to current discussions of queer visibility in the reproductive justice movement.

I am absolutely in favor of inclusive language. And I think it’s good to look back June From a queer perspective, now aware that the lead actor is a trans man. Obviously, I didn’t know at the time. So I can’t give any credence to the radical rethinking of teen pregnancy. But I think it’s a great conversation. And I’m glad we have that representation, even retroactively.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity.