Who's Afraid of Virginia...Juno?
I have found an homage to "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" through parallels between Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman's characters in Juno and Martha and George in the aforementioned play.
What could those parallels be, you ask, dear Blog Readers?
Check it.
Why is Garner so surprised when she finds out that the ad placed looking for a baby was in the penny saver in the first place?
Oh, I suppose an argument could be made for Bateman having the responsibility of placing the ad, only to put it in the penny-saver with the assumption that no one would see it and therefor would be spared the unwanted role as "father".
And what of the revelation that the couple had another baby situation that didn't pan out because of what Bateman describes as "cold feet"? Sure, that could mean that the mother backed out...or he did...or more interestingly, Garner did. Sure.
And even further...what of Bateman's advances on Juno? A Sixteen-year-old pregnant girl? Indeed, it can be viewed as a desperate yet well intentioned seeking of his lost youth in this precocious, unique and multi-faceted girlwoman.
But I say that's all just fucking boring.
Wrap your brains around this one:
How about...Bateman and Garner are an extremely unhappily married couple who survive only through the sadistic manipulation of the other. She through her stranglehold on his masculinity, and he through her inability, yet burning need to have a child. Oh, and they dig on fucking with people on the outside as well.
Bateman, vengeful over his wife's totalitarian stronghold on his career and role as husband decides to advertise as adoptive parents in the local penny-saver. Juno innocently answers the ad. Through her bizarro-pixie-like involvement in her lives, she inadvertently foils Bateman's game by refusing his sexual advances and promising the baby to Garner even though their marriage is doomed. Garner chooses freedom by taking the baby and Bateman leaves to relive his glory days as a musician.
This all parallels the "Bringing Up Baby" game in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf". In the play, George and Martha tell their guests, Nick and Honey that they once had a child but that it died.
Martha wails "you can't DO that" to George when he reveals that their son is dead.
They never had a son.
George "kills" him because Martha broke the rules by "talking about him".
George and Martha play weird sick games with each other to mask the dying inside each is experiencing with every passing moment in the other's company.
So, what I think is, Garner and Bateman are loose representations of George and Martha but escape their fate through the intercession of Juno. To say nothing of the whole "who's afraid to live their lives free of illusion" theme that is present in both couples' relationships.
Oh my god I need a job.
What could those parallels be, you ask, dear Blog Readers?
Check it.
Why is Garner so surprised when she finds out that the ad placed looking for a baby was in the penny saver in the first place?
Oh, I suppose an argument could be made for Bateman having the responsibility of placing the ad, only to put it in the penny-saver with the assumption that no one would see it and therefor would be spared the unwanted role as "father".
And what of the revelation that the couple had another baby situation that didn't pan out because of what Bateman describes as "cold feet"? Sure, that could mean that the mother backed out...or he did...or more interestingly, Garner did. Sure.
And even further...what of Bateman's advances on Juno? A Sixteen-year-old pregnant girl? Indeed, it can be viewed as a desperate yet well intentioned seeking of his lost youth in this precocious, unique and multi-faceted girlwoman.
But I say that's all just fucking boring.
Wrap your brains around this one:
How about...Bateman and Garner are an extremely unhappily married couple who survive only through the sadistic manipulation of the other. She through her stranglehold on his masculinity, and he through her inability, yet burning need to have a child. Oh, and they dig on fucking with people on the outside as well.
Bateman, vengeful over his wife's totalitarian stronghold on his career and role as husband decides to advertise as adoptive parents in the local penny-saver. Juno innocently answers the ad. Through her bizarro-pixie-like involvement in her lives, she inadvertently foils Bateman's game by refusing his sexual advances and promising the baby to Garner even though their marriage is doomed. Garner chooses freedom by taking the baby and Bateman leaves to relive his glory days as a musician.
This all parallels the "Bringing Up Baby" game in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf". In the play, George and Martha tell their guests, Nick and Honey that they once had a child but that it died.
Martha wails "you can't DO that" to George when he reveals that their son is dead.
They never had a son.
George "kills" him because Martha broke the rules by "talking about him".
George and Martha play weird sick games with each other to mask the dying inside each is experiencing with every passing moment in the other's company.
So, what I think is, Garner and Bateman are loose representations of George and Martha but escape their fate through the intercession of Juno. To say nothing of the whole "who's afraid to live their lives free of illusion" theme that is present in both couples' relationships.
Oh my god I need a job.
posted by LC Greenwood at 4:01 PM
1 Comments:
Dear loco;
Send me your damn resume already! And get off the couch. It's bad for you.
love,
Your friend who soon will not have a job either but that's cuz there's an alien kicking her on the inside
Post a Comment
<< Home