Alright, Hollywood, let's have a chat. You know about "Juno," right? Fantastic work there, my friends. Teenage pregnancy and all of it's cuteness. And how about that "Secret Life of an American Teenager" television series? You know, you really nailed it on the head with that one - that's EXACTLY what it's all about.
Now, the birth of a child is always something amazing. And that baby, in all of it's compactness and cuteness, is able to control your life in the blink of an eye, simply because that's all the time it takes for that love to consume every centimeter of your heart.
But there's more to it than that. Let me take a shot in the dark here and say that it's actually not all sunshine, roses, and puppy dogs with ferociously wagging tails.
Say! There's an idea for a movie! Ok, follow me on this one - how about we do a bit on teenage pregnancy from the perspective of the entire family? We'll still follow the mother and the child, of course, but wouldn't it be interesting to see whether or not the family is affected at all by the situation? I mean, who knows, maybe it's the most emotionally turbulent time for the various members?
Follow the mother and father of the teen. After fully raising children of their own and getting ready to spend the money they've saved for kid-free relaxation and retirement, they now have to assist in raising another child in all aspects. They feel responsible on all levels for both the teen and the new baby, and to take a step back and let things happen the way they would if she was in a typical single-mother situation is next to impossible.
Follow the siblings. Some may have the opportunity to move out, feeling as if they've abandoned the family in some senses while in other senses feeling relieved that there is a chance for them to continue life in the direction they initially chose. Others may not have that option, and must live feeling perpetually torn between helping the family as much as possible and trying to find their own path in life, with the end result being an overwhelming feeling of guilt and hopelessness no matter what choice is made.
And no matter what the circumstance, nobody allows themselves to truly feel any of these emotions or speak about them, because their love for the child is so strong that they would give anything to make sure that the baby receives whatever he or she needs. So they bury all of these justified attitudes deep, and let them fester and boil.
So what do you think, directors and producers? Do you think that this subject matter is surface-y enough to make a blockbuster hit for next year? Do you think some indie musicians would write some touching music to go along with it, warming the heart of every American viewer?
Yeah, I thought not. Maybe we should just let the truth take the back-burner to our fantasy versions of life. Besides, who wants to go to the movies to actually watch reality, right?
