Juno in 3 Acts

The Hollywood Three-Act Structure is a commonly used story-telling tool within mainstream movie making in all it's forms, from action to comedy. This is because of a variety of factors: it's familiarity to the audience, it's ability to tell a story concisely and completely, it's broad usage and ability to function within any genre, etc. Even some movies today that are thought of as "independent" employ this structure. This is because it is a tried and true form of storytelling within film.

For example, in the 2007 film Juno, writer Diablo Cody employs three acts (a beginning, middle, and end) to tell the story of a pregnant teen and her search for adoptive parents for her yet-to-be-born child. Act 1 begins where the film does, and is used as the introductory act. In this film, it is where we are introduced to the first plot point (Juno MacGuff's realization that she is pregnant), as well as the central cast of characters, including the baby-daddy, Paulie Bleeker, her father and step-mother, her best-friend Leah, and others. We also are introduced to the world of Juno: the high school she attends, her relationship with her family, her relationship with Paulie (who is obviously in love with her), and everything that has led up to her getting pregnant. We see the first plot point come to a close as she decides to keep the baby and tells her family that she wants to find adoptive parents before the baby is born.

Act 2 begins with the introduction of Mark and Vanessa Loring, the couple who wish to adopt Juno's baby. Their initial reaction is uneasy, but Juno soon strikes a friendship with Mark because of their shared interests and similar personalities. As Juno's pregnancy progresses, so does her complicated friendship with Paulie. The second act of the Three Act Structure is marked by a conflict. In Juno, there are two conflicts that arise. The first is Juno's feelings for Paulie: she states that she doesn't have feelings for him, but angrily confronts him when she finds out that he has asked another girl to prom. The second conflict arises when Mark tells Juno one day that he is planning on leaving Vanessa, and implies that he has feelings for her. Juno is appalled at his decision, and the scene comes to a close when Vanessa finds them and Mark expresses that he doesn't think they're ready to have a child yet.

Act 3 is where the climax of the film occurs, and the conflict is resolved. The beginning of Act 3 can be seen as the scene in which Vanessa and Mark decide to get a divorce. In this same scene, Juno leaves a note for Vanessa saying that she still wants Vanessa to be the mother for her child. Juno also confronts Paulie and tells him that she's in love with him. The climax of the film is when Juno has her baby, and at this point, the conflicts have been resolved into an ending that is both satisfying yet realistic. The film ends here, leaving the future up in the air for all the characters.