Juno
Movie Review
"Juno"
Review by Eric D. Snider
Grade: A-
Rating: PG-13
Released: Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Directed by:
Cast:
"It's probably just a food baby," says 16-year-old Juno's best friend Leah when Juno says she's pregnant. "Did you have a big lunch?"
No, there was no big lunch. Juno is pregnant for realsies, and "Juno" is one of the year's snappiest, snarkiest, most quotable comedies. Diablo Cody, a former stripper who's now a writer, penned the screenplay, and she populated it with hip characters who speak not in the manner of real people but in the manner of self-aware movie characters. And yet, just as Joss Whedon accomplished with his TV series (notably "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and "Firefly"), "Juno's" people can pepper their language with stylized slang and still come off as believable, human characters.
Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) is the kind of Middle American high schooler who's too interesting to be popular and too savvy to care. She listens to cool '70s bands and watches obscure foreign horror films, palling around with her best friend Leah (Olivia Thirlby) in her off hours. She also has a platonic guy friend, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). They became slightly more than platonic on a recent night -- boredom was a factor -- and now Juno's oven has a bun in it. Bleeker's bun.
Her first instinct is to "take care of it" ("I'm just calling to procure a hasty abortion," she says when she phones the clinic), but she thinks better of it and chooses the adoption route instead. She tells Leah they should give the baby to "a woman with a bum ovary, or a couple of nice lesbos."
Instead, they find the Lorings, a generically nice couple who live in a generically nice home in a generically nice subdivision. Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) badly wants a baby; her husband Mark (Jason Bateman) seems to be going along with it, though it's clear to us he has reservations. They meet with Juno and her father (J.K. Simmons) and offer to pay all her medical expenses. The arrangements are made. Everyone is happy.
Vanessa, a little nervous and uptight, reacts to the outspoken, seemingly carefree Juno the way a normal person would: Is this girl for real? Mark, on the other hand, "gets" Juno. Though he's in his mid to late 30s, Mark in a state of arrested development, playing his guitar, collecting comic books, and watching cheesy movies -- in other words, behaving just like Juno. Who is 16. The brilliant irony of the film is that Mark is trying too hard to be cool ... which is exactly what some people will accuse the film itself of doing.
The talent involved in "Juno" is enviable. It's director Jason Reitman's second film, after the dark satire "Thank You for Smoking," and he's only improving with age. He favors understatement and deadpan wit, but he's not afraid to let a little emotion come through when it's needed. Furthermore, while I'd never heard of Diablo Cody before -- I'm not up on my strippers-turned-writers -- her exceedingly well-written screenplay here should secure her a place in Hollywood for as long as she can crank out funny characters and literate dialogue.
J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney are more than just parental buffoons as Juno's folks, while Bateman and Garner have the plastic smiles of bland suburban affluence down pat. Michael Cera's gift for stammery teenage awkwardness has been documented numerous times already, most recently in "Superbad," and it's nice to see that it's not getting old yet. The kid can still wring more laughs out of not knowing what to say than almost anyone.
The outstanding writing and direction aside, "Juno" might have failed if it didn't have a capable actress in the lead role. Ellen Page is most recognizable for playing Kitty Pryde (the one who can walk through walls) in "X-Men: The Last Stand," though certain audiences will remember her performance in the disturbing thriller "Hard Candy," where she played a girl who turns the tables on a would-be pedophile. Barely out of her teens, Page has shown remarkable common sense and discernment in choosing her projects. "Juno" lets her show off her comedic chops and razor-sharp timing, all in the service of a character whose effortless charm is her most endearing trait.
There's a delicate line between "likably quirky" and "trying too hard to be quirky." I think "Juno" steps on the wrong side a couple times (the pop-culture reference Juno makes when her water breaks is a bit of a reach), but not enough to diminish the pleasure I take in the film overall. It's an absolute delight.
Grade: A-
Rated PG-13, moderate profanity, some sexual innuendo, brief fake gore
1 hr., 35 min.
Copyright © Eric D. Snider.
This work may not be transmitted via the Internet, nor reproduced in any other way, without written consent from Eric D. Snider.
This item has 16 comments
December 7, 2007 at 1:07 am
We have an Arrested Development reunion! Although from what I have heard, they (Bateman and Cera) are not actually in any scenes together. Regardless, I am very excited to see this.
December 16, 2007 at 10:34 am
Just watched this last night. Very funny! I'm glad that you didn't spoil the reference Juno says when her water breaks. I'm going to make my wife say that when she's prego! (Just kidding! But I did find it funny, even though I understand what your sayin'.)
"Mark is trying too hard to be cool"
I didn't see that so much as Mark is refusing to grow up. Looking at it that way skips out on the irony that you see in the film. Though I did appreciate the arrested development mention in your review.
Also, the step-mother's berating of the technician is classic.
For dramatic scenes, I have to say I was deeply impressed with Jennifer Garner in the mall scene. That part was remarkably touching.
All in all, I thought it was a really fun movie. I walked out of the theater thinking, "This is better than 'Thank You For Smoking", cuz it had heart."
December 25, 2007 at 3:42 pm
This is behind only Ratatouille and tied with Superbad as my second favorite movie of the year.
December 26, 2007 at 2:57 pm
This movie finally came to Vegas yesterday and it was worth the wait. Thank You For Smoking was my favorite movie of 2006 and this was almost as good. Ellen Page and Michael Cera were great. I loved the use of their odd soundtrack and thought that it really added to a great movie.
December 26, 2007 at 3:54 pm
I went to a screening of this movie last week in Salt Lake and I think that it is probably my favorite of the movies i've seen this year. It was fantastic in every way.
December 28, 2007 at 7:51 pm
"Mark in a state of arrested development"
I see what you did there, Eric.
January 8, 2008 at 4:41 pm
i think the movie was kinda sweet. loved the humor and the lines were great. also love that the writer was an ex-stripped. i dont know why, but it made the lines more enjoyable knowing that.
had to say, music choice was excellent. kimya dawson was a perfect touch and antsy pants "vampire" made me automaticaly smile.
great movie, and great review!!! i give both of you guys an A.
January 22, 2008 at 9:58 am
thought the soundtrack was wonderful!
one of the best depressing comedy i've seen in a while.
-myrth
http://www.gabbanation.com
February 5, 2008 at 10:40 am
"depressing comedy"
Depressing how? It was a little dark and ironic and times, but I found it uplifting not depressing. I loved the Asian abortion protester.
February 21, 2008 at 2:43 pm
This was incredibly entertaining, an intelligent ellen page nails her role! very smart contemporary acting!
i also loved the asian abortion protester and the women now receptionist!! its all the good little characters which adds to the entertainment value because there are no boring parts!
this should win best picture!
February 25, 2008 at 11:23 am
This film struck me as self-conscious, contrived, trying soooo hard to be kooky and hip. And because the attempts at humor were so predictable, I did not laugh once, despite the fact that I entered with expectations of a well-above average film of unique perspective.
March 11, 2008 at 10:59 am
best movie of the year is right. i saw it on open day with my boyfriend at the time. kindof aquward. buut still awesome. i saw it 4 times after that! i encouraged all my friends to see it. my fav. movie. im gonnas buy it.
:]
March 20, 2008 at 9:12 pm
So shamelessly glossing over trash juvenile delinquency.. no wonder it was written by a former stripper who probabaly has a morality of a chimp
April 23, 2008 at 9:23 pm
This movie was awesome! Whenever I tell people about it, I find it hard to describe though, because it's so different from every other movie out there these days. I just tell them, you have to see it to understand it. I loved the self-aware nature of the characters, it was so refreshing to see that instead of your basic actor-playing-a-normal-person-you-can-relate-to in that it-could-happen-to-you drama. Ellen Page did a FANTASTIC job making us all wish we were as laissez-faire cool as Juno. In fact, all the actors, especially ones in minor roles, were superbly chosen and added just enough of a comedic element to make it entertaining, but not so much that it felt like a sitcom. This movie was well made and one to watch over and over!
April 25, 2008 at 7:50 pm
I was really disappointed with this one, in reference to the "-" earning 'line crossing', I thought the alternative was true; the entire movie smacked of -yearning-to-be-hip- over effort and occaisionally bounced some subtle jewels. That said, Michael Cera is tops.
July 2, 2008 at 2:52 am
I LOVED the Thundercats reference when Juno's water breaks! The early conversation between Juno and the store clerk at the beginning of the movie is hilarious; one of the best exchanges in the movie. I've already decided that when I get pregnant and MY water breaks I'm going to yell, "Undale, undale, arrreeeeeba!"