Paulie Bleeker: Come on, let me carry your bag.
Juno MacGuff: Oh, what's another ten pounds?
The screenplay written by Diablo Cody won best screenplay at this year's Academy Awards. Many critics believed Juno was a strong contender for Oscars in other categories too, including Best Picture and Best Actress. Whilst No Country For Old Men may mirror to some extent the reigning movie zeitgeist, Juno is exceptionally fresh, spirited and infused with vigor. All the actors do a fine job in this flick, and every frame is a valuable and colourful thread weaved into the charming tapestry that is Juno's life.
The film chronicles the seasonal and emotional flux that a 9 month pregnancy involves. It is a remarkable story in that it somehow manages to evade the heavy drama and angst and misery that usually stereotypes teenage pregnancy stories...but the movie still has its bunny slippers on the ground.
Plenty of credit goes to Ellen Page for a perfect performance as the unique and irrepresible Juno. But why Juno?
Juno MacGuff: My dad had this weird obsession with Roman or Greek mythology or something and he decided to name me after Zeus' wife.
Mark Loring: Zeus' wife?
Juno MacGuff: Yeah and I mean Zeus had tons of lays but I'm pretty sure Juno was his only wife. And apparently she was supposed to be super beautiful but really mean, like Diana Ross.
The flick has a distinct color and taste and personality, mostly imbued by Juno herself, but thoughtfully and cleverly accentuated in other characters too. Jennifer Garner and Jason Batemen are transplanted out of The Kingdom and battle fatigues into an upper class suburban setting. Bateman's performance is subdued, understated and subtle, but touching. Garner's colder desperation contrasts well, and their belongings at home (guitars and a pristine lab-like bathroom and kitchen) reflect their disparate climates towards family living.
J.K Simmons (Juno's father Mac) is one of those character actors who we easily recognise, but we never remember his name. Simmons also played J.Jonah, the news editor in Spiderman. His performance illustrates where Juno gets her spirit and sense of humor from.
Diablo Cody's screenplay is filled with ear-tickling dialogue and everyday scenes that are nevertheless remarkable. A scene at the mall where Vanessa (Garner) kneels in front of the teenage girls stomach, hoping to feel the baby move, while out of focus shopper move in the background is just one example.
It is a rare treat for a flick to have none of the ingredients of the average blockbuster. There is no violence, no car chases, no explosions, no vulgarity, no sex (well, sort've). But neither is it a contrived, too good to be true fairy tale.
Vanessa Loring: How do I look?
Bren: Like a new mom. Scared shitless.
The soundtrack is great, but the best thing about Juno is its genuineness and its unique sense of humor. You're likely to leave the cinema sensing that somehow the world is a brighter, happier place than when you went in.
Directed by Jason Reitman
Cast:
Ellen Page (Juno MacGuff)
Michael Cera (Paulie Bleeker)
Jennifer Garner (Vanessa Loring)
Jason Bateman (Mark Loring)
Allison Janney (Bren MacGuff)
J.K. Simmons (Mac MacGuff)
Olivia Thirlby (Leah)
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