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Movie Review: "Juno"

There is a gesture -- a physical gesture -- made not far from the end of "Juno", the only interaction in the entire film between two major characters, which is so tender, so sweet, and so appropriate, it sums up nearly the entire story of this film.

"Juno" could have been a formula film with stereotyped characters, because it is about teenage pregnancy. Instead, what we get is a comedy -- don't get me wrong, there are some hilariously funny lines in this film -- that's also real, because the characters don't react in the way we have come to expect characters in this situation would react. They react like real people, and the result is, we wind up caring deeply about what happens to them.

The basic plot: Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page -- and in this age of bad girl actresses like the Spears girls and Lindsay Lohan, it's refreshing to see someone of this generation with this sort of talent, and who's apparently hardworking and normal; Page ought to be nominated for Best Actress for this role) has sex with "her best friend". It's her first time (and his, too) and, naturally, she gets pregnant. Paulie, the best friend (Michael Cera), isn't at all what you'd expect from a character like this. He's quiet and sweet and is on the track team (apparently, what attracted Juno to him in the first place was his legs), and as we find out, Juno really does love him, and not in the way you see most teenagers "love" in the movies.

When Juno (and we also learn from the film why she has this unusual name) tells her father (J. K. Simmons, who played the editor in the Spiderman films) and stepmother Bren (Allison Janney) about this, their reactions set the tone for the entire film. While Bren and Juno are shown to be at odds over many things -- not uncommon for stepparents -- you can also clearly see that Bren loves and cares deeply for Juno.

Juno eventually decides she wants to have the baby and put it up for adoption, and she and her friend Leah find (in the "Penny Saver"!) a couple who have placed a classified ad looking for a baby.

And once again, this couple isn't what you'd expect. Juno and her family aren't exactly from "the wrong side of the tracks", but it's clear that they live in modest circumstances, while the potential adoptive parents, Mark (Jason Bateman) and Vanessa (Jennifer Garner, in a part far different from her usual adventure roles), live in "Glacier Estates", an upscale subdivision. There's obviously something uncomfortably wrong with this relationship when we first meet this couple -- but it doesn't take the turns you think it's going to; even when the film appears to be going in one direction, the characters don't act in stereotypical ways. Eventually, Juno and Vanessa run into each other at a mall and what happens there will astonish and delight you.

And there, I'll stop; the only thing that remains to be said is that every single character in "Juno" feels real, not acted; the story is human and believable. It doesn't feel written or acted, it feels lived. You'll understand the motivations and actions behind every scene. Jason Reitman, the director (who also directed the comedy 'documentary' "Thank You For Smoking"), doesn't hit one discordant note, and his use of music is, well, just perfect.

Run, don't walk, to see this film. It will leave you smiling. And keep your eyes on Ellen Page, who is all of 20 years old (though the character she plays in this film is supposed to be 16). She is a major talent.

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Loved It
I was lucky to see an early free screening back two months ago.  The movie was incredible, and I will be going to see it at least one more time in the theatre.

I was a huge fan of Thank You For Smoking and encourage anyone who missed that to go take a look, it was highly underrated.  So I had to go see Juno, and jumped at the chance to see it early.  

It appears the early hype is doing good for Juno.  They so far have three Golden Globe nominations for best comedy/musical, best actress in a comedy/musical, and best screenplay.  I hope the take home all three and an Oscar or two as well.

Al you put it perfectly, run don't walk, to go see this movie.

by McCarron on Dec 23, 2007 9:20 AM CST reply actions   0 recs

Good movie
I agree with Al.  Excellent movie.  Run do not walk to the theater to see it.
We are all waiting for that glorious October night when we finally win it all. Until then we will continue to cheer, never do the wave and hope.

by cubstoseriesby100 on Dec 23, 2007 11:15 AM CST reply actions   0 recs

May I walk
briskly?
Wait 'til next year. And the next. And the Next. And the next after that too.

by TheEman on Dec 23, 2007 12:59 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Still Can't Stop Thinking About It
I saw Juno a week ago, and I still can't stop thinking about it.  The most interesting part of the film, if you ask me, is the fact that it is very much so an 'adult' comedy, yet the main characters (teenagers) and the setting (high school) are not typically associated with the genre.  

Here is a good article about the movie as well...

http://www.slate.com/id/2180275/

by steinmer on Dec 23, 2007 12:36 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Very Good
I rate movies on how often I look at my watch.  This one I didn't look at all. Very good, and actually kind of moving.

by MerigoldBowling on Dec 23, 2007 4:52 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Agree wholeheartedly
Al, your review is pretty much the same as mine.  I love the music and have bought the soundtrack online.  I have seen it twice now and it gets better and better. So real and sweet without patronizing.
"Keep the sun out of your eyes and be yourself"

by cubbietenor on Dec 23, 2007 8:30 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

I agree as well!
My wife and I braved the blizzard-like conditions here in the Chicagoland area last weekend to drive from Arlington Heights to Evanston (by way of Glenview, long story...) to see "Juno," and we didn't regret it for a second. Great writing. Great acting. And an ending that's satisfying without being too sappy or neat.

As another poster mentioned, the soundtrack is also excellent. As of this past Friday, it was still available only via iTunes (and, I think, a couple other online sources), but if you enjoyed the quirky, lo-fi folk-pop played throughout the film (along with a classic rock gem or two), it's definitely worth a download.

One highlight is that Sonic Youth song that Jason Bateman's character swoons over during the film. I tell ya, I'm a huge Sonic Youth fan, but I think my favorite line in the film occurs when Bateman and Page's characters are fighting toward the end and Page says something along the lines of: "By the way, I bought a Sonic Youth album. It sucked! It was just a bunch of noise!" Classic.

Happy Holidays, fellow Cubs fans!

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2008 Chicago Cubs starting outfield: Soriano-Pie-Fukudome. Let it be.

by dat cubfan daver on Dec 23, 2007 9:33 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

Ellen Page
I first saw Ellen Page in a movie called Hard Candy.  It was recommended by a friend who told me to go to Blockbuster that night and rent it without reading the back of the box. He said the movie would absolutely blow me away. When I went to check it out, the girl working the counter repeated my friend's praise - claiming that Hard Candy was one of the best films of the year.

Hard Candy is fantastic, unbelievably disturbing (in a good way if that's possible), but fantastic.  I finished that film singing the praises of Ellen Page, swearing that some day she'd be recognized with a whol slew of awards.  It's good to see that she is getting a ton of praise for this one too.  

I haven't seen it yet, but I plan to soon.  I think Page is incredible, Micheal Cera is a great up and comer (flawless as George Michael in Arrested Development), and I enjoyed Thank You For Smoking as well.  

If you can't get to the theater to see this one, I'd highly recommend Hard Candy though.  I'll pass on the words of advise I got - do not read the box, it will spoil the movie.

This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again.

by HectorVillanueva on Dec 23, 2007 9:43 PM CST reply actions   0 recs

I saw "Hard Candy" too...
... on HBO a few months ago.

Hector's right. It's that good, a great psychological thriller. Ellen Page was only 17 when she played that role -- she's going to be a MAJOR star.

Haven't seen "Thank You For Smoking" yet, but I want to. Thanks for the recommendations.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Dec 24, 2007 3:52 AM CST up reply actions   0 recs

I loved it, too.
Some of the dialogue was overly precious - a sign reading "caution, writer at work" could have been posted at the bottom of the screen quite a bit of the time, but the cast, to a person, was so good that it didn't matter.  

Ellen Page was great.  She found her way through some downright unbelievable sounding dialogue and made it real and endearing.

by TR on Dec 24, 2007 9:35 AM CST reply actions   0 recs

writer at work
Yes, at first the film was a tad Gilmore Girlish (I hate that crap), but it fell into form quickly and the "writerly dialogue" disappeared and the characters and story took over.  

I'm a huge West Wing fan and love Allison Janney and she was amazing in this movie.  Really every character was great, but her parents felt like the glue that grounded this movie.  

To me that sign you speak of comes from overdone writing.  I guess it's better than cliched, over-sentimental, schlock, but I can't listen to it for long.  Once in a while Aaron Sorkin can over-write, but I have blinders on for his writing.  I can't wait to see Charlie Wilson's war this weekend.  Philip Seymour Hoffman (my favorite actor) and Sorkin (one of my favorite writers!).  Yeah!

"Chicago Cubs fans are ninety percent scar tissue."

by northofwrigley on Dec 26, 2007 10:34 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

Loved the Movie, hated the music
I agree with what everyone is saying about the movie. But I have to say that I really disliked the music. Except for the last song which was actually filmed sung by the main characters; all the rest of it sounded like bad schlocky folk music that you get to hear from a folk songwriting class at the Old Town school.

Especially when most of the time Bateman and Page are talking about Punk music!

But I really believe that musical tastes are personal and what floats one persons boat may sink anothers. I think this is a great movie for the simple reason that even though the music grated on me; I completely disregarded it for  the sheer brilliance of the screenplay. The overly precious dialogue did not bother me one bit because; I am sad to admit; I was one of the few Male fans of Gilmore Girls and am used to zinger laden dialogue coming out of the mouths of precocious teens.

This has been a good spate of years for nerdy movies. Starting with Napolena Dynamite; we have had 40 Yr old Virgin, Sideways, Knocked Up, Superbad and now Juno. As a fellow Nerd all I can say is 'Long live the Nerds'.

by victor on Dec 24, 2007 11:55 AM CST reply actions   0 recs

I thought...
... the music fit the tone of the film, a little nerdy, as you put it. But as you say, to each his/her own musical tastes.

I'll tell you how successful the soundtrack is: I took my 15-year-old daughter to see this movie. She liked it so much she went right home and downloaded the soundtrack to her iPod.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al on Dec 24, 2007 1:25 PM CST up reply actions   0 recs

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