‘Juno’ looks at pregnancy in a different light
“Juno” is the next great cult classic.
It has a great script, great cast and even a great soundtrack. The second film from “Thank You for Smoking” director Jason Reitman has already been nominated for several awards and was the official selection for both Telluride Film Festival and Toronto International Festival.
Ellen Page charms as Juno, a 16-year-old quick-witted outcast dealing with an unexpected pregnancy resulting from an equally unexpected sexual encounter with pseudo-crush Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). As the pregnancy develops, Juno searches for adoptive parents while also dealing with the hardships of going to school as a pregnant teen.
Oddball characters and Page’s sarcastic banter drive the film. Mac and Bren MacGuff played by J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney, are Juno’s equally snappy parents who support her throughout her ordeal, yet poke fun at her whenever possible. After Juno tells them about the pregnancy, Mac asks Bren “did you see that coming?” to which Bren quickly responds, “yeah, but I was hoping she was expelled or into hard drugs.” This type of dialogue prevails throughout the screen and guarantees a laugh every scene.
Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman star as the potential adoptive couple of Juno’s baby and develop a relationship with Juno during her pregnancy.
“Juno” is chalked full of one-liners in almost every scene and the jokes only get better as the story progresses. Yet, although this humor certainly bolsters the film, the poignant undertones are what really make this film profound.
It really is a coming-of-age tale of a young, smart, but still na’ve girl who discovers herself through experiences related to her pregnancy. And most effectively, this is a noticeable transformation on screen.
There are no blatant attempts at making a statement about abortion or teen pregnancies, just a story that focuses on the characters and their lessons learned. Moreover, this script, brilliantly designed by Diablo Cody, is completely unique and unexpected. The dialogue is extremely strong as well as an anything-but-predictable plot which will keep viewers interested to the end.
Supplementing the movie is a great soundtrack – any indie-music lover’s dream – featuring several songs by Kimya Dawson. Apart from the film, the album remains an intriguing mix of interesting songwriting and equally quirky music – which is, however, very reflexive of the film itself.
“Juno” is a perfect example of how movies revolving around nerdy or socially inept characters are bound for success.
Contact Campus Press staff writer Devon Taylor at devon.taylor@colorado.edu
