By the time I made it to the theater to see Juno with my family on Christmas, I was already a little tired of hearing about it. The outpouring of critical praise began after initial screenings at festivals and exploded after the movie was released. In these kinds of situations, it’s hard to not see the response as a whole lot of Hollywood hype, and I walked into the theater ready to be let down.
The good news is that the movie is smart, sweet, appealing and full of all the warm fuzzy feelings you want during the holiday season, but with a healthy enough dose of wit and snark to keep it from drifting into Hallmark Hall of Fame territory. It’s the first script by screenwriter Diablo Cody, who has turned into something of a phenomenon herself thanks to the praise heaped on the film (her punk hairstyle, unusual pen name, and pedigree as an exotic dancer certainly haven’t hurt her mystique). It doesn’t quite live up to the accolades that have been bestowed upon it, but in some ways the levels of praise aren’t really appropriate for what is really a small, thoughtful coming-of-age story that asks what it really means to grow up.
Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page), a bright and quirky high school junior who’s a little too smart for her own good, finds out that a fling with gawky track star Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera, from Arrested Development and Superbad) has gotten her pregnant. After breaking the tough news to her dad and stepmom (J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney) and deciding she doesn’t have it in her to terminate the pregnancy, she takes it upon herself to find suitable adoptive parents. An ad in the PennySaver leads her to Vanessa Loring (Jennifer Garner), a high strung Type A desperate-to-be-a-mom, and her husband Mark (Jason Bateman), an aging hipster unwilling to fully let go of Sonic Youth and splatter movies and step into adulthood. The movie details the struggles that each character goes through as they try to sort through what they’re ready for and what they can’t yet face as Juno gets closer and closer to giving birth.
Juno made me nervous in the first twenty minutes, because at first it’s just a little too precious for its own good. The dialogue seems a bit too snappy, the quirks forced, and the characters’ choices unrealistic – we’ve seen this sort of thing before in a lot of so-so indie movies. But at a certain point, things changed, and I realized that the movie was really getting to me. Slowly, you realize that Juno doesn’t really know as much as she thinks she does, that maybe the Lorings aren’t quite as together as they pretend to be, and all of the characters and their choices are a bit more tentative and complex than they first seemed to be. Though some of the dialogue and plot points still feel a bit contrived, the cast really steps up – in less capable hands the movie could have failed, but it works thanks to standout performances by all of the actors, particularly Page (who should get an Oscar nomination for her performance). The end is unrelentingly sentimental, but I couldn’t help but give in and appreciate the movie for what it is – a sweet and gentle story about what it means to grow up that boasts a smart script and a superb cast.
What did you think of the movie?
after reading this review, i think i might go see this movie..
[1] Posted by: whazza | December 31st, 2007 at 1:38 amlol i jst hope that what happens to her doesn’t happen to me! Lol..
it sounds like a good movie…i might just go see it
[2] Posted by: spartan5611 | January 1st, 2008 at 3:33 amit was a pretty good movie, i thought
juno is witty and the end isn’t one of those typical hollywood movies where everything ends up perfect. sure, it’s a sweet ending but for vanessa, it’s bittersweet. also the music isn’t mainstream, and i like that for movies
[3] Posted by: mogadude | January 6th, 2008 at 6:20 pmI saw this movie yesterday and i think it was the most amazing movie I have seen in a looooooooooooooooooooooooooong time! I love Juno and I wish she was a real person!!!!!! She is funny and caring and I think more people should go see it!!!
[4] Posted by: bananaramabobana | January 7th, 2008 at 11:56 amWell good review but if you want my opinion it deserves the accolades
Juno is a wicked movie…a must see for sure 
[5] Posted by: Hughberto_35 | January 13th, 2008 at 7:43 pmI saw it and I liked the movie. It was cute but everything in the pregnancy seemed to come so easy to her. I was a bit worried about the message it was sending out to younger girls. Other than that, the movie was great.
[6] Posted by: nofx009 | January 15th, 2008 at 2:03 pmHands down the best movie I’ve seen in 2007, and I’m not just saying that. It was hilarious, with great twists. The dialogue was incredibly natural, and Ellen Page should have won that Golden Globe for her spectacular performance. I’ve already seen it twice in theaters and I plan to go back for more
[7] Posted by: mitsukan | January 16th, 2008 at 8:35 pmFinally saw this great movie and it was definitely worth the wait. I really enjoyed the sarcasm and the great dialogue. I really, really love Juno. Two thumbs way up and all that jazz.
[8] Posted by: theJamexican | January 31st, 2008 at 9:23 pmJuno is a fresh movie with witty dialogue and a great cast. the bittersweet ending was very captivating. i was a little worried about how it seemed to take a nonchalant stand on teen pregnancy. but i’ve decided that all movies shouldn’t be a political statement, and i think the end really illustrated how hard teen pregnancy can be. the number of teen pregnancies in the US are ridiculous and hopefully this movie will inspire teens, who do get pregnant young, to consider adoption.
[9] Posted by: goodies4jessie | February 5th, 2008 at 9:14 pmI loved the movie juno. I need to get a hamburger phone now. It is the best movie that i have ever saw. I am going to by the dvd when it comes out.
[10] Posted by: boolooned2 | February 19th, 2008 at 9:11 pmThis is a GREAT movie. I’ve seen it 3 times because I love it so much. Yah, her pregnancy did come a bit to easy for her, and I don’t think the message is good for other young teens like myself [I’m only 15] either…but other than that this movie was amazing. It definitely kept my interest. Me and my firends were laughing the whole time. It’s a great movie choice and I’m definitely buying it when it comes out on DVD.
Hope this helps.
[11] Posted by: Stucy1992 | February 21st, 2008 at 10:20 amI seen this movie the other day, i thought it was good, but it could have been funnier…
[12] Posted by: JJoles | February 26th, 2008 at 2:56 pmIts a good movie to see with your mom hahaha!
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[13] Posted by: Chelsy01 | February 28th, 2008 at 12:39 pmLoved this movie. Page’s character was completely believable, and down to earth as the regular teen. Juno’s wit, humour, and sarcasm make the film uproariously funny. You’re laughing once it starts, and you’re laughing when it ends (for weeks after, even).
Great movie. Touching, hilarious, and smart.
“It all started…with a chair.”
[14] Posted by: AkaiHime | March 7th, 2008 at 3:37 amI heard this movie was emotional….
[15] Posted by: Chelsy01 | March 11th, 2008 at 11:37 amI found this movie relatively disappointing. I do admit it was cute and funny, and the cast was pretty good. However, I did not appreciate how the movie was encouraging the fact that a teenager can get knocked up, have the baby and be happy. If it were protesting that idea, it would have been a much better movie. But, hey, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.
[16] Posted by: Sweeney6067 | March 15th, 2008 at 1:37 pmiluved the movie part of it was sad other then that it was good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[17] Posted by: 15sexyandhot | April 23rd, 2008 at 9:25 amIt was really good made me think about teens and them wanting to get pregnant I hope teens nowadays see this and think twice about it
[18] Posted by: jiznut | April 23rd, 2008 at 4:10 pm