Juno is an irreverent comedy about a brazen and colourful teenage girl who finds herself pregnant by her awkward and indecisive best friend.. When she decides to have the baby but plans to give it up for adoption, she meets the Lorings - a seemingly perfect couple desperate to have a child.. The unusual relationship that develops between them makes for a touching and funny story about how one choice can change everything..

Rated: [ M ] Teenage Pregnancy Theme, Coarse

Cinema release: 17th January 2008

Running time: 96 minutes

Stars: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner

After a half a dozen shorts, and only his sophomore feature film under his belt, Director Jason Reitman is arguably superior, or at least on par with his father Ivan.. Following Jason’s hilarious debut with the adaptation of the satire Thank You For Smoking, he has proven himself to be one of the most promising young filmmakers in recent memory.. With Juno, a match made in Heaven was formed when screenwriter Diablo Cody handed him one of the wittiest and most poignant scripts of the year.. It was the perfect dramedy for Reitman to tackle, one that was meaningful, yet acerbic in nature.. The result was an independent comedy jewel..

Juno is not only the best film of the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival, but it’s also the best movie of the year ( So far )..

Hailed as the Little Miss Sunshine of 2008, Juno is a quirky comedy - drama about a self - assured teen confronted by an unplanned pregnancy to her best friend and admirer..

Although one would expect a film that tackles unplanned teenage pregnancies to be rather serious and melodramatic, Juno is surprisingly hilarious thanks to some very witty dialogue..

The film follows 16 - year - old Juno MacGuff ( Ellen Page ) and her determination to do the right thing when she discovers she is pregnant to her best friend Bleeker ( Michael Cera ).. After weighing up the options and revealing the news to her unsuspecting father and friends, Juno decides to give her baby up for adoption.. She sees an ad in the local paper for a couple looking to adopt: enter Mark ( Jason Bateman ) and Vanessa Loring ( Jennifer Garner ), the baby’s potential adoptive parents..

Now that the buzz for Juno has progressively acquired strength and size, and has consequently moved its way up the weekly top 10 box office, more people have had the opportunity to judge it.. Since the main praise thus far has been for Diablo Cody’s script; that has also been the facet that has come under the heaviest fire.. It is hilarious that some are making the claim that this wanted to be a Wes Anderson picture.. Really? I would ask those if they had actually seen a Wes Anderson film because Juno has nowhere near the amount of deadpan humor or unnecessary quirks that his catalogue contains.. People are bashing the slang, and furthermore over exaggerating the quantity of it.. Yes, Juno unleashes a bunch of one-liners, and if you perceive this to be “ trying to hard ” or “ self - indulgent ” then maybe you have not met enough women.. This is not a smug screenplay, but a confident one.. Do not mix up the two.. It was written about a unique female heroine who is quick with the comebacks, but pure at heart.. Odd that no one criticizes filmmakers like Kevin Smith or the Coens ( Among others ) for the same type of thing..

Another word that is tossed around entirely too much these days, especially with regard it independent films, is ” pretentious ” or “ contrived..” Girls like Juno do exist.. No, not everyone talks like she does, but does that then make it contrived? She is supposed to be different.. That is the point.. Not every girl on Earth is the stereotypical clueless version viewers are normally plagued with in theatrical releases.. Cody’s masterful dialogue is sharp and gutsy in its display of females.. There is nothing wrong with that.. If it is pretentious, then it should be referred to as such without negative connotations.. It is pretentious in a marvelously anti - girly girl way.. Regardless, Juno’s character arc goes from this smart - mouthed tomboy to a sincere and enjoyably eccentric woman at the doorstep to adulthood.. In similar, yet opposite fashion, Bateman and Garner experience arcs in their own right.. The assessment of Vanessa changes gradually from obsessive and obnoxious to heartfelt and earnest, while Mark’s goes from cool and relaxed to almost immature..

Certain moviegoers are mistaking some of the charm for quirks, while others are labeling the jokes as forced when in fact they are casually integrated into the speech patterns.. I can see how some might confuse these because it is rare to meet a whiplash of a leading lady like Juno, written by a former stripper named Brooke Busey - Hunt ( Diablo Cody )..

Nobody better than Jason Reitman could have fleshed out what Diablo Cody had in mind with her Juno world.. Reitman’s sense of timing is absolutely extraordinary.. Every single sequence is substantial and crucial to the outcome.. There is no superfluous material at all.. Even though Reitman’s picture was the third of 2007 to revolve around a pregnancy, he still unveils Juno to have an identity all of its own, and that is credit to Cody as well for making sure none of the jokes echoed Knocked Up or Waitress.. He and his crew of Monique Prudhomme’s colorful costume design, Eric Steelberg’s wholesome cinematography, Steve Saklad’s production design, in addition to the exemplary art direction and set decoration, all merit respect.. It all slides into position like pieces of a puzzle, and the final product would not have been as special if one of the pieces was missing..

Of all the unforgettable lines, scenes, and small idiosyncrasies, the best moment for me was watching Paulie run from the track to the hospital.. Seeing him stand in the doorway was stirring on an indescribable level.. I must also mention though: Rainn Wilson’s brief appearance, Juno’s slinky shirt, chugging Sunny - D, Paulie Bleeker’s head and wrist bands, conversations about Herschell Gordon Lewis, Mark’s fascination with Sonic Youth, and one of the greatest lines in the past decade spoken by our little Juno, ” He is the cheese to my macaroni..”

It is possible to have too much of a good thing, and while I’m all for filmmakers being proud of their work, sometimes they need to tone down the self - adoration and ask themselves if what they’re doing services the greater good of the movie.. These are problems that plague Juno - a funny flick that manages to pull itself into a great movie, despite going over the top with its humor from time to time..

The seemingly picture - perfect couple, Vanessa - an uptight woman desperate to be a mother - and Mark - a man trapped in the routine of domesticity who craves a return to his fun - filled youth - provide an endearing contrast to Juno’s sarcastic and casual manner.. It is through the introduction of Vanessa and Mark’s characters that this movie truly evolves; rather than the self - assured, mature - beyond - her - years Juno, we begin to see the true naivety of her young character, as well as the cracks in Vanessa and Mark’s ” perfect ” marriage..

Juno ( Named after the Roman goddess of women and childbirth ) is a clever, sincere and irresistible coming - of - age story that deals with teenage pregnancy, its consequences and the complexities of human relationships.. With the help of some funky indie rock tunes, the very talented Page and sharp, witty dialogue, this is a sensationally funny and very satisfying film to watch..

It’s funny how a story with the same basic concept of Knocked Up, can result in such a very different film.. Juno is more about the girl’s journey to find herself, which women may find more relatable.. Juno is a more multi - dimensional story..

But Juno is not one of those movies that only critics or hardcore film geeks could love, it has a huge mainstream potential.. I believe that Juno will be the Little Miss Sunshine of 2008.. I give Juno 4.5 out of 5..