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Mack at the Movies: Juno
Directed by Jason Reitman
Starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman
Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, sexual content and language.
"Juno" is the sort of movie that just works. Period. A quirky indie comedy about a young high school outcast named Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) who becomes pregnant with the child of her long-time friend, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera).
"Juno" certainly contains some controversial elements. Teenaged sex and pregnancy, abortion, reactions by both parents and peers...the film touches upon these topics with both a sense of humor and the seriousness such issues deserve. This creates many a moment when you're finding yourself laughing, then realizing simultaneously that what you're laughing at is pretty heavy stuff.
Director Jason Reitman ("Thank You for Smoking") could have easily made the movie either too flippant or too serious. But somehow, through a surprisingly touching story and incredible performances by his cast, he succeeds in creating, if nothing else, a great romantic comedy.
After discovering she's pregnant, Juno eventually decides to give her baby up for adoption to a wealthy married couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman), and starts visiting them regularly, developing personal relationships with both of them. As Juno's pregnancy nears the nine month mark, she begins looking to the couple, her parents and especially Paulie for support.
I leave the rest for you to discover; there are several truly surprising developments in the plot, some depressing, some poignant. The humor relies on the dramatic backdrop of Juno's situation, but somehow, it works, because of the strong acting.
Page is perfect, playing her character with both sarcasm and vulnerability. She's a relatively unknown actress, perhaps best known for playing Kitty Pryde in X-Men: the Last Stand. But Page is at the top of her game here, and is definitely worthy of an Oscar nomination.
The rest of the cast is just as strong. Cera (who wears a ludicrous track-running uniform for most of the movie and somehow keeps a straight face), Garner and Bateman are all good at creating audience sympathy for their characters. Allison Janney and J.K. Simmons, who play Juno's step-mother and father, respectively, are both hysterical, as is Olivia Thirlby, who plays Juno's best friend.
Juno isn't perfect. Page narrates the movie for a good chunk of the first half, but suddenly just stops. She also has a monologue or two that just seem out of place.
Also, I feel like I've heard the film's music countless times before in other independent comedies. I think there's one group that creates music for all of these movies, like "Thumbsucker," "Napoleon Dynamite," and every movie Wes Anderson has ever directed. The final song is really good, but the rest is forgettable at best, and outright distracting at worst.
If you have no problem with the controversial subject matter, "Juno" is an awesome movie. It isn't preachy about teenage pregnancy or abortion; it simply presents a situation countless Americans have experienced, and ends up making it funny.
Score: 9.5/10
Posted by
Brian McCarthy
Starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman
Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, sexual content and language.
"Juno" is the sort of movie that just works. Period. A quirky indie comedy about a young high school outcast named Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) who becomes pregnant with the child of her long-time friend, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera).
"Juno" certainly contains some controversial elements. Teenaged sex and pregnancy, abortion, reactions by both parents and peers...the film touches upon these topics with both a sense of humor and the seriousness such issues deserve. This creates many a moment when you're finding yourself laughing, then realizing simultaneously that what you're laughing at is pretty heavy stuff.
Director Jason Reitman ("Thank You for Smoking") could have easily made the movie either too flippant or too serious. But somehow, through a surprisingly touching story and incredible performances by his cast, he succeeds in creating, if nothing else, a great romantic comedy.
After discovering she's pregnant, Juno eventually decides to give her baby up for adoption to a wealthy married couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman), and starts visiting them regularly, developing personal relationships with both of them. As Juno's pregnancy nears the nine month mark, she begins looking to the couple, her parents and especially Paulie for support.
I leave the rest for you to discover; there are several truly surprising developments in the plot, some depressing, some poignant. The humor relies on the dramatic backdrop of Juno's situation, but somehow, it works, because of the strong acting.
Page is perfect, playing her character with both sarcasm and vulnerability. She's a relatively unknown actress, perhaps best known for playing Kitty Pryde in X-Men: the Last Stand. But Page is at the top of her game here, and is definitely worthy of an Oscar nomination.
The rest of the cast is just as strong. Cera (who wears a ludicrous track-running uniform for most of the movie and somehow keeps a straight face), Garner and Bateman are all good at creating audience sympathy for their characters. Allison Janney and J.K. Simmons, who play Juno's step-mother and father, respectively, are both hysterical, as is Olivia Thirlby, who plays Juno's best friend.
Juno isn't perfect. Page narrates the movie for a good chunk of the first half, but suddenly just stops. She also has a monologue or two that just seem out of place.
Also, I feel like I've heard the film's music countless times before in other independent comedies. I think there's one group that creates music for all of these movies, like "Thumbsucker," "Napoleon Dynamite," and every movie Wes Anderson has ever directed. The final song is really good, but the rest is forgettable at best, and outright distracting at worst.
If you have no problem with the controversial subject matter, "Juno" is an awesome movie. It isn't preachy about teenage pregnancy or abortion; it simply presents a situation countless Americans have experienced, and ends up making it funny.
Score: 9.5/10
Posted by
Brian McCarthy
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