Juno (2007)

Juno (2007)

Rated: PG-13 for mature thematic material, sexual content and language.
Runtime: 92 mins.
Director: Jason Reitman
Writer: Diablo Cody
Cast: Ellen Page; Michael Cera; Jennifer Garner; Jason Bateman … complete cast
Tagline: A comedy about growing up… and the bumps along the way.
Genre: Comedy
Memorable Quote: “The-the baby? I don’t really know much about it other than, I mean, it has fingernails, allegedly” … more quotes
Release Date: December 25, 2007
Distributor: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Official Site: www.foxsearchlight.com/juno/
View the Trailer: www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/juno/trailer/

By Marcus Eger

Sometimes the most explosive energy comes in the tiniest of packages with the trick being, how to contain it. Well, for the past five years or so, independent films have been nudging their way into Hollywood, sometimes doing so with ease. And during this time, audiences have seen the beauty of filmmaking when money isn’t the #1 priority, the story is. This not only allows you to sit back and appreciate a film more, but it makes you wonder why more producers don’t go this route more often, deciding to sign on the next big popcorn flick instead.  I know many of the quality films I have watched over the past year or so have been indies and some that I will undoubtedly own one day. That doesn’t mean I look the other way when one of my favorite series like Batman unleashes a next installment, it just means that I have come to love indies for what they are and the indisputable vulnerability of its creator and cast most times.  Because make no mistake about it, many stars that sign on to be in one of these low budget pictures are not getting paid their usual salary and even some will forgo their pay, to put more into the film and message it’s trying to tell. For that reason alone, how could you not commend films like Juno for what they are and what they hope to be?

The story here is actually one that is quite simple, and yet carries so much heart when it s all said and done.  It all begins with our title character Juno (Ellen Page), who after jumping her best friend  Bleeker (Michael Cera) one night, finds out she’s pregnant some 4-6 weeks later.  The problem is, she’s only 16-years-old and a junior in high school, but that’s not the biggest concern. For Juno, she just wanted to figure out what to do and do it, with no turning back.  The fact she was pregnant was an issue, one she certainly had never dealt with before, but for a teenager who typically was a little rigid around the edges and often loose with her lips, she could handle it right? I mean, here was a girl who embraced such drama and utter chaos, coming from a broken home and living with a stepmom (Allison Janney) who worshiped dogs; often cutting pictures out of books and magazines, and yet never owning one.  But, after deciding not to give the baby up for abortion, Juno and her parents decided to find a couple who was unable to have kids, one that would love and give her baby the life it deserved. The lucky couple, found right out of her friend Leah’s (Oliva Thirlby) penny saver magazine was Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and Mark (Jason Bateman), a 30-something married duo itching to have a kid of their own.  But, as the two months turned to nine, Juno started to realize this was not as easy as it all sounded initially. And fighting off all the emotion and pain associated with being pregnant, started to break into her fierce exterior that had protected her from the harsh reality of the real world for so long, all leading to an unlikely, yet very fulfilling conclusion.

The cast in Juno is not one that is necessarily unfamiliar, but it’s one that I would say is full of potential given the talent involved. That’s not to say Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman are rookies on the scene, it’s just neither have been given real deep roles in their short careers up to this point. In fact, both are more known for their TV careers than their movie careers, but I hope this film changes some of that as both were great in their roles here.  And the funny thing about the two of them is, they each starred in last year s The Kingdom, a film I felt was one of the 2007’s best.  And even then, both were starting to make that move away from TV, but seeing them here almost out of their element only confirms that each should be given more thought in the future for roles like this and the one in Peter Berg’s political action thriller.  As for Ellen Page, all I can say is wow. This girl can flat out act and she’s a natural, often looking too good in the part making you wonder where you’ve seen her before. The fact is, you haven’t, unless you were among the few that saw her riveting performance in Hard Candy, another indie with endless potential. Here, Page shines every time she gets the chance to and I don’t know if it was the lines given to her, or Page’s timing, but she was perfect in overall delivery and emotion.  And the range she possessed was incredible, going from being the often sarcastic teen, making you laugh, right down to her character coping with the fact she is teenager about to have a baby, which was not only engaging to watch but real on every level.  This is one of those performances that not only catches you off guard, but it stays with you, telling me there might be some gold in Page’s future.  Filling in quite nicely were veteran screen actors J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney, both TV stars in their day and both more than capable of carrying their own, which they did well here.  But, possibly the one guy who will undoubtedly get forgotten from this mix is Michael Cera, who I must say did quite the job as Bleeker. Cera, who starred in last year’s most watched comedy Superbad, shakes off his comedic skills for a moment and catches you with some gripping drama, some of which that is hard not to like.

Not many times do you go to the movies and get swept off your feet with mind-numbing dialogue, but that’s exactly what happened with Juno. Not only is the cast brilliant and refreshing, the script was almost flawless, bursting with energy and validity, which actually isn’t that uncommon for an indie. The fact is, indies are made for next to nothing, so if you don’t have an edge with acting, you certainly better have it with writing. Juno had both and at no point does one outweigh another, but if there could ever be one reason why this film shined, it would be the writing penned by newcomer Diablo Cody. And to think, this is the first we have seen of Cody and this is how she breaks onto the scene.  That’s impressive, and as you watch this film, you can tell there’s just something unique and fresh about it. The script floated right onto the big screen with ease, allowing each character to come to life in a way that you can’t help but love.  Cody wasn’t alone though, as director Jason Reitman also did his part, consistently taking Cody’s own words and making sure his camera was in the right spot at the right time. That may seem easy and with a script like this, how hard can it be to direct, but there’s still work to be done to ensure each and every moment of emotion is felt and endured.  And certainly Reitman got it and understood what Cody was feeling when she wrote this screenplay, as its originality and taste could only come from a woman whose past is anything but boring.  Add a gripping soundtrack that dose more than keep you involved and this becomes a admirable sleeper this award season.

Some films just find a way to grab you when you least expect it and Juno does that, but does so with ease making you dream for more like it.  And considering there wasn’t a whole of experience behind this film, that’s quite surprising. But, that’s the truth of Juno and how it manages to make you laugh and warm your heart at the same time, making it a clear-cut winner in my eyes this award season and one that everyone should experience.

Marcus Eger