Juno
JUNO: SMART AND HONEST
Juno isn’t an after school special about teenage pregnancy. With screenwriter Diablo Cody being a former stripper, she has seen the hard knocks of life. The film has witty dialogue with its teen cast being smarter than they are usually given credit for. It doesn’t encourage teen pregnancy but realizes it’s a fact of life. Ellen Page is a knockout as the wise beyond her years knocked up sixteen year old.
Juno (Ellen Page) has just found out she is pregnant. She had sex with her best friend Paulie Bleeker (Superbad’s Michael Cera). She won’t have an abortion. So she decides to find a loving couple to give the baby to. She comes across Mark (Jason Bateman) and Vanessa Loring (Jennifer Garner) in her local Pennysaver. She meets them and decides to give them the baby. She develops a relationship with them. She deals with adult situations and grows up throughout the term of her pregnancy.
The story is sweet but doesn’t sugarcoat the pregnancy. Juno is mature enough to know she can’t handle being a mom. But she is also a sixteen year old who doesn’t know how to deal with all the emotions she is going through. Her parents handle the pregnancy surprisingly good. You wonder if there are any real life parents who would handle it as well. The dialogue starts off reminiscent of Dawson Creek but eventually checks itself and tones it down. Ellen Page plays the role of Juno as if she was born to do nothing else. Michael Cera plays Juno’s baby daddy as a confused teen who just wants to love her. He has a hurt puppy look most of the film but it is endearing. Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner are realistic as the couple who want a baby of their own. One constant in the film is Paulie’s track team running together throughout the four seasons of the film. The film was shot in British Columbia. Life changes for all as the seasons change.
One after school TV special is Juno’s heart to heart with her dad towards the end of the movie. Again, you wonder if a real life father in that situation would handle it as well.
Ellen Page’s Juno is hilarious and smart. She doesn’t beat around the bush or mince her words. She is down to earth and strong. This is a great story about a teenager on an emotional rollercoaster after she becomes pregnant and has to handle it like an adult.
Report Card:
Story-A-
Acting-A
Visuals-A
Originality/Innovation-A
Enjoyability Grade–A
Overall Grade-A
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