Juno (Single-Disc Edition) Reviews

• A Complex Tale Told with Humor, Tenderness, and Simplicity

  
  By A328S9RN3U5M68 on 2008-04-17
  Teenage pregnancy is frequently a starting point for myriad philosophical arguments: some see it as a major problem, some see it as an argument for the need of early teaching of contraceptive technique and sex education, some see it as a reason for championing abortion, and some see it as a piece of life that confronts families in both positive and negative ways. JUNO is a beautifully written (Diablo Cody) and directed (Jason Reitman) version of unplanned pregnancy offered by a splendid ensemble cast: it is a movie that could modify the sociologic outlook of many people in a very strong fashion.
  
  Juno (Ellen Page) is sixteen and talks her best friend Bleek (Michael Cera) into having sex: the result is a surprise pregnancy that Juno shares with her girlfriend Leah (Olivia Thirley) and the store clerk Rollo (Rainn Wilson) even before informing Bleek, a likable kid who seems fairly flat about the situation. After discarding abortion as a viable solution, Juno informs her father (JK Simmons) and stepmother (Allison Janney) of her status, and tells them she is going to complete the pregnancy and give the baby to some loving and needy barren couple. Her parents are at first flustered by the news, but quickly become supportive in a way that tells us many things about the durability of successful families. With Leah's help, Juno answers an ad for 'wanted: baby' in PennySaver and visits the Lorings (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) who desperately want a child and embrace Juno's gesture of adoption with eager excitement. The remainder of the film follows Juno as her abdomen increases in girth, finding new respect for her parents and for Bleek, and inadvertently walking in the troubled waters of the Loring's marital discord. Without giving the story away, the ending is so tender and free of cliché that it allows us, the audience, to appreciate all the vigor and sensitivity and humor and warmth of Juno - an example of developing maturity that is a fresh breeze compared to the usual teenage movies.
  
  Ellen Page does indeed deliver a pitch perfect performance, but her co-stars are equally fine: Simmons and Janney break away from their usual type cast roles brilliantly, and the other members of the cast (the entire cast) flesh out this well written story with great skill. The mixture of animated graphics and the imaginative musical score enhance the flavor of the tale. JUNO offers an unbiased look at the topic of teenage pregnancy and wins on every level. Grady Harp, April 08
  
  

• This is one doodle that can't be un-did

  
  By A3AVJCB1ZD6ZY5 on 2008-01-01
  Her parents didn't see it coming. They were hoping she'd been expelled, into hard drugs, anything but pregnant.
  
  Well, Juno (Ellen Page) was hoping that, too. It took 3 pregnancy tests to convince her.
  
  Juno tried the abortion clinic first, but couldn't go through with it. Her friend Leah (Olivia Thirlby) convinces her to check out the Penny Saver for adoptive parents--or as she puts it couples 'desperately seeking spawn.'
  
  She finds Mark (Jason Bateman) and Vanessa (Jennifer Garner), who seem to be the ideal couple. Vanessa has always wanted to be a Mom--and Juno and Mark have so much in common.
  
  "Juno" takes us through a year of young Juno's life, including her relations with the father of her baby and her best friend, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera), school, and the pregnancy and aftermath.
  
  The film takes you on the gamut of emotions, but leaves you feeling good. I saw this film with my husband, who loved "Juno" as much as I did. We'll probably end up buying this DVD, because it's well worth another watch.
  
  Warnings:
  
  Some mature subject themes may not be suitable for really young kids, but I'd definitely take my young adults to this film.
  
  
  
  
  

• It started in a chair

  
  By A1D2C0WDCSHUWZ on 2008-02-25
  
  Let's face it -- teen pregnancy is an ongoing problem, and is not something admirable or funny. But I have to admit, the way you handle it can be.
  
  That seems to be the goal of "Juno," a relentlessly quirky, cracking-wise little comedy about a girl who makes a dumb mistake, and the smart decisions she has to make after that. While it initially seems rather precious, the Wes Andersonesque scriptings hide a bittersweet, warm little story about responsibility and love.
  
  After a lot of Sunny D and three pregnancy tests, Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) comes to the inevitable conclusion: she's pregnant by her friend Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera).
  
  Because she "heard in health class that pregnancy often results in an infant," Juno initially goes in for an abortion, but ends up running out of the clinic. Instead, she's going to have the baby and give it to someone who wants one, but can't have it. So she reluctantly fesses up to her parents, and starts scouting ads for suitably (if unedgy) parents for her baby -- the wealthy Mark (Jason Bateman) and Vanessa (Jennifer Garner).
  
  Mark and Juno form a bond over their shared tastes, but she starts to suspect that not all is well in Yuppieland -- especially when Mark decides to break up with Vanessa, because fatherhood would force him to be a grown-up, not a rock god. As her due date approaches, Juno must decide what is best for herself, Vanessa, the baby... and just maybe, the adoring Paulie.
  
  Recliners on the lawn, cactus-grams, guitars with names and "The Wizard of Gore" -- it's pretty obvious that "Juno" will win prizes for kooky quirk, if nothing else. It certainly has that in spades, and while it has some awkwardly scripted moments, the colourful and acerbic portrait of a teenage girl having to make some heavy adult decisions is definitely a winning one.
  
  Admittedly, "Juno" is a bit too precious in the first few scenes, when we have a weird store clerk saying things like "Your eggo is preggo" and getting replies like "Silencio!" Come on, loosen up and stop trying to be cooler-than-thou.
  
  But as the pregnancy storyline really kicks in, "Juno" settles into a storyline that is equal parts quirky-funny and touching. Jason Reitman flavours the whole plot with his snappy, clever direction with plenty of acid-laced voiceovers from Juno, on the world around her. And Diablo Cody's dialogue ranges from deliciously sharp ("I'm not crying, I'm just allergic to fine home furnishing") to entertainingly over-the-top ("Phuket, Thailand!").
  
  But as witty and quirky as the plot is, it wouldn't be much if it didn't also have a heart. As the movie winds on, we get to see Juno maturing -- learning to weigh coolness vs. maturity, appreciate her family, and what is right for her baby and the Lorings -- the scene where Juno helps an upset Vanessa talk to her baby is adorable. Not to mention that our pregnant heroine has to figure out whether true love is staring her in the face.
  
  Ellen Page gives a note-perfect performance -- her Juno is funny, sassy, wise beyond her years, and profoundly unconventional ("Thundercats are go!"). Cera is equally good in a more subdued, lovably dorky role; it's pretty hard not to love Paulie just for being himself. And Garner and Bateman are wonderful too, as an uptight, lonely woman who desperately wants a baby, and a Peter Pan type who doesn't want to act like a grown-up. Bleah, who needs him?
  
  "Juno" has its flaws -- moments of excessive preciousness -- but it has plenty of heart, wicked dialogue, and excellent acting. Call it a Cautionary Whale.
  
  

• ..and baby makes two

  
  By A37PV5GMP2ILJC on 2008-01-20
  Short Attention Span Summary (SASS)
  
  1. When it comes to pregnancy tests, it takes three hits to convince Juno (Ellen Page) that her base is loaded after just one innings
  2. After visiting a clinic, she decides to walk instead of take the hit
  3. I don't know enough about baseball to continue this train of thought
  4. Her father and stepmother (J K Simmons & Allison Janney) are amazingly calm and understanding after the initial shock, and are supportive of her decision to give the baby up for adoption.
  5. Mark & Vanessa Loring (Jason Bateman & Jennifer Garner) take out an ad in a local community publication (complete with photograph) desperately seeking offspring.
  6. Juno and her dad check out the Lorings and find them to be acceptable, even though Vanessa's windings are on the tight side.
  7. Father of the baby (Michael Cera) goes along with whatever, and is the most un-jock-like looking jock you'll ever see.
  8. Big product placement shots for Sunny D and Tic Tacs (both orange)
  9. Ellen Page and Allison Janney are excellent, and the others aren't bad either
  10. Funny, bittersweet, human comedy-drama entertains from beginning to end, well supported by quirky indie-pop/rock soundtrack.
  
  This movie manages to avoid being preachy or judgmental over issues like teenage pregnancy, choice, or adoption, but gets the message across in a way that most people will find acceptable. Ultimately, this is a smart movie about relationships and the people that make them work, or not.
  
  
  
  Amanda Richards, January 20, 2008
  
  
  

• Being a sassy pregnant teenager is soooo cool!

  
  By A2FX7PLXZ5OWQ on 2008-02-21
  This movie has so many aspects working against it, that it boggles my mind as to why everyone seems to love it so much. The dialog was absolutely ridiculous and most of Juno's "witticisms" sounded like stuff a 30 year-old woman WISHED she would have said as a teenager. The character of Juno herself was terribly obnoxious and everything about her character came across as trying way too hard to be sassy, hip and cool. But there's really nothing sasssy, hip and cool about having unprotected sex because you're bored and then being surprised to find yourself pregnant! And therein lies the biggest problem of the movie: It is an extremely unrealistic and almost romanticized view of teenage pregnancy. Juno herself never seems that worried or upset to find herself pregnant, her parents certainly don't react to her pregnancy the way most parents would (with utterances of shock and disappointment), and her realtionship with the baby's father....well, I won't spoil it for those who haven't seen it, but it's just ridiculous. How many teenage pregnancies end up that way, with everything neat and tidy and with everyone happy? This movie makes it all seem not only easy, but "cool" as well. Is that really the sort of message we should be imparting to teenagers? That a pregancy is just nine months of mild emotional and physical discomfort followed by sunshine, rainbows and cooing sappy love songs to your faithful boyfriend with an acoustic guitar?
  
  I hope not.
  
  
• That's a lot of Sunny D!
  By A2CRIEA7FXEFST on 2008-03-23
  Besides the Coen Brothers' No Country for Old Men and Ang Lee's Lust, Caution, the film that I heard the most about last year and pouring into this year was Jason Reitman's Juno. For a short duration of time, it became the hip film to watch, and praise was spreading like wildfire across the Internet and college campuses, however, as these things go, as the film gained popularity, the film gained quite a number of detractors. I honestly could not tell if the film was gaining criticism because it was not as great as the ballyhoo of the masses was making it out to be or if it was being criticized because it had become such a popular film and had "loss" its indie cred. Therefore, when the film came to my local indie theater/bar/restaurant, my companion to the film had a large beer within the theater, I decided to check out the film. My reaction: cute...but definitely not the best thing ever.
  
  With so many others already having written a plot synopsis of the film I won't elaborate too much here on the story. The story centers on a Juno MacGuff, a precocious, sharp-tongued high school student who after her one and only sexual foray with the meek, geeky Paulie Bleeker finds herself pregnant. Almost instantaneously after finding out that she is pregnant; she decides to have an abortion, but partially because she runs into a classmate named Su-chin protesting in front of the abortion clinic, "All babies want to get borned!," and learned that her baby has fingernails, she decides to give the baby up for adoption. In the classifieds, next to a section concerning parakeets, she finds a couple looking for a baby: Vanessa and Mark Loring. With her gruff, but supportive, heating and air conditioning repairman father in tow, Juno meets Vanessa and Mark in their rich, yuppie neighborhood. Juno likes Mark because he is a musician, although he writes commercial jingles instead of the Seattle grunge scene music he once aspired to, and is tolerant of Vanessa who seems to have a good heart despite being a bit high strung, so she seems to be pretty set to give the baby to the couple, however, are things ever that simple?
  
  I must be honest and say that I was prepared to dislike the film, and at first I did. The dialogue was quite artificial, ala Kevin Smith, and seemed to be trying too hard at some points. Also, the name dropping was quite prevalent, Thurston Moore, Dario Argento, etc., was a bit too thick and seemed to smack of "oh, look how indie we are, hur, hur," but as the film continued, I was drawn into it and came to enjoy it for what, in my opinion, it was: a cute movie that does tackle some heavy issues. Also, the film does have a good soundtrack, and I am glad that it introduced me to the anti-folk musician Kimya Dawson.
  
  
• Wondering what "...with digital copy" means?
  By A10G4BPT5MGBHY on 2008-03-01
  It means the bonus disc includes a digital copy of the film that can be automatically downloaded to a laptop or iPod. Seems obvious after you know it, huh? The second disc also includes some extra bonus features not on the single-disc DVD -- four featurettes titled "Way Beyond 'Our' Maturity Level: Juno - Leah - Bleeker," "Diablo Cody Is Totally Boss," "Jason Reitman For Shizz" and "Honest To Blog! Creating Juno."
  
  
• Juno - Surprising, Well Executed, Worth the Hype, Get it!!!!
  By A17BUUBOU0598B on 2007-12-30
  
  Juno is a great movie that has gotten a lot of hype, and deserves it ALL!!! Yes, it's about a high school girl who gets pregnant. But don't get confused, this movie is not so easily classified. It's not an after school special. It's not "pro" or "anti" anything. It's just a really well written and well executed film about a unique girl dealing with an all too common situation.
  
  There's a lot of plot elements to explore. How will her friends and family react? What will she do? How will the experience change her? No spoilers here: watch the movie and see it unfold. :)
  
  First things first. Everybody can't love every movie. Some will under-rate this movie just because it has been SOOOOO hyped. Believe me, I understand. All I can say is this: see the movie twice, THEN make up your own mind.
  
  The way that mainstream movies get made, it's hard to have a script survive the teams of experts who want to appeal to this and that audience. I could only detect a handful of planted lines. The writing is SUPERB and very well presented with front to back execution - directing, acting, editing. The dialogue is funny and original, like a much more literate Pulp Fiction. That's what makes this movie special. It has SOOO much going for it. Diablo Cody has opened my eyes, and I'm anxiously awaiting her new project currently in pre-production, "The United States of Tara."
  
  The acting of Ellen Page really is TOP NOTCH. Is it Oscar worthy? YES! Without a doubt. If Julia Roberts can win for Erin Brokovich, they should give Ellen Page her Oscar RIGHT NOW. Once again, some will say it's overhyped. Some only think that top notch acting occurs when characters are dying or demented. I say real acting is good acting. I walked into a screening before I saw a single review. I watched the movie twice to confirm it - this performance needs to be seen and studied.
  
  The cast is chock full of big names who do very well in some good roles. Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, and Michael Cera all have good performances. But Ellen Page IS this movie. She steals every scene, hits every mark and nails every line.
  
  And of course, the music ROCKS! Those who are into indie rock, alternative and punk rock will recognize most of the music here. Those who aren't will want to buy the soundtrack, because this is a great introduction. There is a great mix of new and old, from Velvet Underground and the Kinks to Cat Power and Kimya Dawson. The songs are used well and you will find at least one new favorite if you don't know this music already.
  Juno
  
  The camera work is also very good. High quality camera and film equipment has either dropped in price by a lot, or films like this are finally starting to get decent budgets. Either way, this is not epic filming, but it is flawless and effective. Good directing by Jason Reitman is no surprise to me.
  
  Now here's the hard question with 2 honest answers: Is this a movie best seen in theatres, or can it "wait" for DVD?
  Answer #1: There's no special effects that make the movie visually different when seen in a theatre. So some might say wait. Still, it was worth it for me just to see how the crowd reacted to Juno's phrases, the music, everything. So that's an honest, qualified YES.
  Answer #2: This is really the best overall movie I've seen in a LONG time. I saw it twice in the theatre. If you like really good movies, and good acting, SEE IT NOW. YES, it's definitely worth seeing sooner than later. You will still want to buy the DVD if you're like me.
  
  I really hope you'll check this one out. This is something special.
  
  Enjoy!!!
  
  
• "I don't see what anyone else can see in anyone else..."
  By A2NJO6YE954DBH on 2008-01-02
  In the past month our local theater chain (we have but one in the Zenith City) has started listed "Critic's Choice" movies in their theater listing. The only two movies selected for such an accolade at the present time were the Coen Brothers' "No Country for Old Men" and "Juno." I have already told you everything I know about the former, but of the latter I had heard nothing. However, Roger Ebert's review of "Juno" appeared in the paper, and after scanning the first two paragraphs, where he calls it "just about the best movie of the year" and raves about Ellen Page's performance, I decided I wanted to see the movie. The accompanying photograph showed Page running down the stairs in front of her house in between Allison Janney and J.K. Simmmons. Recognizing the cast was enough to confirm my decision and I did not bother to read the caption for the photograph or the rest of the review. Consequently, I sat in the theater today to watch "Juno" without any idea of what it was about and I hope that some of you are fortunate enough to have the same experience because with all the time you know what a movie is supposed to be about and you are bitterly disappointed, being pleasantly surprised and falling in love with a movie is pretty sweet.
  
  So I am not going to say anything about what the movie is about, although as a teaching of Classical Greek & Roman Mythology I feel compelled to point out that Juno is the wife of Jupiter in Roman mythology and not in Greek mythology, where she is called Hera (Juno is a much better name for the lead character in this movie). I am going to say that first time writer Diablo Cody should win the Oscar for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen on the basis of his dialogue in this movie. At first I was thinking that the dialogue is like a condensed compendium of the sort of language we enjoyed for seven seasons of "Buffy The Vampire Slayer," but that does not do Cody's dialogue justice. The last time I heard dialogue that made me set up and take notice it was probably Quentin Tarentino's "Pulp Fiction," but that was diction and timing rather than word choices. Probably the closest comparison is between "Juno" and "A Clockwork Orange," and that still does not do justice to the delightful verbiage that comes out of the mouths of these characters.
  
  The performance from the ensemble is stellar. Those who have been debating whether Dakota Fanning or Evan Rachel Wood is the best actress under 21 are going to have to include Ellen Page in the debate. I recognized her from "X-Men - The Last Stand" and Michael Cera from "Superbad," but clearly these roles go to the top of their resumes. I know there is a bandwagon for Page for an Oscar nomination, but Janney and Simmons should be touted for their superb supporting roles as well. "Juno" is the best thing that Jason Bateman has ever done and he is probably the biggest surprise here, although when Jennifer Garner's name came up in the opening credits I wondered what she was doing in this film, but seeing as how Bateman and Garner made "The Kingdom together immediately before filming their roles in "Juno," I suspect that might be the connection. I have to think that everybody who read this script, from director Jason Reitman ("Thank You for Smoking") to the entire cast immediately signup for the joy of making this film.
  
  The one thing to be aware of is that you should stay for the end credits just to check out the songs that are in this movie, although once the Antsy Pants start playing "Vampire" you should want to stick around. Be forewarned that "Juno" is one of those movies where you are going to want to get the soundtrack on the way home from the theater (or, um, download it as soon as you get home). The songs done for the movie are by Kimya Dawson, who is a perfect fit for Cody's screenplay, because she seems to be channeling Gilbert & Sullivan through postmodernist sensibilities. But the great thing about the soundtrack is that all of the key songs that either play in the background or are actually played by (or sung by) the characters in the film are on the CD. I should also mention that the shooting script is out there as well, if you want to read over the choice dialogue again while listening to the eclectic mix of songs on the soundtrack (while waiting for the movie to come out on DVD).
  
  
• "HELLLLLLO! I'M 'IT'-- I'M THE BABY JUNO GAVE AWAY!"
  By AOVU5A9GVXHFT on 2008-02-10
  'JUNO' IN REAL LIFE: I'm a Life Coach. I am helping a woman, 56, and daughter 40, with their transitions through a difficult time in their life due to an event in the mother's life forty years ago. (She still won't say how it actually happened: rape or love) but she became pregnant at sixteen and her mother (whose husband left the family of seven kids for a much younger woman with no kids), advised her daughter to give up her child, at sixteen, so she could finish high school and go to college for a degree.
  
  Well, this young woman did all that plus had a set of twins at nineteen, worked for the government for two decades, she got married and divorced more than once, one more child was born, and, all of her children went to college and got degrees, including the child she gave up for adoption. The adopted child was raised by another family who abused her to no end. The mother did not know who adopted her child and she never looked for her child because she was sure the child was better off without her because that's what they told her as a teenager : that other people could do and would do better for her child, so she thought they did do better for her child but she found out they didn't. Really, it is the worse horror adoption story ever! (According to years of hospital records the mother dug up for proof, it was pretty bad including comas and all.) Yet, in spite of that hell, the adopted child got a degree from college before she met her bio-mother.
  
  Neither of these parties, the mother nor the child, are likely to find "humor" in what happened in their lives or in the movie "JUNO." They might even say it is an irresponsible movie.
  
  The stories of teen pregnancies, adoption or abortion are NEVER funny. Never! This daughter is having a really hard time with the reunion and all the dynamics of trying to get her 'reality' straight. Everytime she sees a teenager who is pregnant she loses it. She'll approach the teenager and ask, "Are you going to give the baby up for adoption?" (I don't know if she tells them her story or not.) She yelled at her bio-mother mother recently, "Other people keep their kids; you could've kept me!"
  
  It is NEVER funny. Never! And I disapprove of the way "Juno" was presented; it did not help the matter and the cause for the Unborn. I think this is wrong. Children are not trash and their lives are no joking matter. I think it sends the wrong message to young people with the humorous stance. And, I picked up from some of the males on this web page that they feel that the abortion of an unborn or the adoption of the "thing", or "it", should take no more thought or feelings than it takes to do a click with the mouse to change web pages. Not all males feel that blase' about their children but some do. I do believe: ONCE PREGNANT, ALWAYS PREGNANT though I do believe that one has the right to choose and everyone else needs to stay out of it because their comments and condemnations don't help much at all. I think males should feel their pregnancies no matter what is decided; therefore they value life, especially the life of their children: born or unborn. THAT'S THE PREVAILING POINT no matter what the decision is: the parents should come out of it valuing life, period. It is never funny! It is never a joke!
  
  I feel deeply, that the point in such a movie on teenage pregnancy should be the gaining of a mature feeling about life through a sense of remorse for loss (though not guilt; guilt seems dysfunctional in this whole affair). I feel this is the responsible sensitivity we, as a society, should hope to instill in the young people.
  
  The whole point is to find a functional way to deal with these (natural and cultural) dynamics and the results of any decision.
  
  THE UNBORN CHILD WAS CALLED "IT" THROUGHOUT THE MOVIE. THE ADOPTION WAS RATHER AUTOMATIC AND THIS IS ALL "CULTURE", JUST "CULTURE." JUST SOME PEOPLE'S CULTURE SO MAKE YOUR OWN DECISION ABOUT YOUR OWN PREGNANCY AND CHILD: THUS, CREATING YOUR OWN CULTURE AND VALUES. THINK ABOUT THE CHILD AND YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY. WHATEVER DECISION YOU MAKE WON'T BE A "WRONG" ONE -- THAT'S LIKE ASKING NATURE ABOUT A TSUNAMI OR A HURRICANE, PEOPLE DIE THEN TOO . . .PEOPLE GET INJURED; THEY GET SEPARATED FROM FAMILY MEMBERS ...SO CARE ENOUGH TO THINK ABOUT EVERYTHING AND MAKE YOUR OWN DECISION AND THEN LIVE THROUGH IT. IT WON'T BE A WRONG ONE. THERE ARE NO WRONG DECISIONS, JUST DECISIONS. I SAY THAT BECAUSE HAVING GUILT AND FEAR AND SHAME IS NOT PRODUCTIVE IN THIS MATTER. I WOULD NEVER TELL ANOTHER FEMALE WHAT TO DO WITH HER PREGNANCY OR HER CHILD IN HER LIFE.
  GOOD LUCK!
  
  
  
• Overrated, wanna-be artsy film, directed by an amateur.
  By AALM08WY5KUYV on 2008-03-07
  I really don't get how people liked this movie so much, or how it won awards.
  
  This movie was painful to watch. It was one of few movies that I was just waiting for it to be over. When she had the baby I was relieved because that meant it would end soon.
  
  I kept my mouth shut so my girlfriend could enjoy it, but she hated it too.
  
  It was so wrong to advertise Michael Cera as a co-star. He was in this film hardly at all. Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner has much more screentime. Cera was the reason I saw the movie, and his lacking just made it more disappointing. If you like Arrested Development and Superbad, this is NOT the movie for you. (I love Arrested Development, Superbad was ok.)
  
  The soundtrack was also horrible, just like the "art" (or whatever you call it) for the movie intro. It was like Napolean Dynamite, except much worse and whiny. This director needs a good slap on the head, to snap out of this stupid artsy garbage. How can people buy that? Did critics actually think it was artsy in a good way? All it did was make me roll my eyes.
  
  The story and morals of this movie are good. I still found the overall story and message to be solid. Ellen Page, the directing, the music, lack of Michael Cera, art, and dialogue - all terrible. I can't tell if they tried too hard, or not enough. This was torture to watch. You can't pay me to see it again.
  
  
• Two-Disc Special Edition Chock Full o' Extras!
  By A21B2TJBWCSK1R on 2008-04-14
  Juno was Little Miss Sunshine of 2007 - the little independent film that could. Once the studio realized that it had a successful crowd-pleaser on its hands, the film was promoted from the art-house circuit to the multiplexes. Actress Ellen Page and first-time screenwriter Diablo Cody became the film's breakout stars garnering the lion's share of critical raves and awards with Page getting an Independent Spirit Award and Cody an Academy Award. Now that all of the dust has settled, Juno can be reassessed to see if it really has the staying power and substance to cut through all of the hype and stand-up to the inevitable backlash.
  
  There is an audio commentary by director Jason Reitman and screenwriter Diablo Cody. The first thing that you notice when listening to Cody talking is how well Ellen Page mimicked her way of speaking. Reitman tends to dominate the track and, not surprisingly, talks about filmmaking aspects like the casting of minor roles, the attention to details for the sets, how he shot certain scenes, and so on. This is pretty decent track filled with lots of anecdotal stories and production details.
  
  Also included are 11 deleted scenes with optional commentary by Reitman and Cody. We meet Juno's crazy next-door neighbour. There's also a different introduction to Juno's family. We see Mark and Vanessa's first attempt to adopt. There's also an amusing bit where Juno has a solo gig and sings a song about getting pregnant. These are all good scenes and Reitman explains why there were cut.
  
  There is the obligatory "Gag Reel," a hilarious collection of blown lines and goofs with Bateman making Page break character time and time again.
  
  The "Gag Take" is an odd scene where Rainn Wilson and Reitman get into it with a mock heated argument.
  
  "Cast and Crew Jam" features the cast and crew members rockin' out to a song in this mock music video.
  
  There are "Screen Tests" for Ellen Page and Michael Cera. In the scene they do together you already see them in character and displaying excellent chemistry. There is also a test with Page and Olivia Thirlby and one with Page and J.K. Simmons as well.
  
  "Way Beyond `Our' Maturity Level" takes a look at the characters of Bleeker, Juno and her best friend Leah with interviews with the actors that inhabit them. Diablo Cody talks about how they are based on people in her life.
  
  "Diablo Cody is Totally Boss" is a profile of this novice screenwriter who got her start writing a blog and got noticed by a film producer. Reitman recalls his initial impressions of the script and the cast gush about its "unique voice."
  
  "Jason Reitman for Shizz" takes a look at the director. The producers gush about how he was the right fit for the material. He talks about establishing the right tone and how he shared the same vision for the film as Cody.
  
  "Honest to Blog!: Creating Juno" features Cody and Reitman talking about how the film came together. She credits her stylized dialogue to spending lots of time on the Internet. Cody also talks about how she came up with the idea for the story. They talk about specific scenes and her knack for depicting an unconventional family.
  
  
• Juno? No, I Most Certainly Don't.
  By A39IBJB2PBVC7I on 2008-04-21
  Film focus groups, an abomination, have been around a long time. This is where creative integrity is swapped out for box office bank-ability, assuming there was any there to begin with. Various different endings and permutations of all types are tried out on a small handful of people in the dark. Then, movies are trimmed and tailored to suit their tastes. (Originality stands little chance.) Well, apparently there are now Sundance focus groups. How else could one explain the popularity of Juno, a movie whose sole purpose in life seems to be pleasing the smug, self-consciously hip judges at that increasingly less independent film festival.
  
  In this case affixing blame is easy, it belongs in its entirety to Diablo Cody who wrote the screenplay. In the history of film has there ever been a character as improbable as Juno MacGuff? Has there ever been a story more stupid, or confused about what it wants to say? Juno begins as a surly, edgy, dark outcast and ends up just shy of the yearbook committee. Her glib, sarcastic persona must have seemed delicious to those cool cats at Sundance, but the way adults buy into her dismissive attitude is preposterous. Only the ultrasound technician, (Kaaren de Ziva), speaks to her and her ilk as they should be addressed, irresponsible and vulgar children. The inevitable 3rd act reconciliations, emotional growth spurts, and newfound harmonies are beyond hokey and facile, and as for Paulie, the boyfriend she now loves, I have encountered loaves of Wonderbread with more personality. We are supposed to buy that she has anything in common with him?
  
  Director Jason Reitman and a wonderful cast are to be heartily congratulated for transforming this three-legged duckbilled platypus into something resembling a movie. Ellen Page really is remarkable as Juno; she takes a character more ludicrous than Batman and makes her seem real. Allison Janney and J.K. Simmons, two reliable veterans, are extremely good as mom and dad. Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman are just acceptable as the prospective adopters. I don't know if Michael Cera, Paulie, is good or not. If he was intended to be completely vapid, uninteresting, and unattractive, then perhaps he's good.
  
  If you have any doubts about how bad this movie actually is, watch Little Miss Sunshine again. Both films want to hit the same marks, Sunshine hits them, Juno self-consciously attempts to hit them. It's like watching a couple dance; except they're following the footprints in an Arthur Murray Dance Studio. Speaking of which, beware of the score featuring songs by Kimya Dawson. Never has so much precious, pretentious, cutesy-poo teenage angst been packed into such a short amount of time - unbearable.
  
  
• Yawn! A smart mouth pregnant teenager. How original.
  By A53S8VVT1IHA7 on 2008-02-19
  *Spoiler alert* Where to begin? The annoying soundtrack? The fact that this teenage girl would not know '70's punk rock while being born in the 90's and having a dumb blonde for a friend who wouldn't know Richard Hell from the Germs? The dialogue is SO over the top and unbelievable that a loner indie kid would actually talk that way. oh I forgot - the old soul vibe which is supposed to make her "cool". Her only options seems to be abortion or giving the kid to snotty yuppies. Wow, what fantastic choices. Way to have any kind of morals about the living thing inside you. Her comments about the unborn child "it" as she refers to it are borderline offensive yet for no reason her step-mom encourages this type of mentality. And OF COURSE your parents are not only supportive of your teenage pregnancy but have witty one-liners to spout about it as well. And poor Michael cera - treated as a sperm-producing punching bag. He has no say in what is going on and only after the abortion and the yuppies fall through that Juno "realizes" they must have been in love all along and knocks on his door saying "surprise! since I have nowhere better to go you are the father so be happy" and Michael Cera has no option but to deal with it. Horrible dialogue which mo one should have to endure, unbelievable and rude storyline. Maybe this was made for people who watch things like Delta Farce and American Pie type of mentality. This movie is just a slap in the face to anyone who has a brain and some decent morals. There is a reason it was denied any awards. PS - why do people use the word "indie" for this movie? It has major stars and a big budget. I would just use the word "boring". A horrible snapshot of ignorant youth more concerned about being obssessed with nostalgic music and horror flicks rather than dealing with the living mistake now inside her. The "witty banter" is just an aural illussion to make you forget that she is in complete denial about what is actually happening to her.
  
  
• Aborted attempt at hip and humor
  By A18MEO51KI240X on 2008-04-11
  AH! Ain't this sweet? A teenage girl gets pregnant and is extremely blase about it. I HAVE NO PROBLEM with abortion. In fact, I believe every woman should decide what she will do with her own body. However, this movie tries to make it look like people who want an abortion and abortion providers are uncaring and glib. The dialogue has to be heard to be believed!! NO one but NO one talks like this! It yanked me right out of any belief in these characters. They were like cartoons in a political movie. Abortion bad, adoption HIP! BARF!
  
  
• Pointlessly over-hyped
  By A1002MCOTLC9PR on 2008-04-27
  I grabbed a copy of this movie after hearing so much about it. "Wonderful" and "funny" and "amazing" were some of the adjectives used. Somehow it turned out to be "boring" and "over-hyped" and, frankly, a waste of my time.
  
  The plot is simple: teen gets pregnant, arranges to have baby adopted. The problem? Everyone is so hip and cool with the entire thing that the movie ends up with no drama, no comedy, and seriously no point. Juno's already a fringe member of her high school, so there's no change in her status there. The friend/father is still her friend, the best friend is still her friend, Juno's family is already non-traditional, and again, so hip with the happenings that nothing actually occurs. The couple that's going to adopt the baby is painfully yuppie, and clueless, and ends up split up, but the wife (whose name I can't even remember) still takes the baby. I guess that's the most interesting point of the entire film.
  
  Mostly, it's two hours of my life I could have spent doing something else. Anything else. Don't bother with this movie. I wish I hadn't.
  
  
• "Juno" movie review by Michael Elliano
  By A1FGOU69XQIU9V on 2008-04-17
  Why the one star you may ask. Well, there are parts to every movie that make it either great or damage its credibility. In this case the dialogue from "Juno" was just off. Everything she had to say and everything she does is out of character for a sixteen year old girl. At times she speaks like a 28 year old female just entering her prime, then a second later she totally reverses. Second flaw was her choice in boyfriend is totally out of line for a girl showing such intense intelligence. I got the sense that she was a puppet on a string with people writing her lines instead of a sixteen year old "girl" who is trying to deal with her situation. This small flaw constantly makes you do double takes and takes from the flow of the movie. Still, the movie is not a bad movie at all. There was some great acting by all the main characters (except the boyfriend). The issue is a very serious one and takes a look at someone facing reality and dealing with it. You be the judge. Watch the movie and enjoy it. But don't expect to be blown away, this movie is as socially political as it can get on many levels. Without those major flaws the movie could have beenn four to five stars.
  
  
• Overrated, Soulless, Cloying, and Wretched : The Trainwreck that is "Juno"
  By A2ULSA0IRUE09E on 2008-02-15
  First of all, is there anyone else who hated this film with a vengeance? I certainly did. You would think that after all the glowing reviews, the film would at least be a three star spectacle. But no. At best, this is like an independent film with a very 'witty' screenwriter, without whom there would possibly be no film at all.
  
  My main problem is the script - no one in real life will ever talk like this. Its just not possible. We are so obsessed as a society with pop culture, that when somebody talks like a pop culture encyclopedia, we find it 'cool' and 'funky'. Well, that only makes it even more pathetic. Every line that comes out of Juno's mouth seems like it was written by a mid-30s pop-culture geek, and it makes her performance seem so stilted and artificial. Not to mention just plain bad.
  
  The supporting cast was equally bad. Its bad enough that the tepid lead actress here was nominated for an Oscar (seriously, who nominates these talentless wannabes for the big awards?), the guy playing her boyfriend was especially irritating. Everyone sounds as if they just attended a Gilmore Girls convention, trying to stuff movie and music references into every other sentence they spoke. Roger Ebert inexplicably gave this film four stars, and totally lost my respect in the process.
  
  "Juno" at the end, is just a plain bad film. The movie ends with a contrived scene of Juno and her boyfriend sitting on the steps of a house, banging out a ballad possibly conceived of in indie hell. The soundtrack, while average has one main song (the opening credits) that I found particularly bad.
  
  How films like this get great reviews is beyond me. Reading the five star reviews on this page really makes me wonder. As a lover of world cinema and indie films in general, I found this film to be a total abomination, and everything that is wrong with filmmaking in totality.
  
  Two Generous Stars - and both for the luminous Jennifer Garner who belongs in a much better film than this one.
  
  
• I just didn't get it.
  By A2N3R8UAFVYHK4 on 2008-04-15
  Although the movie isn't blatantly pro-life, an endorsement from the Catholic News Service for its pro-life message doesn't help its image.
  
  Aside from that, I just didn't get it. I thought the story would have been much better had it not been for the "witticisms" of the characters. The dialogue sounded as if a 30-year old jaded Gen X-er wanted to desperately fit in with a 15-17 year old crowd. Getting past the "honest to blog" and "wizard" sayings was tough. They jump out at you. It's like Joey Gladstone's "Cut. It. Out." from Full House, but more prevalent and annoying.
  
  I wanted to like the movie. I liked the storyline, and thought it was on its way to being well done, but the overuse of awful catch phrases and the overly-witty Juno did it in for me.
  
  Jason Bateman and Michael Cera did an amazing job, as did J.K. Simmons. Their performances were well worth all the hype this movie's getting, and the film is worth watching for these guys.
  
  
• Dario vs. HG
  By A6DOCZ10B7JAJ on 2008-05-20
  Yes, this movie has one redeeming quality--there is an argument about the greatest horror master--Argento or Wells? There's even a clip of the masterpiece Wizard of Gore(classic must have blood bath). How cool is that?
  Other cool things--there's a manga with a hot pregnant superhero. One day the adoptive mom wears an Alice in Chains T-shirt. Her husband also sports a Soundgarden shirt. Plus there is some cool music.
  On to the movie itself--it's decent, a halfway clever script. It paints a slap-happy picture of teen pregnancy (yeah just what this country needs). Teens are gonna keep having sex, so I guess this picture offers a cool alternative to abortion. But somehow I doubt the situation would ever go this smoothly.
  Worth watching once, especially if you're trying to score.
  
  
• I should've brought a BOOK to the theater
  By A36RS3ZMNE9JSQ on 2008-01-22
  I don't feel completely comfortable being on the same planet with a race of beings that can actually generate this high of an average rating for such an empty waste of time.
  
  This is the most BORING thing I've seen in a long, long time. I only chose it for 3 reasons: 1) it had Ellen Page, 2) J.K. Simmons, and 3) had a high IMDb rating of 8.4 at the time of this writing.
  
  A story about a teen getting pregnant, and how she deals with it- can't you do something with that premise? It's like the creators were more concerned with showing off their cool, modern dialogue they wrote for the movie, than the actual story itself. I was amazed at how many scenes could go by, and how much TALKING could be done by the characters, without anything interesting ever developing in the movie. I mean you literally have these scenes that go on for minutes, and it's showing all these inconsequential things that don't develop character or introduce the next beat to the story. I remember watching every scene and feeling like there was something that was about to happen, a lot of potential energy, but it goes nowhere. There were moments that were interesting to watch, like between Ellen Page and the lady's husband, which were well acted and genuine, but again, it's like the focus of these scenes are to show just how 'cool' these characters are, and it's at the expense of substance and realism.
  
  My 4 cents:
  
  --There's nothing worse than a movie that's supposed to be a comedy but not funny at all.
  
  --Cool, Ellen Page plays the same character she played in Hard Candy, even had the red hoody. That's where the comparisons stop between the two movies.
  
  --Jennifer Garner's facial reactions...failed. That was stupid and overdone. You got the camera showing her confused reactions and expressions to what Ellen Page was saying or doing, with this feeling that we as the audience are in the "know" of some joke, and her character is left out and doesn't get it, so we are laughing along with Ellen Page's character, except...there's no JOKE. There's nothing. So basically all you've got is this airheaded looking woman overacting and doing exaggerated contortions to her face, and it's just embarrassing and awkward.
  
  --The only pop culture reference that was missing out of this movie was the word "Ebay." Other than that they've covered it all.
  
  I should've just used the 10 dollars I spent on this worthless movie and just made a paper airplane out of it and tossed it right into the toilet. What a piece of crap.
  
  
• Juno - Surprising, Well Executed, Worth the Hype, See it Twice!!!!
  By A17BUUBOU0598B on 2007-12-30
  Juno is a great movie that has gotten a lot of hype, and deserves it ALL!!! Yes, it's about a high school girl who gets pregnant. But don't get confused, this movie is not so easily classified. It's not an after school special. It's not "pro" or "anti" anything. It's just a really well written and well executed film about a unique girl dealing with an all too common situation.
  
  There's a lot of plot elements to explore. How will her friends and family react? What will she do? How will the experience change her? No spoilers here: watch the movie and see it unfold. :)
  
  First things first. Everybody can't love every movie. Some will under-rate this movie just because it has been SOOOOO hyped. Believe me, I understand. All I can say is this: see the movie twice, THEN make up your own mind.
  
  The way that mainstream movies get made, it's hard to have a script survive the teams of experts who want to appeal to this and that audience. I could only detect a handful of planted lines. The writing is SUPERB and very well presented with front to back execution - directing, acting, editing. The dialogue is funny and original, like a much more literate Pulp Fiction. That's what makes this movie special. It has SOOO much going for it. Diablo Cody has opened my eyes, and I'm anxiously awaiting her new project currently in pre-production, "The United States of Tara.
  
  The acting of Ellen Page really is TOP NOTCH. Is it Oscar worthy? YES! Without a doubt. If Julia Roberts can win for Erin Brokovich, they should give Ellen Page her Oscar RIGHT NOW. Once again, some will say it's overhyped. Some only think that top notch acting occurs when characters are dying or demented. I say real acting is good acting. I walked into a screening before I saw a single review. I watched the movie twice to confirm it - this performance needs to be seen and studied.
  
  The cast is chock full of big names who do very well in some good roles. Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, and Michael Cera all have good performances. But Ellen Page IS this movie. She steals every scene, hits every mark and nails every line.
  
  And of course, the music ROCKS! Those who are into indie rock, alternative and punk rock will recognize most of the music here. Those who aren't will want to buy the soundtrack, because this is a great introduction. There is a great mix of new and old, from Velvet Underground and the Kinks to Cat Power and Kimya Dawson. The songs are used well and you will find at least one new favorite if you don't know this music already.
  Juno
  
  The camera work is also very good. High quality camera and film equipment has either dropped in price by a lot, or films like this are finally starting to get decent budgets. Either way, this is not epic filming, but it is flawless and effective. Good directing by Jason Reitman is no surprise to me.
  
  Now here's the hard question with 2 honest answers: Is this a movie best seen in theatres, or can it "wait" for DVD?
  Answer #1: There's no special effects that make the movie visually different when seen in a theatre. So some might say wait. Still, it was worth it for me just to see how the crowd reacted to Juno's phrases, the music, everything. So that's an honest, qualified YES.
  Answer #2: This is really the best overall movie I've seen in a LONG time. I saw it twice in the theatre. If you like really good movies, and good acting, SEE IT NOW. YES, it's definitely worth seeing sooner than later. You will still want to buy the DVD if you're like me.
  
  I really hope you'll check this one out. This is something special.
  
  Enjoy!!!
  
  
• Want to see a movie that glorifies unwed teenage pregnancy!?!?
  By AT7W1EXT0PF2Y on 2008-02-26
  I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you're a moral, upstanding citizen who was perhaps caught in by the hype and was eager to learn something more about this Oscar winning film and NOT the immoral liberal type who actually logged in to Amazon today to purchase this filth!
  
  You're no doubt eager to learn more so I'll cut to the chase...this film stars an unwed teen mother. Yeah, you read that right. In this film, a 16 year old girl engages in promiscuous, sinful behavior and produces a love child. I'm not lying. You can even see her enlarged stomach on the cover (this alone would have the movie banned in Muslim countries.)
  
  This lass ridiculously yclept `Juno', makes an AWFUL role model for young girls as not only is she immoral and promiscuous, she is sassy and foul-mouthed! To make matters worse, no she's not named after the Internet service, but instead the PAGAN Roman goddess of childbirth. Get it?
  
  What if I told you that this film shows a short snippet of film depicting the `act?' Yeah, it does...it is very brief and doesn't contain nudity but think about it, depicting a 16 year old girl in this type of scene is practically CHILD P0RN**GRAPHY! This disgusting and inappropriate scene is further amplified by a scene that has a Schoolteacher depicting how to put a prophylactic on a banana!
  
  Still with me? Have you fainted yet? Good, hope you didn't think I was done with you. Since this film's theme is obvious, you no doubt can already tell that the humor and dialogue in this film is the crude and immoral type that is ubiquitous throughout Hollywood nowadays as they strive for the lowest common denominator. There isn't near as much cursing as has been the usual in Hollywood films lately, but they still drop the F-bomb a couple times when it is completely unnecessary to the plot and even further makes it inappropriate for the minors who are most drawn to films like this that star minors!
  
  I've heard it said that moral people should just be happy that she didn't get an abortion. That really takes a lot of nerve to say: I just made an extremely immoral film but you better just be happy I didn't make it more immoral than it already is! Of course, Juno still takes a potshot, I mean a real low blow, by insulting not only pro-lifers but Asian-Americans as well as they have a student that happens to be both outside of an abortion clinic shouting: "Babies want to be borned!"
  
  There is Soooo much wrong with this film I could write pages, but since 99.9999998% of the American public is of a moral standard high enough to have totally removed all thoughts of ever seeing this film from their minds, I really don't have to go on. I feel a deep sense of pride as an American and a Sikh for having brought this film and its immoralities to your attention. Thank you.
  
  
  
• Wreaks of Conservative Politics
  By A24BXBNTJZQU34 on 2008-03-10
  First of all the move was written by Barbara Nicolosi of Act One, a group that trains Christians to work in the Hollywood mainstream. She claims she is not preaching in the movie about pro-life and that "Juno" is about people struggling to make real decisions in the real world, but people who know anything about real teenage pregnancies know that it is not some cute little thing that happens to young girls. At least the statistics, starting from illiteracy, earning power, etc of teenage girls show that teenage pregnancy affects young women in a negative way for the rest of their lives. It is just amazing what the conservatives will do to hammer in irresponsible ideas into people just to support their cause, which at this time is pro-life, and it ain't cute!
  
  
• A movie only SHEEP could love.
  By AKEWZDC7EHSBC on 2008-04-25
  An overrated movie about a smart mouthed, unlikable, disenchanting little girl, who just happens to get pregnant who also has idiot parents. Obnoxious dialogue, poorly directed.
  
  Insignificant rubbish that only SHEEP of its nature could enjoy.
  
  Oh, and there isn't one neither likeable nor real character in this farce of a movie.
  
  
  
• Naturally Sweet and Sage
  By A3EE0H0NWQ9QVL on 2007-12-28
  Warm, smart, and funny `Juno' is a sympathetic look at teen pregnancy. Starting out during her consummation, the titled character (Ellen Page) shares the details of her infatuation with high school track star, Paulie Bleaker (Michael Cera, `Superbad'), takes it to her discovery of pregnancy (in the presence of a convenience store clerk, played acerbically by Rainn Wilson) until she follows through her decision resolving her "problem".
  
  Enthusiastic, but trying not to care so she won't get hurt, Juno comes across her pregnancy flippantly as a minor inconvenience. Juno is named after Zeus's wife (technically Jupiter, but Hera's name wouldn't fit). Her father named her as a self-fulfilling prophecy of her natural beauty. Her dad (J.K. Simmons, Spiderman 3') is ex-military. He's divorced, but married to a born-again Christian, whom he's found stability for ten years. Her best friend, Ellen, is the only one on whom she confides, and her boyfriend is someone she hasn't quite locked down in her emotions.
  
  Juno knows her choices. She is as innocent and naïve as she is knowledgeable about what she could do with her baby. Discerning what's given to her, she decides to have the baby and give it up for adoption. She finds her potential couple in an advertisement flyer, but once her decision is made, she has to let her father and step-mother know.
  
  Much of the movie shows a perky Juno discovering the trek of her pregnancy. The movie has such a natural tone and delivery from its characters, they seem like people we all know. Juno gets to know the adopting couple from St. Cloud, MN, a relatively short trek from her own Twin Cities suburban home. The film makes discoveries about her relationship to Paulie Bleaker and the details of the adopting couple (Here Jason Bateman's appearance brings a real time warp to the picture.) that seem organic and natural. Ellen Page is so good with her role that I wouldn't leave out the possibility of an Oscar nomination. Her range of emotions is good; the discoveries her character makes are believable; and her witty, fast-pitch lines are blurt-out funny. Everyone else is identifiably genuine as well.
  
  While the old fashioned paradigm of the nursery rhyme comes leaping to mind, "First comes love, then comes marriage, then come..someone...in the baby carriage," real life, especially today, is often not like that. Without much maliciousness--except for what normally comes to us--`Juno' leaves a lingering sweetness that isn't artificially enhanced.
  
  
• Juno Is For Silly People
  By ASU5IH3CM6XXE on 2008-03-19
  First off, a disclaimer: I love independent films. The quirkier the better! When a movie like Happy Little Sunshine, or Memento comes out, I get excited because I know it's going to have a different point of view that appeals to all of my sensisibilities. But, however, I did not like Juno because it sends a clear message to all unwed mothers and fathers that teen pregnancy is something worth laughing about. It is no laughing matter!
  
  First off, I should say that I do believe there was a great script written by Diablo Cody, and there are terrific performances by Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, and Jason Batement. It is really a stellar cast, and they really bring the story to life. Also I will say that the soundtrack is top notch and I think the director did an excellent job from beginning to end.
  
  First of all, it's not very believable that kids that young are going to get that pregnant at their age. Some kids do have children when they're too young, but this movie is a comedy and should not be based on real life. Also, the main characters all say twisted little cliches that are far really too clever to come from people who are are living in a dumb town. Maybe people from New York talk that way, but come on!
  
  I think, first of all, that this movie would have been better as a drama, because that's the kind of movies I like most. But if it couldn't be a drama, then at least it should have been more like real life. I'm not saying they should have made it a documentary (although I think Michael Cera would be very funny in one of those) but maybe they should have. Teenaged pregnancy is a dicey issue for a lot of groups and Juno makes fun of how tough a situation it can be.
  
  All in all, I think this is not a good movie to watch on DVD, but probably better on the big screen. I think better luck next time to the filmmakers, actors, and writer of Juno!!!
  
  
• Not a masterpiece, not realistic, just indie fluff...
  By A2UYAFQ40U2PHS on 2008-04-22
  Well, I've seen the film Juno. Some say it's the greatest film they've ever seen, others despise it. What do I think?
  
  I liked Juno. It was rather light and fluffy, to be honest. Anyone who is expecting a realistic portrayal of high school life and teen pregnancy will be greatly disappointed. The film is a little different than what you would see in a mainstream film, but not much. It's not edgy, it's not out there, and it is desperately trying to be hip. Juno's dialogue made me wince, like someone who is trying to prove how "out there" she is with her witty quips. A lot of the dialogue felt forced, which diminished its impact for me. Juno's character would not date (and never have sex) with someone like Michael Cera. More than likely he would be the best friend who really loves her while she dates a jerk. They would never get together. The plotline of the jock who supposedly loves Juno is silly and completely underdeveloped. Jennifer Garner's character was contrived as well.
  
  But there are some good things about the film. I really like Jason Bateman's performance and character. I think he gives the best performance in the film. Many have made hay of Juno's knowledge of music and movies outside of her age bracket, saying it's not realistic. That isn't true. Speaking strictly for myself, when I was a teenager, I was listening to Miles Davis, Keith Jarrett, and ELP, which weren't popular at all during that time. I also had a friend of mine who was 7 years older than me who I hung out with. He got me into bubblegum music, which also wasn't from my time bracket. So this does happen, and probably a lot more than people realise. Juno's father and stepmother were pretty decent characters, far from the caricatures that permeate indie films like this. They were a little too pat at times (especially the father), but overall their dialogue was better than know it all Juno's. I liked the soundtrack too.
  
  The film is not a realistic portrayal of teen pregnancy, in fact, it makes it look kind of fun and hip. It's a typical indie film that's quirky enough so that the audience thinks they're seeing something really different, but in fact they're just seeing something that's a little different from Hollywood fare, but not much. We're not talking hard boiled Bergman or Breillat here, just a cute film that isn't boring or tedious. It isn't painfully bad like Knocked Up was, but it still isn't a masterpiece.
  
  
• Cute, man-hating flick
  By A3BAQ8F0SJRZLC on 2007-12-30
  Although the script for "Juno," the tale of an unwed pregnant teen, crackles with wit, sardonic humor, and irony, it is ultimately unsatisfying because of certain imbalances in its characterizations. Most notably, every male character in the movie--from her bumbling, but well meaning father, to her nerdy and dispassionate "boyfriend," to the male half of a yuppie couple (who is an overgrown adolescent) to whom she commits her unborn child for adoption--is a study in male fecklessness and disappointment. "Juno" is too self-aware to be a "message film," but it telegraphs the point that sisters can do it for themselves by handing off the responsibilities of childrearing from fecund teen girls to barren women with a career. And of course, just because the teenage protagonist, commendably played by Ellen Page, chooses to have a baby does not mean that this film is necessarily "pro-life" (to put the movie in strictly political terms).
  
  
• Insulting "morality" falls flat
  By ADSSSLX53KSHF on 2008-01-05
  Once you get past all the witty, girls-can-talk-trash dialogue and sentimental posturing, Juno is a creepy film that dismisses the act of giving a baby away for adoption as just another lifestyle choice that carries no serious consequences nor demands any gut-wrenching questions. Here are two comfortably situated teens, living fairly normal lives despite their melodramatic angst. They have caring parents and good homes. When Juno gets pregnant the issue of abortion is addressed but dismissed quickly with an ugly stereotype of a seedy, run-down women's clinic. Yet no where in the film does anyone debate the morality of giving away an unwanted baby. Despite two sets of reasonable, responsible grandparents on hand to raise and support the child, the baby is handed off to an overwrought mother wannabe whose marriage just broke up. Then our cutesy teenage parents get on with their lives, smiling and kissing and appearing to be all set for a loving, committed future, albeit without the flesh and blood they, and their parents, just tossed away for no apparent reason other than convenience. Why this film is portrayed as sweet and uplifting is beyond me. The values portrayed are hardly admirable.
  
  

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