FilmEdge.net reviews JUNO

Academy Award Winner for Best Original Screenplay 2007

Teenage-angst movies are a dime a dozen.  In the 80’s, the brat-pack films introduced us to the idea of smart, witty, wise-cracking teens who live for the one line zingers that fly over the heads of adults.  Coming-of-age films became formulaic:  lovelorn protagonist with clueless parents; smart-mouthed sidekick; edgy, hip soundtracks, love prevails in the end.  I settled into the theater ready for another teen movie.  As JUNO began to unfold on the screen, I saw all the markers of the formula.  And then the surprises began JUNO’s plotline is a simple one.  Writer Diablo Cody presents us with Juno MacGuff, a 16-year old high school junior who finds herself pregnant by Paulie Bleeker, a boy in her class. It becomes evident that Juno loves Paulie, but she is unable to let down her guard enough to let him know how she feels.  She decides to give her baby up for adoption to an affluent young couple.  What sets JUNO apart from other young-woman-in-crisis films is the lack of stereotyping, and outstanding performances by the entire cast.  Director Jason Reitman is careful to remind us that despite her wry, constant wisecracking, Juno is a very typical teen:  she doesn’t do her homework, she’s uneasy about her appearance, she secretly wants to be a rockstar.  She’s a practical girl, and makes a simple plan: she will give her baby to a loving couple in 30 weeks, and life will be back to normal for her and her family.  What Juno learns, and what Reitman manages to show us without a hint of sermonizing, is that life takes odd turns, plans fail, and the road to adulthood can be bumpy indeed.

It is difficult to take a very simple story and embroider it with the colors and sparkles of life.  Screenwriter Cody takes us into the minds of Juno, her friends and her family, and enriches us in the process.  Juno likes being at home; her family relationships are strong and supportive without being sentimental.  Her best friend Leah, a cheerleader, happily engages in the edgy teen-speak banter that Juno hides behind.  Their girl-talk is one of the most genuine parts of the film.  Paulie is quiet and seems aloof, but he recounts the conversation of his and Juno’s single intimate evening verbatim.  He is heartsickness personified.  The central characters are rich and three-dimensional in their joys as well as their crises, and we see the world as they do:  small and ultimately quite manageable.  And then, in a literal icy white flash, we meet Vanessa and Mark Loring—the yuppie couple who will adopt Juno’s newborn—and the world begins to spin just a bit off its axis. 

A film driven by characters and not plot depends on the skill of the actors involved, and there are stellar performances throughout this film.  Ellen Page brings a sensibility to Juno that keeps her edginess from becoming caustic.  Alison Janney, as Juno’s dog-loving stepmother Brenda, is practical, kind, and just a little goofy.  J.K. Simmons, best known for his television appearances, is a loving and protective father whose devotion to his family shows in every gesture.  Also outstanding are Michael Cera as Paulie, the self-conscious, rather nerdy track-star and teen dad, and Olivia Thirlby as Leah, Juno’s best friend.  Initially, Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman bring a comical perfection to the childless Lorings.  As the film progresses, we begin to see hints of darkness behind the door of their perfectly decorated home.  Both Garner and Bateman are masterful as their characters reveal their true natures.

In Roman mythology, Juno is the goddess of motherhood and childbirth, and motherhood is a strong theme in this film.  We see mothers in all their incarnations—Juno herself as the expectant birth-mother; Brenda the benevolent stepmother and loving-but-temporary grandmother; Vanessa, the yearning mother-to-be. Mrs. Bleeker serves as the disapproving mother-in-law.  The only mother who is missing is Juno’s own—we know her only by her literally painful annual Valentine’s gifts.  This film celebrates motherhood and the glories of all its incarnations.  Although Juno says that she received her name because Juno the goddess was very beautiful and very mean, the viewer realizes early on that the tough exterior of this character conceals the excitement of possibility:  new love, new life, new adventures.

This film does have a few problems, but they’re easy enough to overlook.  The one-liners fly thick and fast, and occasionally the dialog seems quite self-aware.  Does anyone manage to be that witty and clever all the time?  Juno states that she admires three bands, punk rockers from 1977:  The Stooges, The Runaways, and Patti Smith.  But the soundtrack is full of new-folk darlings The Moldy Peaches and Antsy Pants, both fronted by Kimya Dawson.  The soundtrack album has already topped the charts, but there seems to be a disconnect between what Juno says she likes musically and what the director presents to us.  The music is, at times, simply distracting.

JUNO is a thoughtful, funny film that deals with major issues in a thoughtful, funny way.  It has an authentic and relevant feel that’s absolutely refreshing.  There are no car chases, no special effects, no glamour, but there are plenty of interesting characters, great dialog, and lots to talk about when the credits close.  Give JUNO 4 out of 5 stars for its fresh perspective on a teen in turmoil.