From this first line of Ellen Page's Juno MacGuff , I knew I
would love this movie. Juno is one of those incredibly rare gems of
the cinema that captivates even the small crowd of people who hate
the movies. Thank you for Smoking helmer Jason Reitman takes such a
seriously lighthearted view at teen pregnancy, you can't help but to
like it on general principle.
Juno is a plucky, precocious 14 year old who in the beginning is
foraging through 3 pregnancy tests hoping at least one will give her
a minus sign. When the third indicates the plus sign that the
previous 2 tests revealed, she must face a stark reality. She's got
a bun in the oven. She certainly doesn't want to tell her dad Mac (J.K.
Simmons) and step
mom Bren (Allison Janney).Inevitably, after considering the ultimate
alternative- and ultimately deciding not to go through with it,-
she, with the help of her best friend Leah, finally breaks the news
to her parents.
Both are keenly dismayed, yet fortunately quite encouraging
although their reactions are slightly different. Bren's is normal
enough for a caring mother while Mac's is so odd you may wonder if
there's some dysfunctional thinking here. Of course he's shocked to
hear that his daughter is pregnant, but he's even more shocked about
who the father is- Paulie Bleeker (Superbad's Michael Cera), a nerdy
track runner who has a passion for orange Tic-Tacs. "Didn't know he
had it in him", Mac muses in disbelief.
Juno's final option for her unexpected youngin' is
giving the child to another couple which seems to meet with general
approval. She and Leah peruse the Penny Saver (of all things) for
potential parents coming upon Vanessa and Mark Loring) Jennifer
Garner and Jason Bateman), an upscale pair living in a beautiful
neighborhood across
town. Vanessa is not able to have children, so naturally she
relishes adopting Juno's baby. A few legal issues on open and
closed adoption are settled and all parties are satisfied.
As of
this writing, Juno has been nominated for four Oscars including Best
Original Screenplay. And rightly so. TV writer Diablo Cody's first
bid as a movie screenwriter is a remarkable work of art. She mixes a
healthy batter of gravity and triviality in the cast, driving the
film forward with no unnecessary dialogue. It's one of the best
scripts I've
seen transferred to the big screen.
Juno's ensemble cast, including The Offices' Rainn Wilson in a
small part as a grocery store clerk, is superb, but it's definitely
Ellen Page who carries the weight. Like her brilliantly insidious
turn as Thonggirrrrl14 in Hard Candy, Ms. Page's Juno sports an
intelligence beyond her teens, yet with a much more tender heart.
In that Hollywood has such great influence on the social issues
effecting our nation, it's quite relieving to see tinsel town execs
leaning towards pro-life. A recent article on ChristianityToday.com
said that 2007 could be remembered as the year of pro-life cinema.
Movies like Juno, Waitress and even the Seth Rogen comedy, Knocked
Up were all
released last year-and the women in each of these films chose to
keep their babies. While there may be no definite reason for this
trend or whatever one my call it, these films will inspire women
across America to consider there decisions about an unwanted
pregnancy.
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