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Juno
Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner
Directed by Jason Reitman
Written by Diablo Cody
Fox Home Video 2008
96 minutes
Juno is a great movie. This coming of age somewhat comedy about a junior who gets pregnant and deals quite well with the situation features great acting all around and very, very smart writing. It is no surprise Diablo Cody won a writing Oscar.
This is a realistic, believable, comic movie whose lead actress, Ellen Page, and the main character carry the whole thing on rather sardonic, off-beat shoulders that keep this comedy interesting all the way.
Juno is original in so many ways you start wondering if this is really a Hollywood movie. From the fact Juno finds the perfect family in the grocery store newspaper, the relationship between Juno and her boyfriend, to the confrontation between her stepmother (Allison Janey) and the ultrasound technician, everything in this movie is fresh and new.
The first few minutes are a bit artificial and over the top, especially the pharmacy / pregnancy test scene but the movie then settles into discovering Juno as she discovers the future adoptive parents and life as a preggo.
There is something totally different about this movie that keeps you watching yet it also feels absolutely real.
The characters, Juno's parents, the prospective adoptive parents, her best friend really seem like people you know and not like character type 2B or 23C from some Hollywood casting catalog.
There is a twist in this movie that is hard to believe but Juno and the movie recover from it pretty well.
Of course there is a film maker's commentary with Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody, It is the usual boring as hell stuff.
One really odd special feature is gag reel where Reitman blows his cool with the guy playing the convenience store clerk. You really get the feeling there's a bit of revenge here.