Snarky Serious!

Rating: 8/10 (2 December 2017)

When Juno, a single and pregnant teenager, announces that she is "losing faith in humanity," her long-suffering father asks if she can narrow it down a little. This scene, as serious and poignant as it is funny and charming, provides a glimpse of the tone and tenor of the film throughout. Everyone, even a convenience store clerk, has something snarky to say. Tense situations are disarmed by humor and sympathy.
Juno is obviously not ready to be a mother, yet she handles her situation with inherent panache and a curious blend of independence, optimism, sarcasm and diligence. In searching for a well-off and decent couple who will provide a good home for her baby, Juno displays more maturity than most adults. The childish antics of her elders and the serious nature of her situation cause Juno to do some serious soul searching along with attempting to discover someone who loves her for who she really is.
Ten years after the release of Juno and it is still original, cute and exceedingly snarky. The untraditional plot and dialogue are refreshing. Ellen Page (Juno) carries not only a baby, but the film as well. She is a natural for such a role and perfectly cast. Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney and J.K. Simmons are wonderful in their supporting roles. I wonder how much their future success depended on their roles here? Depth and nuance (beyond being snarky), however, are lacking. There should be plain English subtitles for the language of other generations, young and old (ha, ha)! Maybe the wait is another ten years for such an app.