Why can't all teen films be as nice as this?

Rating: 10/10 (2 May 2011)

There is something quirky and special about Juno that I can not put in words that make sense. It's something totally unexpected and a very surprisingly well done teenage film in 2007. It's so rare we see a film done like this recently. But it gives hope that charming and one of a kind teenage films are not dead. They maybe just on hiatus.
Ellen Page plays Juno, an independent girl who tries to take action when she realizes that she is pregnant with her ex-boyfriend's child (Cera). She considers abortion (in a non-biased pro life, pro choice decision) and she becomes more and more frustrated as her options get smaller and as her stomach gets larger.
I love movies that dare to be different. They don't always work, but they at least get a few points for coloring outside of the lines. Juno is a film that colors outside of the lines and it makes a picture. A beautiful picture of a girl who just wants to live and do what she believes is right.
The quirky element of the film is taken a tiny bit too far when Juno feels the need to tell the woman at the Abortion clinic that she "is talking on her hamburger phone." Yes, our protagonist communicates on a novelty hamburger shaped phone. I searched through reviews on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes before coming across a review on Netflix with someone stating the same problem they had with the film.
The joke is the film acts natural by including some trinket like a hamburger phone and not noticing it. The fact that Juno had to say she was "talking on her hamburger phone" ruins the joke because now the film is trying too hard to get its audience to know the film is different. It didn't need to announce it. We knew it from the start. The film doesn't need to turn self aware all of a sudden.
That minor flaw isn't enough to deduct the film any stars. Juno is perfect. It's a teen film was almost too good. Michael Cera does great at playing his trademark role as a geeky, pushed around dweeb with a big heart. Him and Ellen Page have amazing chemistry that just clicks from the start.
Juno could be called a sleeper hit at the Oscars for only winning Best Original Screenplay by Diablo Cody, respectively. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director (Reitman), and Best Actress (Page). It found itself sort of shoved to the side while films like No Country For Old Men got the fame. Sort of sad, but hopefully it will bounce back.
Of course the film came with quotable catchphrases like "Woah, dream big!" "Honest to blog?" and "Shut your gob!" All uttered by our female lead, Ellen Page. The film introduces us to its character's vocabulary besides telling us a lot about her colorful personality.
Juno is probably the best teen film of the 2000's decade followed by Mean Girls. It is so quirky and lovable it is welcomed as more than a daring experiment, but an unforgettable and touching film in it's category.
Starring: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, J.K. Simmons, Jennifer Garner, Allison Janney, and Olivia Thirlby. Directed by: Jason Reitman.