"Juno" delivers in every aspect

Rating: 9/10 (19 June 2009)

Teen pregnancy movies that are usually about as predictable as "Titanic" -- inevitably (barring abortion) the baby will be born. There's your ending. But no movie has handled it like "Juno." Not even 2007's summer hit comedy "Knocked Up" can claim it does the pregnancy plot better, or funnier. "Juno" and it's fantastic smart-mouthed, sarcastic titular character ends up telling a story about something bigger than unplanned parenthood. And as much as first-time writer Diablo Cody candy-coats just about every verbal exchange with fancy dry humor, it's her story that makes "Juno" a real winner.
Juno is a 16-year-old girl who get pregnant because she and her long-time friend Paul were "bored." She's a rebel type who's into punk rock and slasher movies and she's fond of turning conversations away from social norms. Although she might seem like a stereotype at first, she handles her new problem like any of us would. 20-year-old Ellen Page ("X3: The Last Stand") gives us the humorous character portrait and so much more. We watch Juno become more than just a teenager in this film because of her ability to step back from the humor when necessary and show us real feelings.
"Juno" might seem like it's riding the label of independent comedy, but don't let its off-beat folk soundtrack or sketch-animated promotional materials dissuade you -- it's completely accessible to mainstream tastes. Director Jason Reitman who made success from a once independent "Thank You For Smoking" brings the same skill set to "Juno." Just like that film, Reitman demonstrates a great understanding of what the story is about at heart, even if that story is set to acoustic guitar and restrained vocals.
What it's really about, pardon the delay, is love. "Juno" is a love story, an epiphany and a statement about love as seen through a life-altering event in a young girl, who despite her sharp tongue, has barely scratched at the surface of what life is. Bringing this home are the adoptive parents in the film played by Jason Bateman ("Arrested Development") and the lovely Jennifer Garner. They appear to be the ideal wealthy suburban parents for Juno's unborn baby, but their longing for a child, particularly Garner -- the obsessive parenting book- reading mother-to-be -- has overwhelmed their relationship.
Garner gives a particularly touching performance: While most of the other adult characters like Juno's father and stepmother (J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney) come with humorous quirks, her role remains the most dramatic, reminding us that a teenage girl being pregnant and picking who she'll give the baby to from an easy-saver is more than just good comedy material in real life. That's not to knock the entertaining but honest performances of Simmons and Janney. Both are hilarious, but both have their heart-felt moments.
Cody impresses by taking a premise with a definitive set of consequences (teen pregnancy) and turning it into a good comedy and then some more. Although some of the fancy dialogue is off-target from the central plot, it doesn't dictate the story being told. Cody makes sure that the wit is only decoration that makes for a more entertaining take on what can be cliché dramatic events.