The best comedy of 2007, and one of the best films of the decade.

Rating: 10/10 (27 May 2008)

Rarely does modern cinema produce a film capable of moving an audience in the way Juno does. From the quirkiness of the screenplay to the anti-folk music, Juno, is a highly enjoyable film from beginning to end. The film takes a different approach to the high school sub genre and the pregnant girl sub genre. It neither focuses on the social interactions at the high school nor does it portray the anxiety typically associated with teenage mothers (in film and life). Instead, Juno's pregnancy brings her closer to her family and best friend Bleeker. It finds humor in the unconventional, be that when two characters compare their tastes in slasher films or when Juno's parents discuss their original hope that she might have been expelled from school. It's this approach that distinguishes the film from most others and why it has received such attention and praise. While I wish the secondary characters had been more developed, I won't take away any marks because Juno herself changes considerably during the course of the film.
Part of Juno's success is the reality and charm of its script. Juno speaks in a way one would expect a girl of her interest to speak. She is a cynical young lady with distinct preferences in indie music, and her intimate knowledge of such music groups reflects that. This is rather surprising, as most high school films sensationalize their female protagonists. Mean Girls portrays young women with incredibly unrealistic dialog (to the point of absurdity in the continued usage of "like") that it infringes on the audience's enjoyment of the film. The revelation of her pregnancy, and more importantly, Juno's parents' reaction to it, establish the film as unique. Juno is a film which humors us with its realism, as we would expect the film to have a negative tone given its topic. Similarly, the costuming perfectly supports the individual situation when characters interact. Vanessa wears a horrid and moldy shirt when she argues that the baby's room should be painted. Mark wears more formal clothing during this scene, which is symbolic of his distance from her.
Even though Juno didn't win the Best Picture, I still think Ellen Page should have received the award for Best Actress. Her performance is extraordinary. Her cynicism appears so naturally that you may forget you're watching a film. Her devotion to Bleeker, while not explored as much as I would have preferred, becomes more obvious when she is around him. Her body stiffens as she sees him trot in the back of the track team. She also looks uneasily tense when she dances with Mark and rebukes his declaration to divorce Vanessa. Her weeping after this news is also outstanding. Her visceral tears and parking at the side of the highway is remarkably lifelike. She looks as if her own parents are divorcing (again). While the acting is never sub-par; the other characters lack sufficient screen time to display their talents (with the exception of Jennifer Garner) Ellen Page's portrayal of Juno MacGuff is memorable and worth viewing.
The only complaint I have about the film is the excessive number of characters it has. Certain people, such as Su-Chin serve as comic relief and seem unnecessary. The only benefit of characters like Su-Chin and Bleeker's mother is to exacerbate Juno's cynical responses. However, this limits Juno's ability to really interact with Bleeker. Her decision that she loves him appears with little evidence of its genuineness. I personally wish Juno had spent more time with Bleeker instead of Mark, but this may have limited the comedic value of the film due to Bleeker's accountant personality.
What raises Juno above most other films is the ease with which someone can identify with its protagonist. Juno becomes more responsible about her own life, more aware of her romantic feelings, and more loving of her parents during her pregnancy. Nevertheless, despite all this, she is still a child. This is why she sees nothing unusual with visiting Mark, a married man, and why she still plays guitar with Bleeker at the film's end. Most of us can recall something in the past which happened to early and deprived us of our innocence. This happens to Juno too, but she still maintains her childlike inhibitions and romance with Bleeker.
Usually during reviews I do not respond to criticisms of the particular film I am reviewing, but I feel that a portion of the negative reviews on IMDb are not logical. The first is that the film does not realistically portray teenage pregnancy. Sure, but when have non-documentary films completely portrayed an event as it would actually occur? The appeal of cinema is to escape actual reality and anticipate the film's reality. The second major criticism is that the film propagates abortion as the first option to unwanted pregnancy. In the context of film criticism, this argument has no relevance to Juno. Juno is not a propaganda film, so it is free to portray abortion any way it wishes. Abortion is actually quite common for young women in her situation, which contributes to the realism of the film. The final criticism is that the plot progresses too slowly. I see this as a matter of taste. Yes, the plot isn't as quick as an action film, but drama films are rarely known for their fast pace or small story time. A slow pace is necessary for Juno's pregnancy to occur and her character to develop.
Juno will become one of the most famous films for both Ellen Page and Jason Reitman. Reitman is now out of his father's shadow and casting his own. His film provides a more satisfying humor and memorable story most of what his father directed. I strongly recommend the film to anyone, regardless of whether they enjoy comedies or not. Those who do not will enjoy some portion of the film, as its appeal is profound.