Juno's Parents are the Best Part of the Movie

Rating: 6/10 (23 February 2008)

This is the fifth and last Best Picture nominee that I have seen. Just in the nick of time for the Oscar ceremony on Monday morning, which I won't be able to watch! Isn't that ironic? Anyway, of all the nominees, "Juno" is the most accessible to the casual movie fan. It is understandable why this is the only one of the five nominees to be a box office hit, grossing more than $100M.
The situations and the dialogues are so much closer to reality than the others. The plot is simple and direct, but the treatment is unique. It was interesting to note that the writer (Oscar nominated and likely winner of Best Original Screenplay) Diablo Cody used to be a stripper. I guess that would account for the avant garde yet frank treatment of the sensitive subject matter of teenage sex and pregnancy. The script has a decidedly feminine bent, showing the strengths of the women characters.
The musical score was very unusual. I cannot even define the genre of that music and those quirky jangly songs! Very interesting soundtrack.
The actors are really very good here, led of course by Ellen Page playing Juno. She is very believable in her portrayal of a strong sensible, smart-alecky high school girl whose unexpected pregnancy expectedly shakes up her life. I can't believe she is actually already 20 years old! Jennifer Garner is very remarkable as well playing the childless woman who wanted to adopt Juno's baby. She has very touching moments, and she was really effective in them. Especially that scene where she was talking to Juno's bulging tummy in the mall. There was also those tense scenes that dealt with complicated marital issues she had with her husband Mark (Jason Bateman).
My favorite couple in this movie are J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney as Juno's dad and stepmom. If this movie was set in the Philippines, all hell would have broken loose in that scene where Juno confesses her pregnancy to her parents. There was none of that here, in a rather sharp contrast of cultures. They had very witty and snappy lines. Great scene of Allison giving the holier-than-thou ultrasound technician a piece of her mind.
Overall, it was admittedly better than I expected. However, I do not really think this is really Best Picture material. It won't go home empty-handed I would bet. I do think its main chance for an Oscar is for its Original Screenplay. That said, the morality issue will always be with this movie. What message exactly does it say and deliver to teens of today about teen pregnancy?