Part-time Lovers & Full-time Friends

Rating: Null/10 (18 January 2008)

When I first heard of "Juno", I thought it would be a sweeter version of Alexander Payne's "Citizen Ruth" (1996, starring Laura Dern). After seeing Jason Reitman's ("Thank You For Smoking") new indie gem, I realized that Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page), the 16 year-old who gets pregnant on her first time, has much more heart than the outrageous Ruth Stoops - Juno could actually be Enid Coleslaw's (Thora Birch in "Ghost World") younger sister, a girl who's smart for her age and who looks incredibly confident but, naturally, realizes that being a mother at such a young age is something she's not ready for. Her dilemma through this unexpected and unwanted pregnancy gives Diablo Cody, a former stripper in her fine first script, the chance to create a quirky dramatic comedy with equal doses of sarcasm and warmth - which makes it even superior to Payne's merciless satire.
Ellen Page, after her amazing turn opposite Patrick Wilson in "Hard Candy", proves that she's not a one-hit wonder and that she has potential to become one of the finest names of this generation. But the entire cast is fabulous: Allison Janney (as Juno's stepmother), J.K. Simmons (as her father), Michael Cera (her part-time lover and full-time friend), Olivia Thirlby (her best friend who's into older guys - "Me too, I love Woody Allen!"), Jason Bateman (as a possible adoptive father for Juno's baby) and, particularly, Jennifer Garner, who impresses me here as an actress for the first time. As Vanessa, the possible adoptive mother, she's human and moving, making you feel all of her character's sorrow for not being able to be a mother - unlike the sweet but immature Juno, who wants to get rid of her baby as soon as possible.
Plus, not only the cast, script and directing are top-notch, but "Juno" also has a terrific soundtrack: The Moldy Peaches' "Anyone Else But You", Velvet Underground's "I'm Sticking With You", Cat Power's wondrous cover for "Sea of Love", and songs by Kimya Dawson and Belle & Sebastian, among others, help to tell Juno's whimsical journey. "Juno" is easily one of the best films of the year, and to those who are comparing it to the TV show "Gilmore Girls", as both Juno and Lorelai Gilmore (Lauren Graham) have the sharpest tongues out there, I'd say there's a big difference between them: Juno is actually funny. 10/10.