Walks a fine line between being clever and smug but mostly is smart, funny and touching with more to it than just superficial quirkiness

Rating: Null/10 (17 February 2008)

Juno is a sassy but geeky teen who is "sexually active" at age sixteen. When she gets pregnant with friend Bleeker, she decides to have an abortion but somehow the clinic just doesn't feel right and she goes for the adoption route instead. With "perfect" couple Mark and Vanessa Loring set up, the father kept secret and Juno's family supportive, it is only a matter of the seven or eight months between now and then to go.
Juno had me a bit worried and I wasn't really planning to see it. Indie-spirited and described as "this year's etc etc" I didn't feel sure that it was being praised because it was good or praised because it was just a bit different and quirky. It took me about twenty minutes to get an answer to that because, although very cool, the opening credits and soundtrack selection do scream "quirky" and "kooky" as if it was having a sale of those qualities. Indeed this does continue across the whole film as the dialogue is smart and rapid, the characters "off-beat" and the music slight and quirky. With this sort of material it is very easy to fall into the trap of just getting by on being cool and quirky and other similar films have done so. Fortunately Juno just about makes it work even though it walks a very fine line at times.
For this director Reitman owes writer Cody a drink because the script produces great characters and interesting scenarios across the ensemble approach. Ultimately it will feel too insubstantial and quirky for some viewers but for me I was impressed by the way it drew out the various characters and twisted things to be more downbeat and realistic rather than the upbeat, sassy stuff that makes up the majority of it. Not that there is anything wrong with this though, because it was the quirky touch that got me into the film. In this area Reitman pulls it all together really well and, aside from the cosmetic touches, brings out good performances from his cast. Page dominates the film and seems to find sassy Juno effortless; however she is also good in the harder, more emotional moments  my favourite being in the basement scene where she betrays her fragility. Cera is currently hot so makes the poster but really his role is small and mainly relies on him looking funny in shorts (which he does). His Arrested Development father Bateman is good and I liked how he held his character constant while allowing circumstances to totally change the perception of the audience. Garner does the same but in the opposite direction and her damaged, stressed character is convincing and real. Janney and Simmons are both strong in smaller roles on the "quirky" side of the material while the rest of the cast tend to be well observed minor characters (eg Su-Chin, Vijay, Bleeker's mum) that continue the quirky independent feel.
Overall then, Juno does walk a fine line and I totally understand why some viewers will find it unbearably smug and full of its own cleverness but for me it actually has enough going on within itself to avoid being just a load of quirky characters, songs and dialogue. Page is great in the title character and the ensemble cast all turn in good performances while the script gives everyone plenty to work with. Not the second coming that some proclaim it as but certainly not the superficial quick-fest that others say it is  the truth is somewhere in the middle and it is very enjoyable and effective while performing this balancing act.