Juno by Jason Reitman (2007)
22 December 2007I thought the trailer looked really funny, and this film just looked quirky, and I have to say it was right. This is a really cute film with witty dialogue and some great performances. And Ellen Page is going to be huge. She does such a great job here with some really snappy dialogue and really pulls it off. Sure she can be a bit over the top in some instances, but the film really pulls together and works. And really everyone is so damn good, the father played by J.K. Simmons and the step mom played by Allison Janney are both amazing as are both Jennifer Garner in the most moving role I have seen her in and Jason Bateman. This movie is really a must see. A quirky indie with quite a bit of mainstream appeal.
The film starts with the 16 year old Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page who is super cute and has such a great personality in this that you know she is just going to be huge) taking stomping down to her local seven eleven drinking a gallon of Sunny D and being berated by it’s cashier (Rainn Wilson) as she takes her third pregnancy test and once again getting a positive. Juno calls her best friend Leah (Olivia Thirlby), a cheerleader with a thing for older teachers, and she laughs it off as they discuss where to get an abortion. She gets Leah’s friend to help her move the chair and furniture set to the yard of the father, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera) who comes out to run for track, and sees her, and she tells him the hard facts, and that she is going to take care of it, so he runs off, a little crestfallen, and Juno heads out to get it taken care of. Outside is a Chinese girl Su Chin (Vaelrie Tian) protesting abortions, and Juno goes in and is ready to do it, but something stops her, and she decides to have the kid and give it away. Leah finds a couple in the penny saver that really wants a child, and Juno decides she will give it to them, but first she must tell her parents.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Juno brings Leah to tell her father Mac (J.K. Simmons) and step mother Bren (Allison Janney) and they are just blown away, but they support her in what she wants to do, and Mac decides to go with her to meet this yuppie couple she wants to give her child to.
Juno and Mac go and meet Mark (Jason Bateman) and Vanessa Loring (Jennifer Garner) a husband and wife who are desperate for a child, or at least Vanessa is. Juno agrees with them to give up her child if they pay for her medical expenses and she agrees to tell them about the progress, and they go their separate ways.
Juno then goes on with her life, getting bigger and bigger, and still going to school, where her only real friend is Leah, and things are becoming more and more estranged with Paulie, though it is obvious she has feelings for him. And it was her who decided to have sex in the first place.
After Juno’s first ultrasound she heads over to show it to the Lorings, and ends up hanging out with Mark as Vanessa isn’t home. It seems Mark is pretty restricted, having only his room and the basement, and he works at home and does jingles for commercials, instead of the rock music he did in the past. He doesn’t seem to happy, and things get weird when Vanessa gets home.
Later at the mall, Juno sees Vanessa playing with her friends kid, and when they see each other she lets Vanessa feel the baby kicking in her stomach and talking to it. She really wants this baby so much.
Juno then learns from Leah that Paulie has asked another girl to the prom, and she is pissed, and confronts him, but he tells her she has no right, because she broke his heart. And Juno storms off, obviously distraught, and heads to the Lorings. Mark is home alone again, and they hang out and play music for each other, and even dance, and Mark tells her he is leaving Vanessa, and Juno just freaks out and is ready to storm out and leave, but then Vanessa gets home, and she is in between Mark and Vanessa’s fight, until she can get out. And Mark tells Vanessa he is leaving and already has a place.
Juno freaks out, but then goes back and leaves a note in front of the Loring’s house, which they get, but she is gone.
Juno goes home and talks to her father about finding someone to spend the rest of ones life with, and its sounds like she thinks she has found someone.
Juno goes to Paulie at track practice and tells him she loves him, and they kiss.
Juno’s water breaks, and she heads to the hospital with her family, but doesn’t tell Paulie, though he figures it out at the track meet and runs over. Paulie shows up, and lies with her in bed, and they don’t even see the child, because it is not really theirs, it is Vanessa’s and she takes the child. And back at her house she has the note framed, from Juno, “Vanessa if you are still up for it, I am in.” Vanessa got a divorce and has her child now, and is perfectly happy. And Juno and Paulie found their love and are together, having had a kid to make them realize how in love they were.
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Really a lovely little film.
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