Film Review: Juno (2007)
Review of Juno (2007) starring Ellen Page and Michael Cera
Review of Jason Reitman's (Thank You For Smoking) newest comedy, Juno, about a sarcastic 16-year old who becomes pregnant and searches for the perfect adoptive parents.
Juno, the newest film from director Jason Reitman (Thank You For Smoking), delivers a charming comedy about a bumpy situation.
Juno MacGuff's pugnacious personality and quick witted tongue help make up her strong character that has to face the ultimate horror: discovering she is pregnant at 16. She rises to the challenge and decides to go through with the pregnancy and makes it her mission to find a suitable set of adoptive parents.
Ellen Page's performance as Juno completely embraces the teenage antihero. As Juno takes on the situation in a valiant manner displaying remarkable strength, there is no denying that behind the oversized belly there is a 16 year old who is still naïve to the ways of the world. Delivering perfectly timed one-liners throughout the film, Juno attempts to relieve tension of the uncomfortable situation she finds herself in.
Michael Cera's performance as Bleeker, the father of Juno's child, supports Page's performance as another naïve youth who is clueless (but funny) while he awkwardly handles the situation of impregnating his friend.
Supporting performances from J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney, Jennifer Garner, and Jason Bateman bring the film together with their roles as the adults in Juno's life who make it clear the "grown-up world" fails to be perfect, ultimately causing Juno to question if there are any certainties in life.
Reitman successfully manages to direct another film regarding a sensitive subject in a humorous light. While the direction of Juno reflects a more juvenile perspective, it does so in a manner that does not alienate adults. Instead it offers younger people an opportunity to laugh at themselves and adults to laugh at the youth. The novelties of youth are captured in the film through the presence of a hamburger shaped phone and the colloquial slang that colors the conversations dealing with serious issues. The juvenile perspective of the film is reinforced by the singsong soundtrack adds a playful element to the situation.
Juno manages to be surprisingly hilarious for dealing with a subject that every parent and teenager dread to imagine happening to them. Despite the humor, the film does not condone nor condemn the events that occur and does not glamorize teenage pregnancy, but serves as what Juno's peers call "the cautionary whale." Juno glows with a quixotic feeling, which creates hope that despite what hardships are faced along the way people hold the strength to make it through.
