 Tagline: A comedy about growing up... and the bumps along the way. Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) is a cool, confident teenager who takes a nine-month detour into adulthood when she's faced with an unplanned pregnancy - and sets out to find the perfect parents for her baby. With the help of her charmingly unassuming boyfriend (Michael Cera), supportive dad (J.K Simmons) and no-nonsense stepmom (Allison Janney), Juno sets her sights on an affluent couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) longing to adopt their first child. Storyline: A tale told over four seasons, starting in autumn when Juno, a 16-year-old high-school junior in Minnesota, discovers she's pregnant after one event in a chair with her best friend, Bleeker. In the waiting room of an abortion clinic, the quirky and whip-sharp Juno decides to give birth and to place the child with an adoptive couple. She finds one in the PennySaver personals, contacts them, tells her dad and step-mother, and carries on with school. The chosen parents, upscale yuppies (one of whom is cool and laid back, the other meticulous and uptight), meet Juno, sign papers, and the year unfolds. Will Juno's plan work, can she improvise, and what about Bleeker? Written by Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman, April 3, 2008 -- That little pink plus sign is so unholy. As original a motion picture as Juno is, its story is certainly anything but. Walk into most any high school in the country and you're bound to meet Juno MacGuff, or a reasonable facsimile thereof. I should know, my wife teaches girls just like Juno world geography everyday. Juno takes something as simple (or is it?), mundane (really? ask Juno), and ordinary (can it ever be?) as teenage pregnancy and runs it through the ringer, showing us what one young girl, a young girl who is definitely a product of her (this) generation, just might go through during an unplanned pregnancy. Hers is a story original on-screen but one played countless times in hallways, classrooms, school busses, gym classes, bedrooms, living rooms, cars, recliners, and cyber spaces (but not outer spaces, or at least as far as we know) all around the world. Hers is the story of a girl, a family, a baby, a spirt, all in limbo, waiting for anything and everything--divine providence, happenstance, or even that little voice inside of you (in Juno's case almost literally)--to guide them to a place where harmony will once again prevail, where this anything-but-original story will have the ending they (or we) may not have hoped for, but the ending that will keep this old world spinning. Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page, Hard Candy) has just found out she's pregnant. She verified it three times in the convenience store bathroom, and all in all, she's taking the news pretty well. Her boyfriend and father of the baby, Bleeker (Michael Cera, Superbad), after the initial shock of the news, settles into his role as father, well, as father for only a few brief moments. Juno has chosen to abort the baby, and Bleeker reaffirms and supports her decision, declaring himself "cool" with it. After that idea didn't work out quite as Juno had hoped, she discovers the joys of adoption and interviews for a barren couple, Vanessa and Mark Loring (Jennifer Garner, Catch and Release and Jason Bateman, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, respectively). Juno and Mark hit it off immediately, sharing a passion for music and horror films, and the couple decides to adopt Juno's baby once it arrives. Having only recently completed her first trimester, Juno has six months to come to terms with the topsy-turvy world her life has become, truly decide what's best for her and her baby (not to mention Bleeker), and do her best to ensure the survival of the status quo, at the very least. Even though I am the furthest thing from a member of the target audience of this movie, I nevertheless was able to appreciate the magic it shows us, magic that is deeper and maybe a bit more meaningful than your average Saturday matinee spectacle. I'm almost certain that this movie will speak to and for this generation, one I'm several behind, and perhaps that's why the movie, taken as a whole, didn't quite click with me. I found myself lost under the avalanche of slang (some phrases sounding like some strange dialect I'd never heard before), but managed to piece the story together through the wonder of context clues. This script did manage to earn its author, Diablo Cody, an Academy Award for best original screenplay, and for the most part, I agree that it's at least worthy of the nomination, and perhaps even of the win. Compared to two of the additional four films it competed against (Ratatouille and Michael Clayton) that I've seen, I must agree that Juno was a worthy victor. The only reason Juno succeeded as it did, in my opinion, is because of the outstanding performances by the leads. Sure, the script is there to guide them, but each actor manages to not only make the pages come alive, but to live them through and through, putting on a performance from top to bottom, from Juno to the least memorable character, whomever that may be, that is second-to-none in anything I've seen recently. Much like another film of recent vintage, Dan In Real Life, Juno is more lived than acted, the characters performing at such a fine level of excellence, the direction so smooth (thanks to the sharp eye of Jason Reitman), and the flow of the story so graceful that we can't help but feel a part of the film, a participant in the proceedings, witnessing the miracle of the creation of life and all that entails. Nevertheless, despite all the positives, I cannot claim Juno as one of my favorite movies of the year. The appeal is obvious and palpable, but as a product of a generation not too far detached from that of Juno, but never having really felt a part of that or any subsequent generation, much of the story beyond the more basic of its roots slipped past me, and perhaps that's a shame on me. I've oftentimes wondered which films I'd show to historical figures to allow them to "catch up" on the times, and Juno has shot to near the top of that list, a movie that everyone may not necessarily get, but one that is definitely charming, original, touching, and real, a product of this thing we call life in 2008. Juno has been one of the most talked about films of the year. Like it, hate it, or fall somewhere in the middle, you no doubt have an opinion on the movie, but one thing should be close to unanimous: it is very well made and acted, something every film fan should be able to appreciate, respect, and admire. Brimming with edgy, trendy dialogue, a timely (and timeless) story, and well-drawn characters, Juno is definitely a movie worth seeing if you have not already. Those who loved this movie will be most eager to add it to their Blu-ray collection. Sporting fine video and audio quality that both accurately and pleasingly reflect the tone of the story, this Blu-ray edition is not likely to disappoint. The supplements are fairly extensive and entertaining, but their presentation in 480p standard definition proved disappointing. Nevertheless, this Blu-ray disc is bound to find its way into many a collection, and it comes recommended. Cast Notes: Ellen Page (Juno MacGuff), Michael Cera (Paulie Bleeker), Jennifer Garner (Vanessa Loring), Jason Bateman (Mark Loring), Allison Janney (Bren MacGuff), J.K. Simmons (Mac MacGuff), Olivia Thirlby (Leah), Eileen Pedde (Gerta Rauss), Rainn Wilson (Rollo), Daniel Clark (Steve Rendazo), Darla Fay (Bleeker's Mom [as Darla Vandenbossche]), Aman Johal (Vijay), Valerie Tian (Su-Chin), Emily Perkins (Punk Receptionist), Kaaren de Zilva (Ultrasound Technician [as Kaaren De Zilva]). IMDb Rating (07/24/14): 7.6/10 from 334,322 users IMDb Rating (04/01/08): 8.2/10 from 70,977 users Top 250: #164
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