Review: Juno

Juno is a fun little film that, like its title character, gives as good as it gets.

Most of the people that populate the movie start off seeming more than a little caricaturized, from the smart alecky Juno (Ellen Page), through the too-tightly-wound Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and too-cool-by-half Mark (Jason Bateman), the childless couple who react to teen-and-pregnant Juno's "generous offer" in ways that telegraph the eventual outcome. Having said that, though, the appeal of Juno (the film and the character) lies not in the plot basics but rather in the fun that's had along the way.

In a manner reminiscent of Little Miss Sunshine, the characters of Juno come together to create a world in which you end up more interested in the people themselves than in what's happening around them. That's not to say that I didn't care at all about the precarious marriage of Vanessa and Mark - it was just too obvious from the start that it was headed for disaster - or that I would have been just as satisfied if Juno hadn't found true love in the end. Not at all; but I was definitely more entertained by the dialogue and interactions. I loved watching Juno's step-mother (Allison Janney, from West Wing), who clearly cared more about her husband's child than most Hollywood evil-step-parents are ever allowed to, as she ripped into the ultrasound technician who dared to look down her nose at the pregnant teen. Similarly, Olivia Thirlby, as Juno's unflappable best friend Leah, shone in every scene she appeared in, including the one where the parents get "the news" while Leah looks on, chews bubble gum, and helps not one bit!

I was initially less convinced of the appeal that Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera) supposedly held for Juno, seeing as he's pretty much a nebbish for most of the film. But by the end of the story, I got it: love's supposed to be blind! We don't have to see what Juno sees in him; we just have to accept that she does. His love of Orange Tic Tacs (which I happen to share), his timid nature, and the fact that he probably doesn't have a pretentious bone in his body... those are all significant contributing factors to why he's the perfect match for Juno - who never met a person she couldn't cut to ribbons with a well-placed zinger or two. Because we've watched Juno dissect and eventually discard nearly everyone she's come in contact with, it's all the more telling when she finally says, "Frig it!" and admits to herself that she might actually be in love... I mean, how corny can she get!?!

If you're looking for some laughs and a great mix of slightly off-center characters, you could do a whole lot worse than rent Juno. I'm happy to say that I went all the way with Juno... umm, I mean: I bought the Special Edition DVD, including the original script!

Rating: *** 1/2