Writer: Diablo Cody (Screenplay)
Starring: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons, Olivia Thirlby, Rainn Wilson
Plot: Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, an offbeat young woman makes an unusual decision regarding her unborn child.
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: Nice Indie Comedy
Story: Juno starts by showing our two young lovers Juno (Page) and Paulie (Cera) awkward first time. We follow Juno as she deals with the idea that she is now pregnant leaving her to wonder what to do next. Juno’s first reaction is to call her best friend Leah (Thirlby) before deciding to speak to Paulie who is less than helpful when it comes to making a decision on what to do. At first Juno wants to get an abortion but can’t go through with it.
Juno looks at other options like giving up the baby adoption and she picks a couple Vanessa (Garner) and Mark Loring (Bateman). Before going through with that, Juno has to tell her parents Mac (Simmons) and Bren (Janney) who are disappointed but also supporting in their reaction. After making the decision to let them have her baby Juno goes through the pregnancy process but as the baby grows she deals with all the high school politics and watches the boy who made her pregnant move on, all while she questions whether it is the right thing to do.
Juno is one story that goes straight to the point and though it has relationship issues it keeps the primary teen pregnancy story at the forefront. It does a great job of showing how Juno is too young to really understand the situation she is in, but also shows how she learns as the baby grows. This really is an enjoyable film that will make you feel what the characters are going through over the time period. It also becomes one of the most recognisable stories in recent years. (9/10)
Actor Review
Ellen Page: Juno our quick talking teenage girl who is pregnant and struggles to decided what to do, we see her as she does keep the baby grow and make decision that will affect the peoples involved lives. Ellen gives what will be her best performance in this role and it will always be difficult to beat this. (10/10)
Michael Cera: Paulie the boy who is the father, he is too young to realize the affect it will have on his life and continues on his school and sports life. Michael gives a good performance as shows how unaware a teenager could be when it comes to dealing with pregnancy. (7/10)
Jennifer Garner: Vanessa the wife of the couple who are looking to adopt Juno’s baby, she is career driven but wants to have her own family. Jennifer does a good job and shows how a mother to be acts. (8/10)
Jason Bateman: Mark husband of the couple who is just going along with what his wife wants and also reflexes how unprepared he will be to be a father. Jason gives a solid performance but doesn’t show all his abilities. (6/10)
Support Cast: Juno doesn’t have the biggest support cast, it mostly consists of family members and friends who support Juno with her pregnancy. They all add laughs and the feel of the story.
Director Review: Jason Reitman – Jason does a good job directing this classic film that quite rightly got him an Oscar nod. (9/10)
Comedy: Juno puts a light hearted spin on the subject but never falls into a joke a minute level of comedy. (6/10)
Drama: Juno shows the real problems that would be faced by a teenage pregnancy very well. (9/10)
Romance: Juno would have to come over as an alternative romance film because we do have a romantic angle but it is how people hold back their real feelings. (9/10)
Settings: Juno has good settings used throughout to make the story flow showing the difference in class between Juno and potential parents. (9/10)
Suggestion: Juno is one to watch, it is a delightfully little comedy that will be enjoyed by all. (Watch)
Best Part: Juno and the furniture
Worst Part: It might have been a little bit more if we had seen more of Paulie reaction.
Believability: It tackles some very real issues with teen pregnancy. (9/10)
Chances of Tears: No (0/10)
Chances of Sequel: No
Post Credits Scene: No
Oscar Chances: Won Best original Screenplay and was nominated for Best Picture, Best Leading Actress and Best Director.
Box Office: $231 Million
Budget: $7.5 Million
Runtime: 1 Hour 36 Minutes
Tagline: A comedy about growing up… and the bumps along the way.
Trivia: Jennifer Garner dropped her A-list salary to a percentage point agreement for Juno when it was expected to be a small, low-grossing indie film, but the decision paid off when Juno became a breakout smash at the box office – giving Garner her best payday yet.
Overall: Enjoyable
Rating