Juno (2007)

VERDICT:
8/10 Home Skillets

It’s all about the quirky, and the quirky is awesome.

Juno is about a spunky Midwest High School teen who gets knocked up by her sorta boyfriend and instead of “taking care of it”, she decides to keep the bun in her oven, find a perfect little couple who can’t have kids of their own and give the tyke up for adoption.

So, this here is the third effort by director Jason Reitman, it’s also the third Oscar-nominated effort by Jason Reitman, and as far as batting averages are concerned, I’d say the dude’s more or less hitting dingers blindfolded at this point. I’ll wait for the day when he finally wins Best Pic/Director to truly gush over him, but, to put it briefly, this is just one more wonderful example of a guy who really knows a thing or two about getting the most out of fresh dialogue, character-driven scripts and mirroring the visual style with the tone of the story.

Yes, Reitman is no joke, but let’s not beat around the bush.

I’ve already gotten into my fair share of arguments/fist fights with nay-saying friends and drifters about Diablo Cody’s Oscar-winning debut script and, as tiring as it can get, I will continue to stand up for the gal until the pass out from the pain. Here’s the thing about the dialogue in Juno – no, no one really talks like this, that point I’ll concede. No one’s called something “wizard” when they thought it was cool since Piggy tried to speak up in Lord of the Flies and if someone told me they were “forshizz up the spout”, I’d probably respond with, “Sorry, but I can’t sell you any cocaine.” But then again, why so much hate? Folks, if more screenwriters had an ounce of the fun and originality going for them that Cody displays so gorgeously and effortlessly here, this would be a pretty one-note website, and I would be so so happy about it.

I don’t know, it just feels unfair to focus so much on the dialogue as a detractor when it ties in so heavily to how genuine, touching and flat-out enjoyable Cody’s script is as a whole. Not saying you have to like all the quirk-speak by any means, because I would probably hang up the phone if my friend answered the other line with “Yo yo yiggedy yo!”, but this is just coming from a guy who digs it very, very much in this manufactured world of quick-witted teens. After all, I don’t see anyone giving Anthony Burgess shit for inventing a language in A Clockwork Orange.

Anywho, Cody’s also fortunate enough to have a wonderful little cast to work their magic for her. And I gotta say, even though I still haven’t seen Marion Cotillard’s performance in La Vie en Rose, I was really pulling for Ellen Page to nab Best Actress. She’s been kicking ass like whoa since Hard Candy and she freakin’ nails it as Juno MacGuff (great name). Perfect casting choice, still think she should have won it, she made that character impossible to not fall in love with.

Whatever, I’m kinda done with the Oscars anyway. Keep it up, Ellen, you’re one of the best in the game right now.

Michael Cera is still doing the whole George-Michael shtick (not to be confused with the singer/songwriter), and that’s fine, Jason Bateman is still doing the whole Michael Bluth shtick, and that’s fine too, but it’s his dynamic with the surprisingly solid Jennifer Garner that ends up being the real standout quality of the duo. And, not surprisingly, J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney are great as Juno’s parents. Those two are teh bomb, they need to get their due.

Also really like the Moldy Peaches soundtrack, which is kinda strange because I’m not all that big a fan of their stuff when I hear it outside the movie. Nonetheless, I’m a total sucker for that last rendition of “Anyone Else But You” by Page and Cera. Bonus points to Reitman for making it work, I suppose.

Look, at least once a year, there’s that special movie you see in a packed theater, trusty girlfriend/boyfriend at your side, that gives you a new lease on life, makes you want want to start sending Christmas cards to strangers and makes you forget about all those abysmel movie-going experiences with the jackass parents who brought their crying baby to Rambo. In 2007, Juno was that movie and it absolutely earned all the praise, money and love it got.

It hasn’t quite had quite the same effect on me since and some of the magic is kinda gone as a result, but the first time I saw Juno in primo circumstances, it was an easy 9 and a top contender for Best of the Year. At the very least, it was hands-down the best time I had watching a movie that year, and that goes a long way.

And let me tell ya’, if it weren’t for Juno, Bristol Palin would have screwed her mom over big time. Not quite sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing but it is totally true.