Juno (2007) Movie Review

Juno will no doubtably be a holiday hit and serve as the hottest Indie film of the season. Its tangible storyline and stellar cast make for an enjoyable time at the theater, helping you understand why there was a standing ovation at the Toronto Film Festival. However, I was not overthrown by this film. Some dynamics seem to fail but in the end, despite its faults, Juno achieves success in outshining the majority of other current films.

Jason Reitman’s directorial follow up to Thank You For Smoking is not as spot on and finely tuned but it doesn’t fall too far from the tree. This film has an entirely different feel—let alone plot. Whereas TYFS has a specific style and flow, Juno wanders a little more off the beaten path, falling victim to the use of already existing styles as a crutch. Yes, the simple opening title sequence is cute and ever so “Indie” but it moves the film to come off as an imitation. And if it doesn’t by then, it definitely does within the next fifteen minutes. We’ve seen Napolean Dynamite. We’ve seen Little Miss Sunshine. That Indie comedy look has been well defined but that does not make it a template. The colors, the clutter—even the font of the credits bleed unoriginality. Don’t get me wrong, I like the film. But this piece suffers because it tries so incredibly hard to be an Indie film.

Diablo Cody makes her feature film debut with this script, finding quite a way to enter Hollywood in the right light. Her writing is, at times, extremely sharp witted and conducive to laughs. The turns her characters take are both unexpected and brilliant. This could have easily been a predictable story with run of the mill characters but its ability to stay clear of either is what makes it work. Cody’s dialogue is snappy but a little overdone. In some scenes it seems as if she, like the film, tries entirely too hard to be awkward and quirky. Her distinctively nontraditional female voice comes out guns blazing but wears thin. Although, I can guarantee that her use of “pork swords” will soon be pouring out of mouths everywhere. Some of the joke devices are hilarious but get roped along too far and squeezed too many times. Also, the voiceover is a slight hindrance. It takes away from the highly praised performance by Ellen Paige and leaves room for Cody to make strange decisions like use a line in the opening scene that sounds too much like it’s out of a Chuck Palahniuk novel, spelling out to the audience that the story starts and ends with a chair. If she can tone down her oversaturated dialogue and rely on subtlety rather than constantly reminding use that she wrote this and is working to fit the Indie mold, she’ll be well on her way.

As I said before, the cast is on its game. Ellen Paige plays the unforgettable Juno who loves old school punk rock (and talks about it like she experienced the glory days), has a fetus in her belly, and has an interesting take on life while showing that beneath her rough quirky exterior, she is just as human as the rest of us. Michael Cera shines, as he always does, as the ever so awkward “not-boyfriend” responsible for the conception. J.K. Simmons and Olivia Thirlby play Juno’s priceless parents who not only have no shame commenting on the precarious situation of their daughter but also have no problem fully supporting her. The adopting parents, played by Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner, start as you might expect but take an ingenious turn for the hilarious, the uncomfortable, and the emotionally spurring. All of these characters, with other fun accents like Rain Wilson’s store clerk, make for an interesting take on humanity.

I don’t feel that this film really comes together until the midpoint. This is because up until then, Juno strives to be comic gold. The dramatic scenes add much more weight to the story and induce a heavier audience draw. Comedy, in this case, sets up beautiful later scenes of confusion, sorrow, and hope. This is when the film feels most natural and fully in its own element. The first act tries too hard and misses multiple opportunities to truly stick out from other independent films. However, Juno delivers more of a punch than other rolls of celluloid currently out there. Laughs, cries, pregnant bellies—it has it all. And although it may be hard to find it at first, there is an individualistic independent film full of heart here to be found.