100 Movies - No. 47: Juno

47. Juno (2007)
Comedy, Drama, Romance, 96 minutes
Directed by Jason Reitman
Starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman and J. K. Simmons

Director Jason Reitman was also responsible for Up in the Air in 2009, which, along with Juno, dealt with subjects in which I had very little interest. But Reitman’s mix of drama and comedy works well in both movies and the witty dialogue drives both.

Juno is funny throughout, but it’s never dumb comedy and it never resorts to gross humor. The story works because we care about the characters and their one-liners fit both their personality and the situation. In short, it feels real. Many comedies assault the viewer with a stream of contrived jokes and it falls flat (for me at least).

Juno MacGuff (Page) is 16 and newly-pregnant. We see a flashback showing how it happened and who the father is. It turns out to be one of her best friends, Paulie Bleeker (Cera). After telling him, she decides that an abortion is the best course of action, but she changes her mind following a visit to the clinic. She’s a smart girl and feels capable of making her own decisions, eventually deciding that adoption may be the best thing for her and the baby.

She finds potential parents in an ad and then has the task of telling her father (Simmons) and stepmother (Allison Janney) that she’s pregnant. This is where the movie first defies our expectations. Instead of anger and shock, her parents are calm and accepting. They even joke about the situation when she reveals the father. It’s so refreshing to see supportive parents rather than the usual stereotypes.

Her father wants to go with her to meet the prospective foster parents, Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and Mark (Bateman). Vanessa desperately wants a baby and is skeptical that Juno will honor the agreement, while Mark is more relaxed about everything. He bonds with Juno when she sees his guitar and they end up singing together.

Juno keeps in touch with the couple and forms a friendship with Mark because of their common love of music and movies. I particularly like this sequence because I’m passionate about both subjects and know the power of sharing and talking about such things. It’s the main reason that I write about movies. Mark introduces her to Sonic Youth (my favorite band) and Juno shares some of her classic rock and punk albums. It seems that the two might enter into a more serious relationship.

Her stepmother teaches her about food supplements and defends Juno when she goes to the hospital and is insulted by the ultrasound technician. It’s further evidence that she’ll be supported in her choices all the way.

Bleeker's face lights up every time he sees Juno. Cera plays the part well and doesn’t go over the top. It’s a quiet and understated performance, but he makes it clear that she’s special to him. She suggests that he date a different girl, but is angry when he does. The two have a showdown and it again becomes clear that they really feel something for each other.

There’s a touching scene in the shopping mall where Juno encounters Vanessa and sees her playing with a little girl. We see Juno forming the opinion that Vanessa will make a good mother. The scene develops with a meeting between the two in which Vanessa talks to Juno’s belly.

Her arrangement with Vanessa and Mark is threatened by one occurrence and we wonder how everything will turn out. I won’t reveal that here, but it’s a good resolution.

Another great scene involves a chat between father and daughter. It’s a potentially life-changing talk played perfectly by Page and Simmons. It sets into motion events that shape Juno’s immediate future. Simmons is so talented. If I were a writer/director, one of the first things I would do is create a starring role for Simmons. He’s made his mark with supporting roles, but has so much more to offer.

As for Page, what a remarkable talent. She carried such films as Whip It and Hard Candy, and had a major supporting role in Inception. At 24, she has most of her career ahead of her and I’m excited to see how she develops. She’s already capable of showing so much emotion and her comic timing is perfect. It will be fun to see what happens over the next decade.

One important component of the movie is the soundtrack. Kimya Dawson contributes nine of the songs in the film and they fit the mood and Juno’s character perfectly. There’s a well-placed Kinks song and bands such as Cat Power and Belle & Sebastian also fit the mood. The highlight is Sonic Youth covering the Carpenters’ Superstar, and it’s an important part of the plot.

Juno isn’t a film that will appeal to everyone. Some argue that the dialogue isn’t realistic, but I found it so. Who is it aimed at? Teens? Women? Pregnant girls? Many will write it off as falling into one of those categories. That would be a shame because it has a lot more to offer. I’m a 49-year-old man and I found it utterly charming, refreshing, intelligent and genuinely funny.

There’s a chance it may upset some people because it turns a serious situation into an amusing comedy. Is it saying that it’s acceptable to be pregnant at 16? How would you feel as a parent who faced a similar situation? How would you feel if you were a pregnant teen and didn’t receive that kind of support and understanding from your parents? I would hope that it can be taken for what it is; a fictional situation. It’s more about how the characters react to the situation than anything else.

I talk a lot about being taken into different worlds by a good film and Juno falls into that category. Although it lasts just 96 minutes, I am reluctant to leave that world and always watch the special features. So, for me, Juno is a three-hour experience that always makes me happy.

If you like Juno:

After four films, it seems that I am a huge fan of director Jason Reitman. Like Juno, Up in the Air includes outstanding dialogue. George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick star and the cameo from J. K. Simmons is also memorable. Although slightly below the level of those two films, Thank You for Smoking and Young Adult are well worth your time.

Fans of Ellen Page might want to check out Hard Candy, but be aware that she plays a much grittier character than the one who charmed us in Juno. I can't talk much about the film without ruining the plot, but it was a tremendous performance from Page when she was just 17 years old (playing a 14-year-old).

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My Top 20 science fiction movies: Part 4, #1-5

My Top 20 science fiction movies (continued)

If you have been following this series, you’ll know numbers 6-20 in my Top 20. My tastes won’t appeal to everyone. I’m sure most people would include a couple of Star Wars movies in their own Top 20, while others might like Jurassic Park. The good news is you can just ignore my opinion and buy both when they hit Blu-ray later this year.

Here are my five favorite science fiction movies:

5. I Am Legend (2007)

Directed by Francis Lawrence

Starring Will Smith, Alice Braga and Charlie Tahan

Will Smith was a good choice for the role of Robert Neville. His character looks like he can take care of himself, but he also looks intelligent enough to conduct scientific experiments. I’m fond of post-apocalyptic stories because they encourage me to think. What would life be like if you lived without any human contact? Where would you find food? How would you spend your time? What would your purpose in life be? Neville has adapted to his solitary existence and seeks a cure for the infection which has affected most of the human race. I find it interesting watching actors carry a movie. Tom Hanks had to do it in Cast Away and James Franco had a similar role in 127 Hours. Both are stories that I keep revisiting. I Am Legend has extended periods of quiet reflection as we are shown how Neville lives. When he does encounter somebody, his reaction is believable. The special effects aren’t entirely convincing, but I still love visiting Neville’s world. There’s a little action thrown in, but this is mainly a thought-provoking psychological study. The Blu-ray has been out a while, but the presentation is almost reference quality.

4. Avatar (2009)

Directed by James Cameron

Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver

Here’s a movie that you won’t have to think about at all. The dialogue is dumb and the second half of the movie is just a standard science fiction battle sequence. So why do I like it? The look of the movie is incredible and genuinely makes me feel like I’m visiting an alien world. There’s also an excellent sequence which lasts for about an hour in which Jake Sully (Worthington) meets some of the native population and learns how they live. The training sequence is easily the most interesting part of the story and I never tire of watching it. Avatar isn’t a great movie; it’s a piece of entertainment which appeals to a vast number of people. Sometimes, that’s exactly what I want. There isn’t a better looking Blu-ray than this and it’s pure escapism. I prefer the extended version which explains a couple of things in more depth and ties up an important loose end.

Click here for my full review.

3. The Matrix (1999)

Directed by Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski

Starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss

The Matrix is a strange movie. Although it seems like an obvious story on the surface, there are a number of deeper themes if you choose to dig deeper. When it was released, it looked like something that had never been seen before. The use of slow motion adds to the overall feel and the special effects are still pretty cool. It’s an exciting ride in which Neo (Reeves) learns the truth about his existence. We see that there’s nothing he can’t do once he has been exposed to the relevant training, and that knowledge is downloaded in seconds. The story is also about belief in your own ability and acceptance of the real situation, as well as philosophical layers that make you question things such as religion and fate. The movie is an exercise in style, but it works well because of the action, effects and acting. Reeves is often ridiculed for his acting ability, but he’s certainly a good choice. He’s not meant to know anything, and he plays it exactly right. The Blu-ray release is decent considering the age of the movie and some of the chase sequences will fully test your home theater system.

2. Inception (2010)

Directed by Christopher Nolan

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page

Christopher Nolan delivers good movies on a consistent basis and hasn’t disappointed me so far. I’m not a fan of comic book characters, but Batman Begins and The Dark Knight took the genre to a different level. The Prestige and Memento are presented in an intriguing way and both are among my favorites. Inception is arguably Nolan’s most ambitious effort to date. The plot is complex and it must have taken a long time to get things exactly right. I imagine that many viewers won’t understand everything that happens and Nolan doesn’t dumb things down. Inception could work on some level even if you don’t grasp the whole story. It’s a visual feast with stunning special effects happening at several different rates of speed. The acting is good and there is no shortage of action. The ambiguous ending angered some, but I quite like it. This is a movie that I already love after two viewings, and I’m looking forward to seeing it again.

1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Starring Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood and William Sylvester

This is a prime example of how my tastes have changed over the years. The first time I saw 2001, I think I fell asleep. When I revisited it on cable many years later, I couldn’t get past the first act with the apes. But in recent years, I have started to appreciate what Kubrick achieved. The first thing to remember is what science fiction movies were like before 2001 was released in 1968. Most were laughable, predictable and not even remotely believable. Kubrick’s film completely changed the genre. It’s epic in scope, spanning around 6,000 years, and over half of the film is told without the use of dialogue. It may be easy to show apes or people floating around without gravity with the use of modern special effects, but consider what was available in 1968; even making a pen appear to float was a challenge. Actors had to dress up as apes and study the movements of real animals to produce the opening act. Kubrick’s use of music was another innovation. Think about the docking sequence and how Kubrick made it seem like a dance. He also got the details right. How many directors would have shown an explosion in space without sound? It’s not an easy film to watch by any means. If you go in expecting action, you’ll be sorely disappointed. It’s a film that will stay with you a long time after you see it and might even encourage you to investigate some of the deeper themes. If you don’t know what the monoliths represent, it’s interesting finding out. The story does make sense when you take the time to research it, and it’s a work of genius. It also contains my favorite cut sequence, when a bone is thrown in the air and we move on to the next act. I’m sure a lot of people have never seen 2001, while others may have seen it and written it off as meaningless or boring. If that’s the case, I urge you to look at it again. It has to be the most influential science fiction film ever made. How many times have you heard Thus Spake Zarathustra when watching a documentary about space? It’s actually a piece of art as much as it is a film. The Blu-ray looks stunning considering the age of the film. 

Thanks for reading. Feel free to comment or post your own favorites.

Click here to see numbers 6-10 on the list.

Click here to see numbers 11-15 on the list.

Click here to see numbers 16-20 on the list.

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My Top 20 Dramas: Part 2, #11-15

My Top 20 Dramas (continued)

Most of my favorite movies are dramas. It’s largely because important stories told in a serious way tend to be dramas. Acting is generally better and the story means something.

It’s incredibly difficult to rank films. Much depends on mood or which ones you have seen recently. The order constantly changes and new titles are added as I see titles for the first time.

With that in mind, here’s #11-15 in my favorite genre:

15. As Good as It Gets (1997)

Directed by James L. Brooks

Starring Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt and Greg Kinnear

Nicholson and Hunt both won Oscars for their unconventional romance. It’s a good example of the type of humor I like as it is sprinkled among serious dramatic scenes. The main duo, ably supported by Kinnear, all did great work. Nicholson possesses excellent comic timing and all three characters were convincing in their roles. The story is touching, involving and very funny in places. It’s capable of making you laugh and cry and that’s a rare thing.

14. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

Directed by Milos Forman

Starring Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher, Brad Dourif and Danny DeVito

More Nicholson and further evidence of his natural instinct for comic timing. It’s a thought-provoking film set in a mental institution, mixing humor and drama. Some scenes are uplifting, but others are extremely sad. What is freedom? What are the most important things in life? It also features good early performances from Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd and Brad Dourif (who was nominated for an Oscar). I don’t think I’ll ever forget Will Sampson’s contribution as The Chief. Ah, Juicy Fruit.

13. Juno (2007)

Directed by Jason Reitman

Starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman and J.K. Simmons

Juno is another drama with plenty of funny moments. The acting is superb across the board and the chemistry between Page and Cera works well. One of my favorite scenes involves a talk between Juno and her father (Simmons) in which his gentle wisdom leads her to a key revelation about her feelings. The Oscar-winning screenplay from Diablo Cody feels authentic and captures the mind of a teen particularly well. I laughed and I was charmed by this gem. The story never gets too serious and the whimsical mood is perfectly enhanced by the choice of songs.

See my full review here.

12. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)

Directed by Isao Takahata

Starring the voices of Tsutomu Tatsumi and Ayano Shiraishi

Here’s an animated movie that wasn’t targeted at children. Most animated fare is light-hearted and full of humor, but Grave of the Fireflies is deadly serious. I’m usually crying three minutes into the film because of a beautiful scene where a boy’s spirit is reunited with his sister’s. The remainder of the story is told through flashbacks and shows how the two siblings died. It contains so many touching moments and is based on a true story in which a young boy was unable to save his little sister. It’s set during the Second World War, but never preaches about which side was right or wrong. It’s purely an observation of how war affects people’s lives. It’s easily the best serious animation I've ever seen.

11. Three Colors Red (1994)

Directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski

Starring Irène Jacob, Jean-Louis Trintignant and Frédérique Feder

Krzysztof Kieslowski and Irène Jacob first worked together three years earlier in The Double Life of Veronique and it’s a pleasure to see them together again in Kieslowski’s final film. She plays Valentine, a young model who inadvertently meets a retired judge (Trintignant). She disapproves of his lifestyle and slowly influences him and inspires a change. I like it so much because Valentine is such a pure spirit and a source of goodness. The judge isn’t particularly likable at the outset, but I end up pitying him and then liking him. It’s a thought-provoking piece about how people can change. It also has deeper themes and some have speculated that the judge represents God. Released in the same year as Forrest Gump, The Shawshank Redemption and Pulp Fiction, Three Colors Red is the most powerful part of Kieslowski’s excellent trilogy.

See #16-20 on my list here.

See #6-10 on my list here.
See #1-5 on my list here.

I’ll reveal the next five films on my list tomorrow.

Feel free to let me know what you think about my selections, and what would make your Top 20.

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Juno: I guess normalcy isn't really our style

Juno (drama, comedy, romance)

Directed by Jason Reitman

Starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman and J.K. Simmons

20th Century Fox | 2007 | 96 min | Rated PG-13 | Released Apr 15, 2008

Video:

Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Video resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio:

English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

English, French, Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles:

English SDH, Spanish

Disc:

50GB Blu-ray Disc

Digital copy

The Film 5/5

Juno was nominated for four Oscars, winning for best original screenplay (Diablo Cody). It was a competitive year with No Country for Old Men and There Will Be Blood dividing six of the major categories between them, but Ellen Page was unlucky not to win in her category. Shot on a budget of $7.5 million, it made $143 million in the USA alone and a further $88 million worldwide.

Director Jason Reitman was also responsible for Up in the Air in 2009, which, along with Juno, dealt with subjects in which I had very little interest. But Reitman’s mix of drama and comedy works well in both movies and the witty dialogue drives both.

Juno is funny throughout, but it’s never dumb comedy and it never resorts to gross humor. The story works because we care about the characters and their one-liners fit both their personality and the situation. In short, it feels real. Many comedies assault the viewer with a stream of contrived jokes and it falls flat (for me at least).

Juno MacGuff (Page) is 16 and newly-pregnant. We are shown a flashback showing how it happened and who the father is. It turns out to be one of her best friends, Paulie Bleeker (Cera). After telling him, she decides that an abortion is the best course of action, but she changes her mind following a visit to the clinic. She’s a smart girl and feels capable of making her own decisions, eventually deciding that adoption may be the best thing for her and the baby.

She finds potential parents in an ad and then has the task of telling her father (Simmons) and stepmother (Allison Janney) that she’s pregnant. This is where the movie first defies our expectations. Instead of anger and shock, her parents are calm and accepting. They even joke about the situation when she reveals the father. It’s so refreshing to see supportive parents rather than the usual stereotypes.

Her father wants to go with her to meet the prospective foster parents, Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and Mark (Bateman). Vanessa desperately wants a baby and is skeptical that Juno will honor the agreement, while Mark is more relaxed about everything. He bonds with Juno when she sees his guitar and they end up singing together.

Juno keeps in touch with the couple and forms a friendship with Mark because of their common love of music and movies. I particularly like this sequence because I’m passionate about both subjects and know the power of sharing and talking about such things. It’s the main reason that I write about movies. Mark introduces her to Sonic Youth (my favorite band) and Juno shares some of her classic rock and punk albums. It seems that the two might enter into a more serious relationship.

Her stepmother teaches her about food supplements and defends Juno when she goes to the hospital and is insulted by the ultrasound technician. It’s further evidence that she’ll be supported in her choices all the way.

Bleeker's face lights up every time he sees Juno. Cera plays the part well and doesn’t go over the top. It’s a quiet and understated performance, but he makes it clear that she’s special to him. She suggests that he date a different girl, but is angry when he does. The two have a showdown and it again becomes clear that they really feel something for each other.

There’s a touching scene in the shopping mall where Juno encounters Vanessa and sees her playing with a little girl. We see Juno forming the opinion that Vanessa will make a good mother. The scene develops with a meeting between the two in which Vanessa talks to Juno’s belly.

Her arrangement with Vanessa and Mark is threatened by one occurrence and we wonder how everything will turn out. I won’t reveal that here, but it’s a good resolution.

Another great scene involves a chat between father and daughter. It’s a potentially life-changing talk played perfectly by Page and Simmons. It sets into motion events that shape Juno’s immediate future. Simmons is so talented. If I were a writer/director, one of the first things I would do is create a starring role for Simmons. He’s made his mark with supporting roles, but has so much more to offer.

As for Page, what a remarkable talent. She carried such films as Whip It and Hard Candy, and had a major supporting role in Inception. At 24, she has most of her career ahead of her and I’m excited to see how she develops. She’s already capable of showing so much emotion and her comic timing is perfect. It will be fun to see what happens over the next decade.

One important component of the movie is the soundtrack. Kimya Dawson contributes nine of the songs in the film and they fit the mood and Juno’s character perfectly. There’s a well-placed Kinks song and bands such as Cat Power and Belle & Sebastian also fit the mood. The highlight is Sonic Youth covering the Carpenters’ Superstar, and it’s an important part of the plot.

Juno isn’t a film that will appeal to everyone. Some argue that the dialogue isn’t realistic, but I found it so. Who is it aimed at? Teens? Women? Pregnant girls? Many will write it off as falling into one of those categories. That would be a shame because it has a lot more to offer. I’m a 48-year-old man and I found it utterly charming, refreshing, intelligent and genuinely funny.

There’s a chance it may upset some people because it turns a serious situation into an amusing comedy. Is it saying that it’s acceptable to be pregnant at 16? How would you feel as a parent who faced a similar situation? How would you feel if you were a pregnant teen and didn’t receive that kind of support and understanding from your parents? I would hope that it can be taken for what it is; a fictional situation. It’s more about how the characters react to the situation than anything else.

Video Quality 4/5

For such a low-budget movie, the look is surprisingly good. The transfer is clean and free from damage, colors are well-represented and detail is good in the vast majority of scenes. I can’t quite justify a 4.5, but it’s certainly worth a 4. Don’t expect a visual feast and you should be pretty happy with the overall look.

Audio Quality 4/5

Juno is a dialogue-heavy movie that’s quiet for the majority of its running time, but the sound still plays an important part. The songs are presented well and when sound is called for, such as in amplified effects in the clinic waiting room, it comes across convincingly.

Special Features 5/5

It’s rare that I watch a movie and immediately tackle all of the special features, and even rarer to watch them again on subsequent viewings. Juno is an exception. I like this world and the quality of the extras makes it worth seeing them more than once, even though they are all in standard definition.

Commentary with Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody

Deleted Scenes (20:23) – It would be great to see an extended version of the film at some point and most or all of these scenes would fit well. My favorites include Juno singing a song about Paulie in a bar and her real thoughts about Sonic Youth.

Gag Reel (5:11)

Gag Take (1:57)

Crew Music Video (3:12) – A song featuring members of the cast.

Screen Tests (22:35) – See how Page, Cera, Thirlby and Simmons earned their roles.

Way Beyond "Our" Maturity Level: Juno-Leah-Bleeker (8:59)

Diablo Cody is Totally Boss (8:35) – Showing how Cody went from blogger to writing the screenplay.

Jason Reitman for Shizz (8:08) – Showing how Reitman came to direct the movie.

Honest to Blog!: Creating Juno (13:01) – Reitman, Cody and some of the cast talking about how the movie came to be made.

Fox Movie Channel presents world premiere…Juno (5:26)

Fox Movie Channel presents Casting Session: Juno (7:51)

Watching Juno is like spending time with an old friend. It’s warm and familiar and makes me grin throughout. I would like to see Juno at 26 to find out how her experiences and decisions shaped her life. If you like quirky, intelligent humor and good acting, Juno will probably work for you too.

Overall score 5/5

Click here to find out where Juno is ranked among my Top 20 Dramas.


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