Movie Loner

I started this site to call attention to lesser-known films and films I felt have been unjustly overlooked or ignored. However, I think it only fitting to express my adulation when a movie is so good it reaffirms my belief that filmmakers haven’t completely lost their hearts and their souls. Juno, the multiple Oscar nominee and box-office sensation, is one such movie. Despite all its deserved accolades I still think last year’s little movie that could is supremely underrated. It is yet another sterling member of the Class of 2007, a year that gets better with every film I watch.

Sixteen year old Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) just found out she’s pregnant. A one time sexual encounter with best pal Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera) proves more fertile than Juno planned. After considering an abortion, young Juno decides adoption is the best way to proceed. She nervously breaks the “good” news to her dad (J.K. Simmons) and stepmom (Allison Janney) whom both accept her condition and offer their support. Juno’s search for willing parents ends in the pages of the local penny saver where she finds the perfect couple, Vanessa and Mark Loring, who have been wanting children for five years.

Juno meets the Lorings and quickly takes a liking to them, so she cuts a deal to give them her impending bundle of joy. She especially bonds with Mark (Jason Bateman) who shares her joy for rock music and bloody horror films. As Juno’s belly grows so does her loneliness. She hides her true feelings for the nebbish Paulie while developing an improper relationship with the Lorings, in particular Mark. Tension between Mark and Vanessa mounts as Mark reveals his apprehension about fatherhood, which puts the adoption in jeopardy. Juno begins to question the validity of love as she struggles to find her identity in a world where she increasingly feels out of place.

I found very little wrong with this movie. Director Jason Reitman pushes all the right buttons in this simple yet emotionally complex story. He treats his characters with respect, placing the kids and adults on equal footing, revealing that neither has all the answers. Diablo Cody’s Oscar-winning script deftly balances big laughs and poignant moments; its lighthearted approach to the serious subject of teen pregnancy never rings false or crass. But what makes Juno memorable is the convincing performance delivered by Ellen Page. Her riotous portrayal of the sarcastic outcast Juno is as good as it gets in the comedy genre. Also worth noting is J.K. Simmons, a fantastic character actor who once again shines playing Juno’s caring father Mac MacGuff. I’m sure everyone has seen this movie by now, but if you haven’t, what the hell are you waiting for?

A scene from Juno:

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