Juno

JUNO (12)
D: Jason Reitman
20th Century Fox (Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, Mason Novick & Russell Smith)
US 2007
95 mins
 
Comedy
 
W: Diablo Cody
DP: Eric Steelberg
Ed: Dana E. Glauberman
Mus: Mateo Messina
 
Ellen Page (Juno MacGuff), Michael Cera (Paulie Bleeker), Jennifer Garner (Vanessa Loring), Jason Bateman (Mark Loring), Allison Janney (Bren MacGuff), J. K. Simmons (Mac MacGuff), Olivia Thirlby (Leah)
 
I find it unusual that this movie won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, as it isn't really that original, Knocked Up and Junebug are just two variations on the same theme to be released around the same year. It's also not very original to have a teenage character speak dialogue not like a teenager at all, but like a ex-stripper screenwriter trying to crack Hollywood.
The plot follows Juno McGuff as a precocious teenager, who's actually a bit of a bitch, spouting pithy dialogue throughout like it's a 95 minute episode of Dawson's Creek and getting impregnated by her geeky boyfriend (Michael Cera). Juno contemplates abortion, but upon discovering that babies have fingernails she decides to adopt to picket fence couple Jason Bateman & Jennifer Garner, but not all is perfect beneath their facade. 
The main bone of contention I had with this movie is that I really didn't care about Juno. She is very unlikeable, especially the way she speaks to people with complete disrespect, particularly her parents (J. K. Simmons & Alison Janney). The movie is also quite irresponsible, depicting a main character who is 'in a bit of a pickle' and just palms off her responsibilities to someone else, without ever having to take any duty of care for the consequences of her actions. It's all someone else's problem now.
There's constant references throughout to cool music, cool movies and cool figures of pop culture, but this doesn't make Juno a cool movie. Although there's good acting from the ensemble cast, the male characters are written so unbelievably one-dimensionally, especially Jason Bateman whose husband to Jennifer Garner is a pathetic incarnation of a man forced to keep his dreams and ambitions in a locked box with his balls. It's altogether pretty clear that screenwriter Diablo Cody is trying to make some sort of half-arsed statement about feminism with this.
The movie also fails to tie up its loose ends as you'd like it too and the soundtrack is smattered constantly with twee Belle & Sebastian-esque shit. 
Teenage girls will probably adore this movie, but myself as a reviewer found it to be tawdry, overrated (Mc)guff! 
Watch Knocked Up instead, it captures the emotions and issues of an unplanned pregnancy a hell of a lot better without constantly reminding us how cool it is with its "in touch with the kids" dialogue.
5/10
 
Ellen Page in Juno
Ellen Page in Juno