Juno (2007)

Did you people see the same film I saw?

As Good As It Gets

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

I have my friends over all the time so we can watch movies, mostly action and horrors and I loved them all but my viewing of Juno has really made me realize what I was missing in other genres. Throughout the film I kept saying to myself that this isn't for me but throughout the film I kept on being proved wrong. I really enjoyed watching Juno because it deals with real life issues that could apply to me some day (dodgy relationships) unlike the action/horrors iv,e been watching which teach you nothing,and I mean Nothing. Juno also has a realistic sense of humor which is used to soften even the hardest of topics so even the light heartened audience members are able to enjoy it. which is why I can recommend Juno to people of all ages and tastes in film.

Oh yeah, just what we need, a movie that role models the glory of teenage pregnancy that makes it look like a normal, every day, kickin' thing to do. I defy anyone to find me a teenage girl like Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) who can be as glib as she was considering her condition, with the confidence to blurt out multiple cultural references at the drop of a hat. Come to think of it, prospective adoption mother Vanessa Loring (Jennifer garner) wasn't much better - custard or cheesecake? - good grief! At that point I didn't know whether the movie was a cutesy treatment of teenage angst or an outright spoof of the Millennial generation. Scratch that, there didn't seem to be any angst here at all.The biggest problem I had with the entire movie was Juno's flippant attitude with just about everything that came her way. Can anyone be that disconnected from real life situations that have the potential to be life altering in unforeseen ways? The mid-stream course reversal by Mark Loring (Jason Bateman) also seemed to come out of left field. It sounded like the couple was trying for a baby for a long time, and now that one was on the horizon, he bails on his wife? The one thing I'm glad of is that the picture didn't have him make an outright play for Juno, because it looked like things were leaning in that direction with a couple of the set ups.One thing I liked - this is only the second film I've ever seen that carried a reference to my favorite Seventies rock 'n roll band - Mott the Hoople. I never ran across anybody else who ever heard of them. In case you're wondering, the other picture was "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore".

Let me begin by saying that this review will be very intense as my point of view on this subject and the film is strident and represents my personal attitudes. That said I will not be vulgar or obscene. In truth I shall be "high brow" and exacting in my remarks. If my beliefs upset the "thought police" at this site and do not publish this review I know it will be because IMDb believes in "CENSORSHIP" that does not fit their political agendas. Finally, my remarks will undoubtedly alienate those on the "right" as well as those on the "left" but I still have first amendment rights and as such I intend use them. I shall now begin. In my opinion this movie celebrates a major problem in this country; TEEN PREGNANCY. These two neophytes who engaged in sexual relations should be PUNISHED for the act they committed. Yes, I said PUNISHED!!!!!! The boy should not be allowed to have another child ever again!!!! He should be forced to have a vasectomy for his cavalier actions. He has taken a step that ultimately brought a child into the world even though he knows full well that his actions could and did result in Juno's becoming pregnant. Was he asleep during"sex ed" curriculum. A subject which by the way is mandated in most public high schools in the USA. His "duh I am in love intimacy" is his own self indictment. As for her she really is not much better and should have (assuming she is as sophisticated as the film portrays her) restrained her physical, nevertheless immature juvenile animal sexual urges. In my opinion she should have opted for the abortion!!! Yes, I know we were treated to a "happy ending" but in 99 and 44/100% of these cases "happy endings" are simply fairy tales and do not come true. Thus the child becomes A DRAIN ON MY TAX DOLLARS AND SOCIETY.!!!!! You read correctly: A DRAIN ON MY TAX DOLLARS!!!! Most unwanted pregnancies end with the child becoming "WARDS OF THE STATE" and not the responsibility of the parents. This is poppycock and boulderdash and I do not want to shell out my hard earned money for so called unavoidable "youthful indiscretions"!!!!!!! I would like this movie to have taken place in "THE HOOD" as opposed to white middle class Minnesota. Now that would truly be a reality check regarding teen pregnancy!!!! Catch my drift!!!

Diablo Cody penned an insanely well-written story of a sixteen-year- old individualist who becomes pregnant with her friend/crush in her 2007 film Juno. Directed by Jason Reitman and starring Ellen Page, Jennifer Garner, and Jason Bateman; Juno is fantastically crafted with enough pop culture references to place it until the end of time. The uniqueness of each person is fostered and treasured through Juno, going to show that if you can find that one person to make you feel comfortable with being you, do whatever you can to be with them. After becoming pregnant with her best friend's baby, Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) is unable to go through with an abortion, so she begins seeking an adoptive family for her baby. After meeting with prospective parents Vanessa Loring (Jennifer Garner) and Mark Loring (Jason Bateman), the "Pennysaver Loring's" Juno is convinced this is the family to raise her child. Over the course of her pregnancy, outlined by the changing Minnesota seasons which surround her, Juno grows close to Mark a commercial composer who is adjusting to prospective parenthood at a much slower rate than his eager wife Vanessa. Mark takes the opportunity of Juno's company to indulge in some of his interests and hobbies that had been suppressed since his marriage. The more he listens to his old music and plays music, the more hesitant he is to tie himself down and father a child. The changes in Mark and Vanessa's relationship becomes difficult for the two of them to handle. Juno's many changes create difficulty in her life as well, as she watches her friends enjoy prom and high school life, oblivious to the adult issues Juno must face as a pregnant teenager. Each person has been injected into the lives of those around them for a purpose, and it is up to each of them to find that purpose and grow through the transformation thrust upon them. The opening scene showing where it all started, with a chair, instantly shows the audience what type of film they will be in for. Then, the opening credits shown through animation create a beautiful glimpse into the type of moving art placed before the audience. One can see after the first 10 minutes of the film that its shining star is its script. Not enough good can be said about Diablo Cody's witty pop culture laden beauty of a screenplay. Juno is a fantastic ensemble piece that is so much better, by the way, now that I have had more exposure to the supporting cast. Allison Janney and J.K. Simmons are incredible standouts in the film, even more now that I have enjoyed Janney in The West Wing and Simmons in Whiplash. The music and wardrobe in this film are top notch and fit with the realism of Juno's world perfectly. A movie centered around pregnancy is perfectly outlined by the changing seasons, an excellent decision on the part of director Jason Reitman. But not only Juno was changing, Mark was also going through changing seasons of his life as he was intimidated to let go of his past, and Vanessa as she was looking forward to spring into motherhood. An exceptional and underrated film, Juno is just as good 8 years removed from its release as it was the night I saw it in theaters. Motherhood comes in many forms. Juno knew she was "ill-equipped" to become a mother at the stage in her life when she became pregnant. She also knew that since she was unable to go through with an abortion that she could bless the life of another with her baby. In the least sentimental way possible, Juno traverses the struggles of unplanned teenage pregnancy. Vanessa's supreme wish in life is to become pregnant when she is unable to, and after a failed previous attempt at adoption due to Mark's "cold feet", Vanessa is more determined than ever to become a mother. The conclusion of the film with Juno reflecting upon the notion that Vanessa was always the mother of her child was strikingly powerful, proving that motherhood s not exclusive to those that give birth.