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Juno (Reitman, 2007)
"'Cause you're, like, the coolest person I've ever met, and you don't even have to try, you know..."
"I try really hard, actually."
Juno McGuff is 16 years old, and she's pregnant. Her best friend, Paulie Bleaker, is the father.
Juno is surprisingly calm. She goes to "Women Now" to "nip it in the bud"
But wait...her baby has fingernails. The moment someone tells her that her baby already has fingernails, something clicks. She can't do it. For some reason, fingernails make it real to her.
"Juno" follows young Juno McGuff and her decision to keep her baby and her developing relationship with the couple who will adopt her child.
Ellen Page is magnificent. Really carries the movie and turns a role that could be a bit campy, into one that is believable and sweet. "Sweet" in the movies can be a very hateful term, but this film bounces along happily without ever being sucked into the pretentious vortex like so many that have tried the same blueprint. Kudos to Reitman for his direction in that aspect. He kept the characters likable when they very easily could have become annoying and he takes a story we've heard before and makes it fresh and something you can connect with. We all know these people.
We know Juno and her awkward, but mature, self. We know Paulie. A bit of a nerd, who's not confident in himself at all. Still, the only one who can hurt him is the only one that he loves. And she does it. On multiple occasions.
The acting from Page, Garner, Cera and Bateman is all top notch. Excellent.
One of my favorite scenes from this film takes place in the hallway of the school. Juno is angry at Paulie because he's taking another girl to prom and not her. Ellen Page SHINES in this scene and I think may win the Oscar thanks to that one scene alone. She dominates the screen with an authority we hadn't seen the entire movie.
"I still have your underwear."
"I still have your virginity."
We look at her and we think "Jeez...why is she being such a biatch?" but then we also look at her and feel sad, and almost want to be there to pat her on the back and let her know "This will all blow over..."
9/10
"'Cause you're, like, the coolest person I've ever met, and you don't even have to try, you know..."
"I try really hard, actually."
Juno McGuff is 16 years old, and she's pregnant. Her best friend, Paulie Bleaker, is the father.
Juno is surprisingly calm. She goes to "Women Now" to "nip it in the bud"
But wait...her baby has fingernails. The moment someone tells her that her baby already has fingernails, something clicks. She can't do it. For some reason, fingernails make it real to her.
"Juno" follows young Juno McGuff and her decision to keep her baby and her developing relationship with the couple who will adopt her child.
Ellen Page is magnificent. Really carries the movie and turns a role that could be a bit campy, into one that is believable and sweet. "Sweet" in the movies can be a very hateful term, but this film bounces along happily without ever being sucked into the pretentious vortex like so many that have tried the same blueprint. Kudos to Reitman for his direction in that aspect. He kept the characters likable when they very easily could have become annoying and he takes a story we've heard before and makes it fresh and something you can connect with. We all know these people.
We know Juno and her awkward, but mature, self. We know Paulie. A bit of a nerd, who's not confident in himself at all. Still, the only one who can hurt him is the only one that he loves. And she does it. On multiple occasions.
The acting from Page, Garner, Cera and Bateman is all top notch. Excellent.
One of my favorite scenes from this film takes place in the hallway of the school. Juno is angry at Paulie because he's taking another girl to prom and not her. Ellen Page SHINES in this scene and I think may win the Oscar thanks to that one scene alone. She dominates the screen with an authority we hadn't seen the entire movie.
"I still have your underwear."
"I still have your virginity."
We look at her and we think "Jeez...why is she being such a biatch?" but then we also look at her and feel sad, and almost want to be there to pat her on the back and let her know "This will all blow over..."
9/10