Juno (2007)

This movie is incredibly heart-wrenching, and possibly one of the driest comedies that I have ever seen. Juno is the story of a sharp-witted high school junior who becomes pregnant with her best friend's baby, and the tough decisions she has to make as a result. When this film hit the big screen, I often heard it compared to Little Miss Sunshine, which I am not sure is entirely fair. They are both movies that chronicle serious situations in a comedic manner, but for me, that is pretty much the extent similarities. While both movies are very dry, I would not call Juno a dark comedy, whereas Little Miss Sunshine definitely is. All that said, Juno is great, really creative and really well written. The cast of this film is very interesting. Ellen Page plays the pregnant teenager, and is absolutely hilarious in how well she is handling her situation, and in how sharp her tongue is. Michael Cera and Jason Bateman, Arrested Development alums, both have significant roles. Cera is great as the awkward teenager, but does not actually have as big of a role as you might expect. While Bateman is funny, this character is a little bit outside of his comfort zone, playing someone in a much more serious situation, but he is terrific throughout, and cannot help but be hilarious. I found Jennifer Garner's character kind of annoying, but I think that was intentional, so it worked. Her character might actually be the most sympathetic in the whole movie. Juno's supporting cast, her father (J.K. Simmons), step-mother (Allison Janney) and best friend (Olivia Thirlby), were the funniest people in the film. The one-liners these three shoot out rapid fire are classic, and really helped to keep this film light. Juno is a very emotional movie, especially for anyone with children or trying to get pregnant. Ellen Page has to decide what to do with her unborn child, and then has to deal with the consequences of her decision, which for a lot of people, is a very easy thing to relate to. Juno and her family's relatively calm attitude in reference to her pregnancy is one of the funniest running jokes throughout the whole movie, and makes the film to me, a little bit more realistic. The one issue I have is that while Juno is visibly pregnant, she still continues at her school like normal. I am not sure what every school's policies are, but I think most try to keep pregnant teenagers separated from the rest of the student body. That said, this is not a major problem, and the movie works better with Juno immersed amongst her peers. The film is really sad in a lot of ways, but it is also really heart-warming and has a very powerful message. I would say this movie is a must see for anyone who really likes the cinema; it is really good and has a universal appeal. My wife watched Juno with me, and while she frequently found herself tearing up, she really liked it. I am not sure when I will see the film again, but I liked it to the point that I am considering purchasing it. I give Juno 4 stars.