Juno

Juno (2007) - 8/10
Directed by Jason Reitman

First Viewed: 4/25/08
Starring Ellen Page as Juno MacGuff, Michael Cera as Paulie Bleeker, Jennifer Garner as Vanessa, Jason Bateman as Mark, Allison Janney as Bren MacGuff, and J.K. Simmons as Mac MacGuff

It is strange to watch a film where teen pregnancy is almost celebrated as a milestone. This is in contrast to the reportedly gloomy Romanian film, also released last year, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, which I have yet to see.

Juno, which takes its namesake from our pregnant protagonist, patiently goes through the process of the eccentric and precocious 16-year old – played wonderfully by Ellen Page – accepting her dilemma and deciding to give the baby up for adoption. Juno finds a friendly, yuppie couple that would like to raise the child. Complications arise when the husband, Mark, shows a romantic interest in Juno, which she, at her young age, remains oblivious to. This is not a surprising plot turn, but Reitman, in relying on an honest portrayal of the characters that allows the performances to shine, manages to make this situation of forbidden love resonate more deeply than it should.

Diablo Cody’s script features dialogue that is enjoyable and quirky – this is the word of the day, by the way – even if it proves to be a distraction a few too many times; quirky for quirky-ness’ sake. Cody’s story, which features a more positive outlook on pregnancy, is a refreshing change, as this devastating situation doesn't over-shadow the characters. Indeed, the film’s very light-hearted atmosphere allows us to learn much more about the characters than we would otherwise; but this approach poses its own problems.

One major issue is the way the film portrays Paulie, the nerdy guy who is responsible for Juno’s pregnancy. Most of the burden is placed on Juno alone and the film fails to delve into deeper issues, namely why Paulie is not held more responsible for the pregnancy. The film establishes that he is an awkward, naive high schooler – and to his credit, Michael Cerra plays the character to perfection – but this shouldn't serve as an excuse. I have the nagging feeling that Reitman and Diablo, in focusing almost exclusively on the quirkiness and the joys that a pregnancy can produce, have played it safe, leaving the darker aspect of pregnancies mostly undisturbed.

Juno is a short, enjoyable film with very likable characters, but I wish that it wasn't so reluctant in delving into the seamier side of pregnancies.