Movie Description
The word "quirky" has become the quick and easy way to describe films such as LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE and LARS AND THE REAL GIRL that straddle the lines between indie and studio films and comedy and drama. While JUNO fits into that same category, this distinctive dramedy is in a class all its own. Ellen Page (X-MEN: THE LAST STAND) stars as Juno, a witty teenage girl whose boredom doesn't lead her to the mall. Instead, she makes a one-time trip into the arms of her best friend Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). When Juno discovers that she's pregnant, she's forced to grow up fast as she tries to find adoptive parents for her quickly growing child.
JUNO might have a lot of strengths--Page's award-worthy performance, a pitch-perfect soundtrack, excellent direction from Jason Reitman--but it's the screenwriting debut of writer Cody Diablo that makes this such a winning film. Famous for her blog and her book CANDY GIRL: A YEAR IN THE LIFE OF AN UNLIKELY STRIPPER, Diablo has a unique voice and an incredible ear for dialogue. But even the nearly perfect script wouldn't sound so good if it weren't for the talents of these actors, particularly Page. She won raves for her first major role in HARD CANDY, but this performance proves it wasn't a fluke. The rest of the cast, especially J.K. Simmons as Juno's dad, is just as worthy of attention. JUNO continues Cera's cinematic ascent after his success with the hit comedy SUPERBAD, and his ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT costar Jason Bateman uses his dry delivery to great effect as a potential parent for Juno's baby. Songs from Kimya Dawson perfectly capture the film's tone with the music's sweet, smart, and funny sounds.
| Credits | | Producer: | John Malkovich, Lianne Halfon, Mason Novak, Russell Smith | | Cast: | Allison Janney, Jennifer Garner |
Editorial Reviews
"[There's] room for the deeper emotional lives of all these characters to emerge. They do so beautifully, achingly, artfully."
Box Office - Susan Green (12/01/2007)
"[The film] takes on surprising delicacy and emotional depth. The snappy one-liners are a brilliant distraction, Ms. Cody's way of clearing your throat for the lump you're likely to find there in the movie's last scenes."
New York Times - A. O. Scott (12/05/2007)
4 stars out of 4 -- "JUNO, a likably cynical comedy, is actually about hope....A film bristling with vitality and heart....JUNO is charming, honest and terrifically acted."
USA Today - Claudia Puig (12/05/2007)
3.5 stars out of 4 -- "The devil in Cody's script lets in wit, anger, distress and the pain of romantic longing. JUNO is more than a few smiles -- it makes you laugh deeply. It's one from the bruised heart."
Rolling Stone - Peter Travers (12/13/2007)
"Jennifer Garner has never been lovelier or more affecting....Delightful and good-hearted..." -- Grade: A-
Entertainment Weekly - Lisa Schwarzbaum (12/21/2007)
"JUNO is hilarious an sweet-tempered, perceptive and surprisingly grounded. It's also a gust of fresh air..."
Los Angeles Times - Carina Chocano (12/05/2007)
Ranked #10 in Rolling Stone's "10 Best Movies Of 2007" -- "
Rolling Stone - Peter Travers (12/27/2007)
"Diablo Cody's screenplay is rich in one-liners, irony and quizzical understatement. The central performance, from Ellen Page, is beautifully judged."
Sight and Sound - Geoffrey Macnab (02/01/2008)
4 stars out of 5 -- "[T]his is Page's triumph, spitting out smart-ass lines like she thought MEAN GIRLS was soft and GHOST WORLD held too optimistic a worldview....It's whip-smart, cool, and very, very funny."
Uncut - Chris Roberts (03/01/2008)
4 stars out of 5 -- "[A] perfectly judged three-act structure that follows the emotional highs and lows of Juno's winter-to-summer pregnancy, the film saves its aces for last."
Empire - Empire Staff (03/01/2008)
Awards
2007Academy AwardsBest Original ScreenplayDiablo Cody
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