Over the last few years, there have been some very good movies made with lower budgets. I believe that most of those are considered independent movies. I have seen and enjoyed some of those movies. I thought that the trailer for Juno looked interesting when I first saw it several months ago. I have read and heard only good things about it and decided that I wanted to see it when it turned up at the theater here in town.

Juno MacGuff ended up pregnant after she decided to have sex with Paulie Bleeker on a whim. She did consider abortion before ultimately deciding to have the baby and give it up for adoption. She and her friend Leah found an ad from Vanessa and Mark Loring in the penny saver and Juno decided that they would make good parents for the baby. Juno’s father Mac and stepmother Bren weren’t exactly pleased, but they did stand by her and her decision. As the pregnancy progressed, Juno had to deal with several issues.

The plot of Juno really wasn’t complicated overall even though she did end up having to deal with a few complications later in the movie. I didn’t think the movie was boring in any way since there were a few things that I wasn’t sure exactly how they would work out. There were a few small surprises, so the movie wasn’t completely predictable. The majority of the movie took place once Juno knew she was pregnant with a few short flashbacks added in. Those were connected to when Juno and Bleeker had sex and it was very clear when one was happening. There were a few short voice overs provided by Juno that helped to explain a few things.

Juno dealt with the very serious, touchy subject of teenage pregnancy. I personally didn’t feel that the movie was glorying it or promoting it in anyway. I really wouldn’t be surprised if some people did feel that way about the movie though. Several things connected to Juno’s pregnancy were shared, including her taking a home pregnancy test and how she decided to give the baby up for adoption after visiting an abortion clinic. The fact that she even considered that option will probably bother some people. Just the fact that the movie is about a sixteen-year-old having a baby will bother some people, so this isn’t a movie for everyone. I did think the movie handled the subject well.

Juno’s pregnancy was vital to the entire movie. Basically everything that was going on was connected to it in some way. She wasn’t shown having morning sickness, but she did mention a few other things, like a few strange food cravings. It was made clear how some people looked and treated Juno differently because of her pregnancy without focusing on that for the entire movie. There were a few unpleasant things that were handled well when they did come up. Juno did have to deal with some very difficult things that even some adults would struggle with. Characters did have discussions that were frank and could bother some people. Slang terms for some sexual things and body parts were used. One scene was sort of a sex scene, but it really didn’t show much of anything. Later in the movie, something happened that bordered on inappropriate without really going anywhere. Parents should check out the movie before letting their kids see it because of those things and the PG-13 rating.

There was a decent amount of humor in Juno even though it was about a serious subject. Juno had a unique way of looking at things that added several funny moments. She did say things I thought were funny several times. Her father Mac also had some of the funnier lines. His wife Bren also said and did a few things that I thought were funny. It did make me laugh a bit when Bren chewed out the ultrasound technician. This wasn’t what I would consider a typical comedy, but it did have a good amount of humor that helped to keep the movie entertaining. The movie also contained some more serious or even tender moments as well and that was when the movie really shined. The movie worked because it had heart and wasn’t just making joke after joke about the situation.

It was only logical that Juno received the most attention since the movie was focused on her and what she was going through. She was a bit different and not one of the popular kids at school. She wasn’t bad or a trouble maker either. She had just made a mistake. She did realize that she’d made a mistake and she was trying to deal with it the best way she knew how. I thought that Ellen Page did a really good job with the part. I had only seen in her X-Men: The Last Stand before seeing this movie. Paulie was connected to what was going on but he wasn’t around as much so Michael Cera didn’t have that much to do.

Mac wasn’t happy that his daughter was pregnant, but he wasn’t punishing her for it either. He decided to do what he could to help her with the situation and be supportive. He did share a few thoughts that were rather insightful. His best scene was when he was talking with Juno one evening. It would have been nice if he had more to do. J.K. Simmons was great in the part. Bren had a few concerns about what was going on at times, but she was supportive overall. She wasn’t in as much of the movie either. Allison Janney handled the part well.

Vanessa and Mark had tried to have a baby before turning to adoption. Vanessa was almost desperate in her desire to be a mother while Mark seemed more hesitant about it. Vanessa was particular about things around her home, but it was made clear how much she did love children and I believed she would be a good mother. Jennifer Garner was really good in the part. I thought that Jason Bateman handled his part well too.

Main Cast

Jason Bateman - Mark Loring
Michael Cera - Paulie Bleeker
Jennifer Garner - Vanessa Loring
Allison Janney - Bren MacGuff
Ellen Page - Juno MacGuff
J.K. Simmons - Mac MacGuff

Jason Reitman - Director

Juno was a really good movie that deserves to be seen. It successfully handled a touchy subject and blended in humor in a way that worked really well. It still won’t be a movie for everyone though.


Recommended: Yes