Film Review: Juno (2007)

Juno is a tale of a quirky high school girl who goes through the confusion and emotional roller coaster while attempting to make the right decisions for her unborn baby. Ellen Page brilliantly portrays Juno as a precocious, intelligent for her age, chatterbox who has some very grown up decisions to make.

The story follows Juno from the day of conception to the birth of the child. Along the way, we get to experience the strain of each situation affecting her life. Although the subject mater is serious, the film is not preachy or pretentious. The drama is not taken lightly and is made in a light hearted manner. Juno must decide whether to have the baby or not, how to tell her parents, what to say to the father, and adoption versus keeping the baby. Her life has been turned upside down. The film proceeds like a three act play, starting with the winter.

Autumn brings the conception and the first trimester of Juno's pregnancy. Bleeker, played by Michael Crena, does well as the teenage father. He is like an absentee landlord and appears only sporadically throughout the film. Although he is very important to the plot, the primary focus continues to be with our main character. Allison Janey and J.K. Simmons play the parts of the stepmother and father who are portrayed as gracious, caring, and compassionate. They are supportive and understanding. There is an excellent scene where Bren (Janney) defends Juno while she is getting her ultrasound done. Nail technician vs. ultrasound technician. It is very funny and one of many delightful moments in the film.

Winter has now arrived and Juno is beginning to show off her blossoms. School is a bit hard for her has people gawk and there is a sense of silent ridicule from school administrators. There is a nice scene where Juno is walking down the hallway and all the students are parting life the Red Sea as she strolls through the corridor. Aside from this, it is now time to find suitable adoptive parents. In step Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and Mark (Jason Bateman). They are just too good to be true. Juno is quite happy to hand over the baby when the time comes. Here a subplot with Juno taking a liking to Mark as they have common interests in music and horror films. The director was kind enough by not expanding on this potential distraction. At first Vanessa appears to be overbearing, but it is Mark who ultimately flakes out at the last minute.

Spring (Summer doesn't count) has arrived to bring us the final stanza. Juno continues to battle emotion and circumstance with Mark no longer part of the baby's future. Juno convinces herself to press on. Only later do we find out that Vanessa is with her all along. At this point, all the pieces are beginning to fall into place. Juno has reconciled with Bleeker, Vanessa knows Juno is going to follow through with the adoption, her loving parents are still with her, and the hamburger phone still works. There is a touching moment after the baby is born and Juno is in the hospital bed. Bleeker races to the hospital on foot to be with her and while lying in bed together Juno sheds a tear. It was a glimpse into her psyche and her reaction to all she has endured.

In the end, Juno's world has come full circle. She and Bleeker are back together and their friendship has grown as a result of the preceding nine months. Juno is light hearted and very funny at times despite the overall theme. The characters show great compassion for one another and are quite believable. Juno draws you into her dilemma. I found myself emphasizing with her and wishing her the best. All in all, the film was a terrific experience fully deserving of its high rating.

Mike's Rating: 8 Hamburger Phones (An unexpected delight)
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for mature subject matter, sexual content, and language
Running Time: 92 minutes