Juno

At first I didn't want to go see this movie, partly due to the bad reviews I had heard from others. This is contrary to my nature due to the fact I think a lot of critics only bash movies to see how evil they sound in printed word. Deep down I believe there are some out there that read the logline of a film and immediately hate it just because they can, but I'll get back to that later. I went to this movie and loved it.
We enter the world of Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page), a dorky fifteen year old girl that discovers she's pregnant after sleeping with a fellow dork Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). I find it interesting that she experiences very little denial in here situation. The limit of which is taking three pregnancy tests to be certain, which is the reason she drinks an entire jug of Sunny D in the opening credits.
Juno has an odd way of looking at the world around her and is filled with adorable one-liners that pop out of her mouth throughout the movie. These one-liners are a very enjoyable part of her character, which alone makes the movie worth seeing. They aren't restricted to Juno, everyone in her life seemed to have a few of their own to add to the mix.
The biggest problem I had with this movie, or rather the critics of this movie, was a headline I saw in the newspaper the day after the film came out. 'Since when did Teen pregnancy become cool?', after reading that, coupled with the fact I actually saw the movie, was enough to make me write this article if only to knock some reason into the person that thought up the headline. Nowhere in the movie does it EVER even allude to the fact that teen pregnancy is cool. I suppose the genius of that headline was directing the comment at the movie makers rather than the fans. Somehow it is wrong to have a pregnant teen as the protagonist, according to the enlightened folks at that particular newspaper (which will remain nameless due to fact I don't have the patient to deal with any rebuttal if it should arise). Juno doesn't boost or brag about the fact she's pregnant, the closest thing she ever gets is when she refers to herself as a 'sacred vessel' which was merely a reply to her friend saying the baby had a huge freaking head during her ultrasound. I think the fact that Juno remains very upbeat throughout the process is what throws some one the idiotic bone that she thinks it cool. But to anyone that actually watched the film Juno is just a naturally upbeat person no matter what is thrown at her and her optimistic attitude to the situation is a helpful shield to the judging stares of those around her.
Teen pregnancy happens. It happens to regular teenagers everyday, in every country. This is an excellent film about one unique teenager and the people around her that either support or judge her. Thankfully the judgment characters are few and far between, as we are all very aware that many people that are judgmental of others spend a lot of their times pretending to be ostriches whom only poke their head out to tell you their piece and then disappear back into the sand of self righteousness in which they live. Juno has the emotional support of what you could consider the teen pregnancy dream team. A loving quirky father and step-mother, a perky best friend, and a wealthy adopting couple of her future baby who agree to cover all her medical expenses. There is a lovely scene where Juno's ultrasound tech puts forth her two-cents about teen pregnancy and is quikly put in her place by Juno's stepmother Bren (Allison Janney).
I think what makes Juno so appealing to me is the way she goes about her life and the pregnancy situation. She discovers she is pregnant and then immediately confronts her choices on a course of action. She locates and sets up a meeting with an adopting couple. She does all this in a span of a few days and then informs her parents of her pregnancy. A very mature and responsible course if you really think about it. Juno is a great character and I applaud the writer that dreamt her up and Ellen Page for playing her so well.
I suggest this movie to anyone out there that is attracted to a touching and well written story. It is a slice of a real life issue made real for those of us that wonder what life would be like for a pregnant teenager. I hope you enjoy it.