(andPOP) - Young Canadian talent doesn't get much better - or cuter - than Ellen Page and Michael Cera. Their sweet, funny, and
real performances are just part of what makes "Juno," as a whole, a touching, hilarious and wonderful film.
Page plays precocious and off-beat Juno MacGuff, who despite being damaged is very comfortable in her own skin. As a 16-year-old, she is also very naive about the world of adults - a world she is forced to join when she becomes pregnant by her best friend (Cera). A high school girl getting pregnant may seem clichéd (hell, doesn't it happen every week on
Degrassi?), but I can assure you, "Juno" is in a league of its own.
One of the most touching elements of the film is Juno's relationship with her father and step-mother, played by J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney. When Juno announces to them that she's pregnant, they are of course disappointed in her: as her father states, "I thought you were the kind of girl who knew when to say when." But in a blink, the pair go into automatic support mode, planning doctor's visits and shopping trips for pre-natal vitamins. Their no holds barred love for their flawed daughter and ability to roll with the punches together is truly touching.
Janney especially shines, comedically and dramatically. She and Juno don't exactly have the perfect-mother daughter relationship. So when she (hilariously) tells a rude ultrasound technician to "go back to night school and learn a real trade," the bond between them is solidified. She clearly respects her young step-daughter, something that is so important and inspiring.
Of course, that doesn't mean that their relationship suddenly becomes totally congenial, because "Juno" is all about being real. Its characters are imperfect, and the ways they have been hurt in the past are obviously a part of them. But the hurt is not dwelled on; every character just keeps on moving forward, and helping each other to do the same.
The only unrealistic part is the insanely snappy dialogue, but it's so deliciously pitch-perfect that it doesn't detract from the film at all. "Juno" is hysterically funny, but I barely allowed myself to laugh the whole time, because I didn't want to miss a single word. This is screenwriter Diablo Cody's first film, and there is a
reason she has been nominated for both a Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award.
Cody's script has a lot of amazing jokes, but she never makes fun of her characters. Even Jason Bateman's character, the prospective adoptive father and wannabe rock star, is treated with dignity. Juno's presence drastically changes his life and relationship with his wife (Jennifer Garner), and they are forced to come to terms with certain truths about themselves. It may not be pretty, but it's honest. Director Jason Reitman also used creative close-up shots to visually tell the audience about the characters. His fantastic direction combined with brilliant performances make every character a fully formed and unique person.
At the Q&A session after its second showing at the Toronto International Film Festival, Reitman told the crowd that he saw "Juno" as a film about a girl forced to grow up too fast and a man trying to stay a kid. But it's really much more than that. It's about strong women, and the bond of family; about always being true to yourself; and about love, in the many routes it takes. "Juno" is not to be missed.
