Juno Review

The movie revolves around a young 16-year old girl, Juno MacGuff, who after having sex with her friend Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera) finds she's pregnant.  Knowing that she's not ready to care for a child, Juno originally plans to have an abortion.  However, when she arrives at the clinic, she changes her mind and decides to give the baby up for adoption.  Juno finds a couple looking to adopt in the local shopper newspaper.  The couple, Mark and Vanessa Loring (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Gardner), are affluent and Vanessa desperately wants a baby.  Mark isn't as enthusiastic, although Juno makes a ready connection with him, especially regarding films and music.  Gardner's desperate and needy performance as Vanessa easily make us sympathetic to her.

The movie moves through Juno's trials and tribulations and her interactions with her best friend Leah, her father (J. K. Simmons) and step-mother (Allison Janney).  The developing relationship between Juno, who has to act like a grown-up before she should, and Mark, who wants return to his carefree, younger years makes for an interesting contrast.  The film doesn't take what seems to be the easy solution, and it's better for that.

I highly recommend Juno for its freshness and story.  Juno's wisecracks might wear on some viewers (screenplay by Diablo Cody, her first), but they do serve a purpose. The witticisms and wisecracks protect her from being hurt.  Oh, and as a piece of trivia, the name Juno is from the ancient Roman goddess, Juno (Hera in Greek mythology), the Queen of the Gods and wife of Jupiter (Zeus in Greek mythology).  Look for Ellen Page to be a big winner during the award season.