Juno Review

The compact review:

Juno

Juno, the remarkable movie from director Jason Reitman and first-time screenwriter Diablo Cody, tells a thoughtful and brutally funny story about what it means to be loved via the catalyst of unplanned teen pregnancy.

The film stars an excellent Ellen Page as Juno, a witty and wickedly astute 16-year-old who decides to have sex with her best friend Paulie Bleeker, played by Michael Cera with more of his lovely brand of the awkward, gentle flower. When Juno opts to keep the child and give it to a stylish suburban couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman), she’s drawn into an entirely different world where she’s forced to grow up in a way that has nothing, and yet everything, to do with having a baby.

Juno isn’t entirely without flaws. The first ten minutes of exceedingly hip dialogue is supposed to feel authentic from a modern teen mouth, but feels more like what someone thinks teens sound like. But this is a small complaint, because what Juno accomplishes in is nothing short of fantastic: the audience isn’t given a sermon on teen pregnancy, but rather a uniquely feel-good look at growing up, regardless of how old you are.

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197 words