In the proper spirit of the season, let's talk about the teenage copulation and the effects thereafter (how old was Mary when she and God ...?) - Juno, the darling of the media, written by the copy editor-cum-stripper-cum-screenwriter Diablo Cody, starring the teen charmers Ellen Page (from the seriously darker Hard Candy) and Michael Cera (Superbad, Arrested Development) -- what's not to love?
Plot: Juno (Page) is the precocious 16-yr old daughter of a HVAC-repairing veteran and an unseen mother living on a reservation, replaced by a pleasant, if dog-obsessed, nail technician stepmom. Her best guy friend is (Paulie) Bleeker [Cera], the awkward, quiet, track athlete. One night, instead of watching TV, they "chair" together (no bed, no sleeping). 2 months and 3 "pee-sticks" later, it is confirmed -- and Juno has to decide what to do. After an abortive attempt at "the alternative," as her stepmother puts it, she decides she'll take the "thing" to term, but she'll find the perfect loving couple to give it to.
And where better to look for a loving couple than -- the PennySaver. Enter Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and Mark (Jason Bateman), our happy yuppie Minnesotans (though no accent, how sad). From the start, you can tell Vanessa has been itching for a munchkin of her own, but we discover Mark has his own babies -- his Les Paul Gibson guitar, his classic horror flicks, his manga (the Japanese comics, not the porn). But Juno is in, and the seasons roll along.
Surprisingly, a lot happens without a lot happening. Juno has to figure out her relations to those around her -- Bleeker (not a boyfriend? maybe a love?), Mark (cool dude or next to star in "To Catch a Predator), Vanessa (maybe switch to decaf?), her best friend Lea (read as "Lolita)....
On the whole, I did enjoy the flick. Perhaps my initial expectations were moved too high by the propaganda -- when you watch it, remember this is the first script from a woman who willingly chose the name "Diablo Cody." Sometimes Juno sounds a little too "Lorelei when she was a teenager" for her own good, but the character is fun, thoughtful, and well-captured by Miss Page, whose career is promising (though her next film is a lesbian werewolf tale?!?). Bleeker is pulled off perfectly by a young man who has made a career out of being himself.
But it is the other supporting roles that really make the work keep rolling. J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney, as Juno's dad and stepmom, are perfect foils to Juno and Bleeker, as well as to Vanessa and Mark. Garner is just fine as the wannabe mom, and Bateman just is perfect as the man-boy.
For what it is, it's fun. The music is dead-on (I'll have to pick up the soundtrack, I think), the players mesh well. A good date movie. A good time with the family. Get going.
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