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Jason Reitman does it again with 'Juno'

Contributed by: Alexis Gentry on 11/11/2007

It should come as no surprise that Jason Reitman has made another stellar film. His first feature, Thank You For Smoking, was a satirical delight adapted from a Christopher Buckley novel and now Juno, written by the insanely talented Diablo Cody, is further proof that Reitman is a master of cynical comedy.

Juno is the story of Juno MacGuff ( Ellen Page), a witty teen who is considered quite the oddball at her school. Her only real connection, besides her best friend Leah ( Olivia Thirlby), is to her pseudo-boyfriend Paulie Bleeker ( Superbad's Michael Cera). After a romantic encounter in a recliner, Juno discovers she is pregnant with Paulie's child and decides to give the baby to a couple, played by Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman, who seem like the perfect parents.

There have been comedies about teen pregnancy before, but none with such clever dialogue or phenomenal performances from the cast. Saved!, had all the potential to be as witty as Juno, but ended with an all-to-predictable climax at the prom. In the ending of that film, all the characters got what they wanted. By contrast, in the ending of Juno, all the characters are happy with what they have. This lends Juno a level or realism, placing it far above Saved! because it is able to maintain its biting wit, even through more touching scenes.

It would be hard to describe why this film is so spectacular without mentioning the fantastic performances from the cast, particularly its young star, Page. As the title character, she is able to encompass every emotion as well as every humorous line of dialogue that Juno has in the film. She is mature, yet youthful. She is cynical, yet sweet. She is strong and tough, yet occasionally nervous and vulnerable. Where Hard Candy proved that Page could act, Juno proves that she may be one of Young Hollywood's best.

Cera is easy to love as the sweet but awkward Paulie. Like his performance as George Michael Bluth in one of the greatest TV shows to ever get cancelled, Arrested Development, he brings such heart to the role that audiences can't help but root for him.

There are no weak links in the film and the supporting cast is just as memorable as the lead characters. J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney as Juno's father and stepmother brought the house down at the Starz Denver Film Festival screening last night with some of the funniest lines in the film.

Juno is, without a doubt, one of the best films at this year's Starz Denver Film Festival. Upon its arrival in theaters this December, audiences are sure to see it multiple times to catch lines they missed while they were laughing.


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Showing 1-4 of 4 comments
Submitted By: Eric Lubbers
posted on 11/16/2007 @ 10:55:43 AM
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Update: Thanks to a tip from Alexis, I got to see it Wednesday. Verdict: Super-good. Like, really, really, super-good.
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Submitted By: Patricia Gentry
posted on 11/12/2007 @ 1:38:08 PM
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Best comedy of the year, bar none! I need to see it a few more times and catch all the great dialog, I missed while laughing so hard.
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Submitted By: Charmaine Robledo
posted on 11/12/2007 @ 11:33:35 AM
Rated Story
"Saved!" is one of my favorite films, but you're right -- it did have that predictable, happily-ever-after ending. And after wondering where I've seen Ellen Page before, I just remembered she was in the awesome TV show, "Trailer Park Boys," of which I am a fan of.
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Submitted By: Eric Lubbers
posted on 11/12/2007 @ 9:55:48 AM
Rated Story
I was so angry that the tickets were so expensive for Juno this year. Even moreso when Sarah and I, dejectedly, decided to go to Moonstruck at the Starz FilmCenter that night instead, and watched in horror as two completely clueless people tried to get tickets for Juno at the Starz box office. It was not only sold out, but it was starting within 20 minutes and not even at this location. As I said, completely clueless. Imagine our supreme frustration when the ticket lady whipped out two tickets to the Juno show (worth $80), gave them to these idiots that didn't even bother to do any research before hand (for free, no less) and left us standing there with our tickets to Moonstruck and our jaws on the floor. I guess it pays to be kind of stupid sometimes. I suppose I'll have to wait until December like all the other plebians. I'm glad at least one deserving fan got to see it, Alexis.
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Showing 1-4 of 4 comments
CONTRIBUTOR INFORMATION

Alexis Gentry

Denver , CO

Alexis Gentry has posted 52 stories and 8 comments since joining on 2/8/2007. Alexis Gentry 's average story rating is 4.87.
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