Juno

[DarthShady]

Just wondering if anyone else has seen this yet. I absolutely loved it and saw it 3 times already. Really funny, but also touching. Kudos to Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody for a great (and definitely MRFH-y) flick.

Ellen Page's Juno is definitely the kind of character I identify with, and it's really refreshing to see a character like her who's not the "typical teen girl" we see played by someone like Mischa Barton or Hilary Duff, but someone with a personality, a sense of humor, and the emotional capacity above that of a soap dish. Micheal Cera was awkward-but-lovable as always, but he still managed to make Bleeker's dork seem new. Props to Jennifer Garner, who I think for the first time in her career thought "maybe I should actually act for this movie." And for once the cheerleading best friend was not at all like the stereotypes perpetuated in movies like Bring It On and it's vast number of straight-to-DVD sequels (which means much more to my cheerleading sister than to me, but it's still really cool.)

Awesome story, 3-dimensional characters, zippy dialogue - this movie's got it all. And I likes it. I'd even be so bold as to say that it is possibly the best movie of my lifetime, but then that's just my opinion. I don't want to get ahead of myself there.

[Al]

You pretty much hit the nail on the head, there. It is easily one of the best movies of 2007 and Ellen Page totally needs some kind of important nomination (Golden Globes don't count). Also JK Simmons and Alison Janney were awesome as a mom and dad that don't yell and scream and freak out like movies seem to think they have to.

EDIT: Also, I really thought this was a Judd Apatow movie. Curse your deception, Michael Cera! Curse you!

[Ms. Jellybean]

Not to mention the soundtrack is incredibly and unapologetically fun, as well as painfully hipster.

I love it when I go see a movie that's touted as realistic and is... well... realistic. Too often Hollywood thinks they've got teenagers pegged but instead simply create an image that so many teenagers then follow. I consider Juno to be the ode to oddball kids and oddball once-were-kids everywhere.

In short, it's my favorite movie ever since the rolling of the closing credits.

Also, Ellen Page did a hysterical interview on Letterman.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCRYGmytEGI

[TheOogieBoogieMan]

I'm not as enthusiastic about the movie. I mean, it was decent, but not unlike movies like Napoleon Dynamite, Garden State, and Saved.

One of the big problems I had with the movie was Juno herself. It's not that I found her unrealistic (although considering the character is supposed to be only 16, her mannerisms did make me raise my eyebrows a few times), but if she was someone I knew in my day-to-day life, I probably wouldn't like her. She reminds me too much of people I know who are so eager to get a joke into the conversation and force the spotlight on themselves, and people like that irritate me. It's hard to root for someone that irritates you.

Problem number 2 is best summed up by Ms. Jellybean's words: "painfully hipster." The characters spout references to Sonic Youth and the Melvins and the Stooges as if I, as a viewer, am supposed to be impressed by how "cool" the characters, and in turn, the movie are. It just seemed like the movie was trying too hard to earn "indie cred," whatever that may be.

Problem number 3: Jennifer Garner. Not that I dislike the actress, but her character was too wishy-washy for me to tolerate.

That said, I didn't hate Juno. Thank God for JK Simmons (between this, Spider-man, and Oz, that guy's becoming one of my favourite actors) and Allison Janney, cause most of the laughs I got from the movie came from them. So overall, not bad, but not really worth the acclaim its been getting, either.

*prepares a rotten-vegetable-shield for himself*

Also, that Letterman interview is pretty funny.

[Al]

Roger Ebert is taking some flak for naming it his favorite movie of the year, and he talks abouti t a bit in his answer man column this week. I disagree with you Oogie, but you're not alone.

[eatmyshorts]

I loved it, and just because they referenced awesome bands like sonic youth and the stooges, doesn't mean they were trying to be hip. Maybe the writer...uh...liked those bands?

[Hucklebubba]

eatmyshorts said:

Maybe the writer...uh...liked those bands?

You and your wacky theories!

[TheOogieBoogieMan]

Curse you, Bubba! I was going to make a similar quip.

[Hucklebubba]

Don't you put that evil on me, crazy clown!

On-topic, the brief clip included with the Letterman interview tells me that I would not like this movie for much the same reason as you. That being, that Juno herself so desperately wants to be a more contemporary, cute teenage girl version of Hawkeye Pierce.

And don't get me wrong; I love Hawkeye, but being him tends not to work for anybody but him. Remember kids: There's a subtle but critical difference between being frank and quick-witted, and needing to be hooked up to some sort of slap-upside-the-head machine.

Also know that I am not familiar with the rules of proper colon/semicolon usage.

[sarahbot]

I think it's pretty clear that not everybody (in the film) loves Juno. She is painfully hipster, but I believe that it's just the way that character would be. Paulie makes the comment that she can be pretty cruel. Jennifer Garner's character doesn't understand her at all. I don't believe that Juno herself understands the danger of the subtext in her relationship with Jason Bateman's character. The way he says "I thought you would be happy about this" and it completely flies over her head speaks legions. I don't think I would like Juno much in person either, but I can easily fall in love with her world for 2 hours.

The music was fantastic, and I can't wait to get the soundtrack.

I loved the relationship between Juno and Mac, esp. since I saw the movie with my dad.

The only real problem I had was that Bleeker was consistently referred to as Juno's best friend, and we rarely saw them together, and never were they really comfortable together. You can understand that they are more uncomfortable about each other now, but we have no reason to really understand that these people like each other at all.

[TheLuckyOne]

Drew sayeth: it rocks.

Review forthcoming.

-D

[aargmematey]

I liked some things about it but disliked others. I agree that I didn't like Juno herself, and I hated the part where she finally cried. It was so obviously set up as a moment for the audience to go "oh look, she's not just a demon she's actually...a human! Awww!" I also thought Juno was pretty much a Mary Sue, especially when she started referencing outdated musicians, but oh well. Oh yeah, and I thought the ending of Jason Bateman's character was pretty cheap. And I thought the beginning of the movie was pretty painful to watch, but then again I'm sick of the whole "nothing is happening on-screen and that's funny...I guess" schtick that indie movies are going through now.

BUT! Outside of all that stuff I did like the movie and thought it was pretty funny.

[PoolMan]

theluckyone said:

Drew sayeth: it rocks.

Review forthcoming.

You mean that wasn't it?

[TheLuckyOne]

poolman said:

You mean that wasn't it?

Justin upped our word count. Only complete sentences from now on.

-D

[momo]

Somehow I didn't like this movie as much as I thought I would- and darn it all but I can't figure out why.

Interesting, quirky characters? Check.
Interesting, quirky music? Check.
Quotable quotes up the wazoo? Check.
The almighty presence of J.K. Simmons? Check.

Why didn't I like this more? I don't know but I think maybe the aforementioned excessive hipsterness had something to do with it. Maybe. Kinda. I'm confused.