When “Juno” finally hit the big screen in the Eugene area, witty dialogue and hip soundtrack in tow, it had already made a few million dollars from the big-city moviegoer that goes for this kind of product.
“Juno” falls in the widely – but not too widely – appealing brand of indie that “Little Miss Sunshine” rode all the way to a Best Picture nomination last year. Coming out just in time for Oscar season, “Juno” has become a hot ticket as it sweeps the country.
Ellen Page plays Juno MacGuff, a hipster-savvy 16-year-old who rivals even the snobbiest folk among us. Unfortunately for her, all of her snide remarks and reservoir of pop culture knowledge cannot prevent the unintentional impending motherhood bestowed upon her after a one-night-stand with band mate and friend Paulie Bleeker.
After curbing her immediate inclination to get an abortion, Juno decides to keep the child and give it to the perfect pair of infertile parents: Mark (Jason Bateman), the cool and laid-back male figure, and Vanessa (Jennifer Garner), who wears the pants in the relationship. Throw in Juno’s fast-talking, ultra witty parents (J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney) and we’ve got comedy.

Much has been made of the screenplay by first timer Diablo Cody. Previously known as an esteemed blogger, Cody’s writing is full of amazing one-liners and characters with unfailing senses of humor. However, everyone comes up with what to say so fast and so effectively that you start to wonder if the movie is taking place in a parallel universe. It’s beyond apt at coaxing a laugh, but it often does so at the expense of the movie’s sense of relevance.
Rescuing the movie from a complete loss of widespread accessibility is the sure hand of director Jason Reitman. Everyone saw his ability to make a sleek and fashionable-looking flick with his work on last year’s “Thank You For Smoking,” but here, in only his second directorial effort, he shows heart too.
He keeps the film handsome to look at and adds some truly poetic shots from time to time, but it’s his work with the actors that makes it obvious he’s one to keep tabs on in the future. In both subtle and profound touches, all the characters here seem fully realized, an accomplishment that can take some directors entire careers to achieve.
But above all else, this is Page’s show. Her character is both incredibly smart and particularly foolish, a vision of strength and great inner weakness, the belle of the ball and the most lonely person in the room. She encompasses teenage angst and confusion with such truth that it offsets trivial, fantastical elements of the screenplay.
Each actor gives a solid performance and has a last act move or two that surprise without breaking character, but it’s Juno’s character and Page’s performance that make you want to peel away layer by layer, always to find more inside.
Hype and comparison can be killer and it would be a stretch to say that “Juno” fully lives up to either. The film, however, is consistently enjoyable. And even when things veer off a tiny bit, you can always take comfort in the fact that Page will soon be there to save the day.