Juno is a 2007 American independent coming of age teen comedy film directed by Jason Reitman and written by Diablo Cody. Ellen Page stars as the title character, an independent-minded teenager confronting an unplanned pregnancy and the subsequent events that put pressures of adult life onto her. Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney and J. K. Simmons also star. Filming spanned from early February to March 2007 in Vancouver, British Columbia. It premiered on September 8 at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival, receiving a standing ovation.
Plot[]
In Elk River, Minnesota, sixteen year old high-schooler Juno MacGuff discovers she is pregnant by her friend and longtime admirer Paulie Bleeker. At first she takes several pregnancy test, even drinking a whole canister of Sunny D but there is a plus sign. She initially considers an abortion. Going to a local clinic run by a women's group, she encounters a schoolmate outside who is holding a one-person anti-abortion vigil. Once inside, Juno decides to give the baby up for adoption instead. With the help of her friend Leah, Juno searches the ads in the Pennysaver and finds a childless married couple she feels will provide a suitable home. She tells her father Mac and stepmother Bren, who offer their support. With Mac, Juno meets the couple, Mark and Vanessa Loring, in their expensive Saint Cloud home, and agrees to a closed adoption.
Juno visits Mark a few times, and finds they share tastes in punk rock and horror films. Mark, who has set aside his rock band youth (now confined to memorabilia displayed in the one room of the house that Vanessa has designated for Mark's personal belongings), works at home composing commercial jingles. Juno and Leah happen to see Vanessa in a shopping mall being completely at ease with a child, and Juno encourages Vanessa to talk to the baby in Juno's womb, which kicks for Vanessa. As the pregnancy progresses, Juno struggles with the emotions she feels for the baby's father Paulie. Juno maintains an outwardly indifferent attitude toward Paulie, but when she learns Paulie has asked another girl to the upcoming prom, she confronts him in a jealous rage. Paulie reminds Juno that it is at her request they remain distant and tells her she broke his heart.
Not long before her baby is due, Juno is again visiting Mark when their interaction becomes emotional. Mark then tells her he will be leaving Vanessa to figure his life out. Juno is horrified by this revelation, with Mark asking Juno, "How do you think of me?", revealing he is starting to develop feelings for her. Vanessa arrives home, and Mark simply tells Vanessa he does not feel ready to be a father. Juno drives away and breaks down in tears by the side of the road. Returning to the Lorings' house, Juno leaves a note and disappears as the Lorings answer the door. After a heartfelt discussion with her father, Juno accepts that she loves Paulie. Juno then tells Paulie she loves him (he does not look at her funny), and Paulie's actions make it clear her feelings are very much reciprocated. Not long after, Juno goes into labor and is rushed to the hospital, where she gives birth to a baby boy. She had deliberately not told Paulie because of his track meet. Seeing her missing from the stands, Paulie rushes to the hospital, finds Juno has given birth to their son, and comforts Juno as she cries.
Vanessa comes to the hospital, where she joyfully claims the newborn boy as a single adoptive mother. On the wall in the baby's new nursery, Vanessa has framed Juno's note, which reads: "Vanessa: If you're still in, I'm still in. —Juno." The film ends in the summertime with Juno and Paulie playing guitar and singing together, in a happy relationship.
Cast[]
- Elliot Page as Juno MacGuff, the birth mother, Paulie's girlfriend
- Michael Cera as Paulie Bleeker, the father of Juno's child, and Juno's boyfriend
- Jennifer Garner as Vanessa Loring, Mark's wife and the prospective adoptive mother of Juno's child
- Jason Bateman as Mark Loring, Vanessa's husband and the prospective adoptive father of Juno's child
- Allison Janney as Bren MacGuff, Juno's stepmother
- J. K. Simmons as Mac MacGuff, Juno's father
- Olivia Thirlby as Leah, Juno's friend
- Rainn Wilson as Rollo, convenience store clerk
- Valerie Tian as Su-Chin, anti-abortion protester
- Emily Perkins as punk abortion clinic receptionist
Reception[]
Juno won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and earned three other Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Page. The film's soundtrack, featuring several songs performed by Kimya Dawson in various guises, was the first chart-topping soundtrack since Dreamgirls and 20th Century Fox's (or rather Fox Searchlight's) first number one soundtrack since Titanic. Juno earned back its initial budget of $6.5 million in twenty days, the first nineteen of which were when the film was in limited release.[4] It went on to earn $231 million worldwide.[5] Juno received acclaim from critics, many of whom placed the film on their top ten lists for the year. It has received criticism and praise from members of both the anti-abortion and abortion rights communities regarding its treatment of abortion. In light of Georgia's anti-abortion law, Diablo Cody said she would not have written Juno now that people perceive it as an anti-choice film.