Movie review: ‘Juno’ is a funny and poignant indy

The independent film “Juno” is a smartly constructed, often funny and poignant offering, poised to be recognized come Oscar time. Directed with care and attention to detail, Jason Reitman utilizes a fabulous cast and a clever script by Diablo Cody and ultimately delivers one of the best films of the year.

When 16-year-old Juno (Ellen Page) discovers she is pregnant after spending one night with her best friend Paulie (Michael Cera), a boy she secretly loves, the angst-ridden and precocious teen decides to have the baby and give it up for adoption.

Her stunned parents Bren and Mac (Allison Janney and J.K. Simmons) agree to meet with a preppy couple Vanessa and Marc Loring (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) who Juno picked out after reading an ad in a newspaper. After signing legal documents, Juno (despite her parent’s concerns) begins a friendship of sorts with the couple. She spends time with Marc (who was a wannabe rock musician and now writes commercial jingles) and bonds with Vanessa, a woman who has only one wish in life; to be a mother.

Meanwhile Juno’s relationship with Paulie becomes more complicated as he struggles with his inability to offer her any real comfort and finally admits that he is “clueless” as to what his role in her life should or could be.

Due to some startling events, Juno realizes that she has arranged to have her baby adopted by people who are more tragically human, than perfect, and this forces her to dig beneath the surface of her wise-cracking, quirky persona and make some very adult decisions.

Page offers a leading performance which will likely make her a contender for Best Actress. At 20, she easily portrays the complex and bitterly honest, Juno, with a confidence and screen presence that is both captivating and memorable. Janney and Simmons are perfectly cast as the loving, yet straight-talking parents. And Bateman and Garner both succeed in small but crucial roles that add weight and validity to the story.

In a year filled with less than remarkable offerings, this is a jewel of a film. With characters and a subject matter packed with complexities, moviegoers will appreciate the many ways this movie could have gone wrong and doesn’t. In fact, what makes “Juno” so special is that it’s unusually stunning to see a film where every scene is necessary and every element of the script and performances goes right.

(4 stars out of 4.)