I don't know if a Juno thread already exist or not, however, I'm not so much reviewing a movie as I am pointing something about it out.

This movie was praised by critics as being the best movie of 2007. It even got a 100% rating on the tomato meter when it first came out. WTF?

All the top critics claimed it was a great independent film that gave a really realistic look to teen pregnancy.

Well I watched the movie and realized I've been lied to big time. When I started watching the movie I was expecting the next Lucas, 3 O Clock High, House Party, or even License to Drive. You know, true great classic teen movies.

What I got, was a cheap made for TV story that could've been told in an episode of Degrassi, and I don't even watch Degrassi.

Let me start by saying like most people I like Ellen Page. I loved her in Hard Candy, and felt sad for her in An American Crime. Especially, since she favors the real victim of the horrible incident almost frighteningly so.

But in this movie, she uses the sarcastic teen act almost to an annoying effect. The constant cheesy one liners, and joke comparisons almost gave me a headache. Also contrary to popular belief, all teen girls don't talk that way.

Then we get to the pregnancy. The debate rather she should abort or keep the baby was very unrealistic. Since in most real life situations, the teen gets the abortion. Why Hollywood is scared to show this? I don't know, it would've made for a more interesting movie though.

Which brings us to the adoptive parents. Honestly, this made the movie worth finishing to me, because I could relate to the wife who can't have children wanting to know what it's like to be a mother. I can also relate to the husband still having the mind of a kid and not wanting to grow up and have the responsibility of a father.

I can see Juno, like I said, being good enough for a sitcom, but the best movie of 2007? Give me a break.

I agree that its certainly not a breakthrough movie or anything spectacular, but I still enjoyed it.

The first 15 minutes of the film were nearly unwatchable for me. The "teen talk" was obnoxious and seemed like it was trying to portray the new 'geek chic' or something along those lines. The movie got a lot better as it went on, and there were some parts where I got a good laugh out of it.

I really liked the adoptive parents, I liked how the movie made them split up. I liked Juno having the realization that even perfect marriages don't work out sometimes.

I think Juno's stepmom was one of my favorite characters in the movie, tbqh.

If she had just gotten an abortion, there wouldn't be a movie. Also, having a teen girl in a movie that appeals to teen girls just hop into the abortion clinic, spitting out some one-liners, then getting a slushie after she's done probably wouldn't have been the best message to send the viewers. Whether kids are that influenced by the movies they see or not is up to debate, but by letting her get an abortion, not only do they ruin the entire plot, but they basically condone it and get thrown into the politics of the whole issue.

Sometimes it felt like the movie was a giant excuse to be like "ooh look at the only-popular-in-small-circles music I listen to, its like a ;) for the scenester kids that are watching!" I could get past it because at the root of it all, the characters were mostly believable and relatable.

100% rating? That's kinda crazy. Realistic look on teen pregnancy? Maybe realistic among kids who have reasonable and understanding parents, live middle-class in the midwest, etc., but to most other kids, I imagine getting pregnant in and of itself is a much more frightening experience, not to mention if they actually carry the child to term and deal with the reactions of people around them (at least the movie did acknowledge this from time to time).

For all its faults, I still enjoyed the film, though.

And if nothing else, it gives the indie kids their own romantic comedy.

The constant cheesy one liners, and joke comparisons almost gave me a headache.

I think that response to the movie is very common among most adult viewers. The movie tries too hard to sound like 21st teenspeak. The scene involving Rainn Wilson is embarrassing to watch. But it gets less annoying, as Cassie said.


Then we get to the pregnancy. The debate rather she should abort or keep the baby was very unrealistic. Since in most real life situations, the teen gets the abortion. Why Hollywood is scared to show this? I don't know, it would've made for a more interesting movie though.

A) The question of whether Hollywood is scared to show this is irrelevant (they're not). Independent movies have depicted abortions before. B) Whether an abortion would have made the movie more interesting or not says more about your personal preference in stories. It would have been a completely different story if she got an abortion. Not better; not worse. That's a plot point. Not a failure of the storytelling. C) Why do you think most pregnant teens get abortions? Even if that was true in a statistical sense, does that mean it would increase the verisimilitude of the story to make this fictional teen with this set of fictional parents and this fictional best friend have an abortion? Is verisimilitude what you look for in a comedy normally?


If she had just gotten an abortion, there wouldn't be a movie. . .by letting her get an abortion, not only do they ruin the entire plot, but they basically condone it and get thrown into the politics of the whole issue

A) There would be a movie. But it'd be a different movie.

B) Remember: there are (and have been) ways to depict abortions in movies in which the abortion is not condoned. What you all are describing is a different movie in which the depiction of such an event and the meaning therein would be dependent on the intentions of the storytellers.


I can see Juno, like I said, being good enough for a sitcom, but the best movie of 2007? Give me a break.

True. It wasn't the best movie of 2008. Nor was it revolutionary in any way. But, like Cassie, I did think it was enjoyable, provided you could slog through the first twenty minutes or so.


Sometimes it felt like the movie was a giant excuse to be like "ooh look at the only-popular-in-small-circles music I listen to, its like a ;) for the scenester kids that are watching!" I could get past it because at the root of it all, the characters were mostly believable and relatable.

Absolutely.


100% rating? That's kinda crazy. Realistic look on teen pregnancy? Maybe realistic among kids who have reasonable and understanding parents, live middle-class in the midwest, etc., but to most other kids, I imagine getting pregnant in and of itself is a much more frightening experience, not to mention if they actually carry the child to term and deal with the reactions of people around them (at least the movie did acknowledge this from time to time). . .

And if nothing else, it gives the indie kids their own romantic comedy.

I agree.

Good propaganda, and a sure-fire way to spread the message to teenage girls that getting pregnant, is not such a bad thing.

it was ok.

the start really grated for me too and the use of certain phrases and such seemed really... prominent, really self-consciously hip or something. but the latter half was goodtimes, imo.


If she had just gotten an abortion, there wouldn't be a movie. Also, having a teen girl in a movie that appeals to teen girls just hop into the abortion clinic, spitting out some one-liners, then getting a slushie after she's done probably wouldn't have been the best message to send the viewers.

lol'd

The truth is I actually refuse to watch Juno. My dormmate said it was one of the best movies she ever saw, but what can be so great about a pregnant teenager? The whole concept made me angry. There were many pregnant girls in my high school and I never saw any of them as amusing.

...and the Juno music is annoying.... very annoying.

The first 15 minutes of the film were nearly unwatchable for me. The "teen talk" was obnoxious and seemed like it was trying to portray the new 'geek chic' or something along those lines. The movie got a lot better as it went on, and there were some parts where I got a good laugh out of it.


Tis how I felt. It seems they tried way too hard to make her some huge interesting character right out of the box but then they went OH HEY LET'S SHOW A STORY NOW and it was fine

Good propaganda, and a sure-fire way to spread the message to teenage girls that getting pregnant, is not such a bad thing.

Newsflash = Thanks to Juno a group of teenage girls made a pact to get pregnant. One ever paid and slept with a 24 year old homeless man to do it.

I'd say the propaganda worked.

tldr most of those but i agree that juno was a bit overrated, as far as teens getting preggy that happens everyday regardless of a movie. parents should just start to beat their kids...........regardless I didn't so much care for some of the humor in juno but it wasn't as big of a let down as knocked up was..........massive orgy anyone?

*edit*now that i think about it, maybe an orgy would have made the movie better.........yes? no? maybe?

The movie was god awful imo, so sappy and the "drama" seemed so unreal. Maybe I just couldn't relate, but I just hated it.

...and the Juno music is annoying.... very annoying.

Yeah. When I saw it in the theater, teenagers were there (presumably having seen the movie already) singing along with the songs. Ughhhhh.

Newsflash = Thanks to Juno a group of teenage girls made a pact to get pregnant. One ever paid and slept with a 24 year old homeless man to do it.

I'd say the propaganda worked.

The "pact" thing hasn't even been confirmed yet, and even if there was a pact around a couple of them, its said that not all of them are connected. I really doubt Juno had anything to do with it, and even if it did, I'd equate it more to stupid kids and bad parenting than "omg this movie makes kids seem cool!"

lol all I can really say

Now that's comedy.

The "pact" thing hasn't even been confirmed yet, and even if there was a pact around a couple of them, its said that not all of them are connected. I really doubt Juno had anything to do with it, and even if it did, I'd equate it more to stupid kids and bad parenting than "omg this movie makes kids seem cool!"

Well for Juno to decide to get pregnant by sleeping with her best male friend, and her parents saying "Oh well, that's Juno. What are you going to do?" Shows both those in spades in the movie. So the OMG factor could exist.

The "pact" thing hasn't even been confirmed yet, and even if there was a pact around a couple of them, its said that not all of them are connected. I really doubt Juno had anything to do with it, and even if it did, I'd equate it more to stupid kids and bad parenting than "omg this movie makes kids seem cool!"

Yeah. but in today's society, personal responsibiltiy/parenting rarely comes into play. It usually is "omg this [media outlet] makes kids seem [cool, crazy, killers, etc.]"

man, people are dumb ; ; I have been reading that the pact thing is because of ~Jamie Lynn Spears~ too, who wouldn't even have announced her pregnancy yet by the time these girls would've started trying to concieve.

clearly no teenagers ever got purposely pregnant in their teens before now!

Juno what a pile of over rated tat i liked that bird from xmen 3 but lately shes gone a real big headed bitch.

My sister LOVES Juno.

I, on the other hand, think it's Trendy Garbage.

'Nuff said.

it's definitely overrated IMO, but i loved michael cera in it. there should've been more of him in the movie. :o/

The first 15 minutes of the film were nearly unwatchable for me. The "teen talk" was obnoxious and seemed like it was trying to portray the new 'geek chic' or something along those lines. The movie got a lot better as it went on, and there were some parts where I got a good laugh out of it.

Newsflash = Thanks to Juno a group of teenage girls made a pact to get pregnant. One ever paid and slept with a 24 year old homeless man to do it.

I'd say the propaganda worked.


You can't really account for people's stupidity. :rolleyes:

Anyway, it's a comedy. I don't think a lot of comedy aspires to high art (with the exception of anything Woody Allen puts out, and we know his track record.), but they can succeed at prevailing at least for a short while. Juno and most of Judd Apatow's films will do that, I'm sure of it.

I didn't know it was rated very highly? :/

I thought it was okay. Very funny in parts but a bit try-hard in others ("honest to blog?")

maybe it's just cause I'm a sucker for teen films

Nice Oldboy avy!

And thouroughly enjoyed the movie. I knew a few girls like her in HS, and no, most girls DO NOT get abortions, errr maybe it was just a fad @ my HS to have kids....

I actually know someone very much like Juno. This is my favorite film of 2007, hands down. And Ellen Page, unlike something someone said, is not becoming a big-headed bitch. Both her and Diablo Cody are VERY down to earth. Even if you think that most teenage girls get abortions, this is a movie about someone who doesn't. And it's a comedy. If it wasn't a comedy, they wouldn't fire off perfect one-liners. But it's a comedy. So the dialogue is a bit wittier than normal, even the writer said so herself. The characters are all well defined by the end of the film, especially the Stepmother (I forget the actress's name, but she was amazing in Drop Dead Gorgeous, too). The music fits well, even if some songs are a bit meh to me.

I just don't get it. It didn't win best film of 2007 at the Academy Awards, even. It won best original screenplay. I think it's just great. I even lent my DVD to my French teacher so she could watch it on her weekend at the beach house. It's good, light-hearted fun, but it's also emotional and all about family and growing up.

Get past the teen-speak and enjoy the movie for what it really is instead of complaining just because you don't get it/hate teenagers/hate pregnancy/feel the need to complain about movies because you don't fill out underwear as well as other men.

Meh, I thought some things about it were alright. (The hamburger phone! Want want!)

I think most of the reason I didn't like it is because I know firsthand that's not the way things go. At all.

I completely 100% agree with the OP.

what's an OP?

Original Poster

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n84/daflecta/189_abort.gif


LMOL

Loved every moment of this film.