Juno

Juno (2007) – on rental. Alongside Nanny McPhee, Juno was the other film to arrive through rental. The film won heaps of critical praise, though like so many other near or indie-esque films, I missed it during its theatrical run here.

The film jumps straight in without wasting time getting to know the characters first before the story begins: Juno MacGuff is a 16 year old High-School student who after experimental sex with her close friend Bleeker, gets pregnant. She first chooses abortion, but after a (hilarious) scene at the local abortion clinic instead gets so put off that with her Bestest of Friends Leah, she looks for “Baby Wanted” ads to give her coming baby up for adoption to the right family.

I don’t think Juno’s premise is uncommon in the real world, what with the growing number of teenage pregnancies. 1 in ten teenagers here in Singapore have had unsafe sex for instance, and it’s a statistic that there will be teenage pregnancies resulting. No… Juno has won so much praise and deservedly so on account of the smart script and dialog coupled with the absolutely brilliant performances from all concerned.

There’s Alison Janney – whom we both enjoyed watching as White House Press Secretary C. J. Cregg in The West Wing – and J. K. Simmons who’s always a hoot to watch, this time as Juno’s lovable parents. Then there’s also Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner who play the wealthy foster parents. Garner’s performance deserves a mention: she’s well-known for her role in Alias and two similar man-kicking roles in Daredevil and Elektra.  But it’s delightful to see her do another comedic-drama role after 13 going on 30. She starts off as a Mum wannabe desperado, but in a really moving scene when she feels the baby kicking for the first time, you see instead a woman who loves children and genuinely wishes for her own though she can’t conceive.

But the best acting accolade is reserved for Ellen Page who plays Juno. For so young an actress to be able to play her role with emotional depth – portraying both the confidence and insecurities of a growing teenager – is just amazing. Nothing of what she says, or for that matter also each situation and scene the film presents, feels false. Juno isn’t flawless in character but when the film is done, it’s hard not to be in love with Juno if not heart-warmed by her spirit and spunk. Alongside Dakota Fanning and AnnaSophia Robb, Page for me is the third of today’s three best young actresses.

Oh yeah. Ling loves the film as lots of it reminds her of her own experience of pregnancy. And so many humorous lines in the film!

Juno: “They’ve got ads for parents…?”

Leah: “Yeah – like ‘Desperately Seeking Spawn’.”

A much better viewing experience than Nanny McPhee – and we watched both back to back in a single evening.:)