Movie Minute

Juno

What does a 16-year old with a rapid fire repartee and a charming indie streak do when she gets pregnant? Well, if the script is to be believed she shuns the father, carries on to term and gives the baby up to someone who wants it. If the script is written by a former stripper with a real talent for fresh language and story structure and is marketed so aptly it jumps over the one hundred million mark, then it goes on to gain award after international award.

Recently, it earned Diablo Cody (not her real name) the BAFTA for best original screenplay. And deservedly so. Twenty-year-old Ellen Page (Juno) got a nod from the Academy Awards with a Best Actress nomination to top her scintillating crown of queen of the day. But is Juno all that’s cracked up to be? If you’re quick enough to catch all the razor-sharp quips, yes. It all starts with a chair that witnessed the young love between bored Juno and best friend and nerd extraordinaire, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera).

It continues with a jug of Sunny D and three positive pregnancy tests. An unsuccessful trip to the “Women Now” clinic and a push from the sole pro-life protester, schoolmate Shin, “All babies want to get borned” make our Juno realize she can’t go through with the “quickly procured abortion”. Best friend Leah starts scouring Penny Saver ads in search of the perfect would be parents and enter the Vanessa and Matt Loring (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) who seem to fit the bill. She’s a career woman and he’s a freelance commercial composer who likes slasher movies and has more in common with Juno than with his wife.

On the home front, Juno’s parents are calmly understanding and supportive, yet mystified by her announcement (Dad: Did you see that coming? Mom: Yeah... but I was hoping she was expelled, or into hard drugs. Dad: That was my first instinct too). Thus tragedy turns into a comedy amidst their suburban lives. Although the film scores points for its irreverence and boldness, you can’t help but wonder how come Juno is not shunned at school. Her peers don’t seem to be troubled, interested, appalled or supportive in any shape or form. So little is she grist for the gossip mill that we have no idea what fellow teens think of her “condition.”

But this is, after all, comedy, not tragi-comedy and as such Juno develops nicely. And delivers.

Cristina Jaleru