Juno

UK Release: 8th February 2008

Watched on DVD: Monday 17th December 2012

Rating: 15

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Runtime: 1hr 36mins

Tagline: A comedy about growing up... and the bumps along the way.

IMDb Plot Synopsis: A tale told over four seasons, starting in autumn when Juno, a 16-year-old high-school junior in Minnesota, discovers she's pregnant after one event in a chair with her best friend, Bleeker. In the waiting room of an abortion clinic, the quirky and whip-sharp Juno decides to give birth and to place the child with an adoptive couple. She finds one in the PennySaver personals, contacts them, tells her dad and step-mother, and carries on with school. The chosen parents, upscale yuppies (one of whom is cool and laid back, the other meticulous and uptight), meet Juno, sign papers, and the year unfolds. Will Juno's plan work, can she improvise, and what about Bleeker?

My Review: It’s been about 5 years now since Juno was released and it’s become something of a indie classic. Shoving both Michael Cera and Ellen Page firmly into the lime light it has set the way for many more interesting and creative films from them both, and others being made in the same indie vein. Not only did Ellen Page get nominated for an Oscar for her role, but the film highlighted teenage pregnancy in a new light making it less about the gritty and more about the sweet and funny.

That is wholly down to Page, as Juno, who is nothing like the pregnant teenager ‘stereotype’. She’s an opinionated tomboy who has yet to grow up and through the course of the film she learns a lot more about life, the world and herself through being pregnant and giving the baby to loving adoptive parents who are played brilliantly by Jennifer Gardner and Jason Bateman. I don’t know why but the film has resonated with audiences of all ages and genders to it’s warm heart and sincerity. It feels awkward like teenage-hood should and that’s why it will forever be, in my eyes, an indie classic.

Score: 7.5/10