Heart Beats

Believe the hype for Juno.

I'm here to tell you that Jason Reitman's film is a pitch perfect capture of quirky sentimentality done right.

The script by Diablo Cody is not so much in love with itself as it is with its characters. Perhaps borrowing a page from the Punky Brewster school of sass sophistication or her years as a phone sex operator, Cody fully realizes that sarcasm is not necessarily rooted in defeatism, but is a vital weapon for elevating past it. Certainly 16 year-old Juno understands this as the widening implications of her pregnancy affect more than just her waistline.

Perhaps the most irresponsible responsible teenager in cinema history, Juno makes mistakes to be sure, but is humble enough to see the error of her ways and intelligent enough to try and rectify them. Whether she's successful or not is not for us to judge. Instead our participation is in acknowledging her resolve. And with such an honest performance by Ellen Page, it's easy to do that.

As well defined a character that Juno is on the written page, more credit is due to Ms Page. In the hands of another actress, Juno may have come across as a self indulgent realization. But Ms Page digs beneath the wit exterior and finds the character's heart beat, much like Julia Roberts did in Erin Brokovich or Frances McDormand in Fargo or Ellen Burstyn in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. These are very specific women at very specific transitional periods in life. Each has been conditioned by their immediate surroundings for their entirety and now must break free from those chains. That's a lot to demand from an actor, especially with characters so esoteric. Ms Page is more than game, and passes the test in a scene of such quiet internalized beauty, to reveal it would be to rob viewers of such life affirming joy.

Everyone else in Juno deserves at least a paragraph of praise.

JK Simmons as Juno's Father fills you with such warm humor you can't help but smile. He delivers the film's best monologue in such a way that we get the sense his character's been wanting to say these words for a long time. I also want to single out Monique Prudhomme for her deft costume design for this character. His wardrobe of flannel shirts, Wrangler jeans, and running shoes somehow wrings uncomfortably true to me.

Allison Janney as Juno's Stepmother bypasses the standard issue strife that accompanies such movie relationships and instead embraces her maternal instincts to such biting, and often times hilarious effect.

Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman almost demand an entire film be built around their characters. What seems like the idealized version of a marriage made in a suburban heaven, really is a portrait of unfulfilled dreams left at the wayside. But the movie allows these characters to find their way back in an uncompromising way that doesn't disrespect REAL LIFE or the very essence of their story. Jennifer Garner is so good here. I don't think there's an actress today that better expresses her character's inward concern through body language. Her strength really forces us to understand her character's motivations and the desire that pushes them along. She needs to be nominated for Supporting Actress, Academy!

And while you're at it, give a nod to Jason Bateman as well. His portrayal of a musician with stadium dreams saddled in a reality of jingles easily stands out among the film's eccentricities. Bateman plays it straight, when swingin' for the fences would've been so enticing. In a lot of respects I think he's got the toughest part. It's about time wider audiences get a taste of his refinement in reservation.

But the real anchor here is Michael Cera's Paulie Bleeker. He is the actualization of Juno's trust and strive. He's her rock. Quite frankly, I'm not sure if Mr Cera can play totally outside of his George Michael persona birthed on the classic Arrested Development. That may hurt his career's longevity, but for stories like Juno, the tale feels incomplete. Without Michael Cera, this movie doesn't work.

What a year for movies! My faith is reborn. As cliched as it sounds, really good movies like Juno remind us why we go to the movies in the first place: to escape for 2 hours without consequence.

I think the characters in Juno need to go to the movies more often.

(Editor's note: Having seen this film after the fact, my Top 10 needs reshuffling. Stick this one between Anton Chigurh and Jason Bourne. Something tells me Juno MacGuff is more than up for the challenge.)