Juno

[Sugar]

So, I met up with a friend today to see a movie by the name of Juno. If you're unfamiliar with it, you can find a trailer/plot synopsis/whatever right about here: Apple - Trailers - Juno

I'd been looking forward to seeing it and knew that it would be good, but it ended up surpassing my expectations. Juno somehow manages to handle a serious/mature subject in a genuinely serious/mature and realistic way, while still generating laughs. In my opinion, it's not supporting any specific view on abortion, adoption or teen pregnancy in general. Rather, it tells the story of a teenage girl who must deal with these issues herself, make her own decisions and go from rather ignorant and careless to quite grown up in a small amount of time. It's realistic in the sense that all the awkward moments so common in real life, especially situations such as this, remain on screen in all their painful glory, and we suffer through them right along with the main character.

Not to mention, the soundtrack is fantastic in its own quirky way. As we were walking out of the theater, the credits rolling behind us, a song began to play: "I am a vampire, I am a vampire, I am a vampire, I am a vampire". Needless to say, the movie had nothing to do with vampires.

So, seen it? Going to see it? Heard of it, at least?

[Galedeep]

I wanted to see this movie from the first time I heard about it. Ellen Page is one of my favourite young actresses, and was brilliant in Hard Candy. Michael Cera and Jason Bateman are two of my favourite comedic actors, and Michael Cera particularly is great at awkward comedy, and also just has excellent timing. JK Simmons, who played her father, is also an underrated favourite of mine. Toss that cast in with Jason Reitman, the guy who directed Thank You For Smoking, and you have one hell of a movie.

So when it came time to pick the movie my family was going to see on Christmas Eve, I gave them two choices: Juno or Sweeney Todd, knowing that my parents wouldn't pick the violent one. I walked into the theatre happy. I walked out of the theatre even more happy. The more I think back about the film, the better I remember it being. Just one excellent movie.

I remember reading press before it was released, and it was being compared to Knocked Up from the female perspective. I have to disagree. Knocked Up deals with how two people deal with the fact that they are going to be parents when they aren't even in a relationship together. Juno deals with how one girl deals with the fact she is pregnant, knowing that she isn't going to keep the child. BUT the brilliant part is we do get to see the perspective of the parents in Jason Bateman and Jen Garner.

We also get to see Juno debating what to do when she first finds out she's pregnant, and how she deals with that being a high school student. It was interesting for me because most of the time when someone in high school got pregnant, they were ostrasized, labelled a slut or a moron for being so stupid. Here we have the same situation, but we are made to be sympathetic to the character. It was almost a bit of an eye-opener on how maybe people aren't as fair-minded as they like to think.

And yes, the soundtrack is quite impressive. An eclectic collection of music, to say the least, and the CD soundtrack has apparently more of that, sharing songs that Juno and Mark exchanged throughout the film, but perhaps we didn't hear. Mateo Messina did a superb job scoring the film so that it fit with the overall feel of the rest of the soundtrack, so much so that its hardly distinguishable.

If there's two words I can say to a person who hasn't seen this yet it would be these: See it.

[Vega]

Originally Posted by Galedeep

I remember reading press before it was released, and it was being compared to Knocked Up from the female perspective. I have to disagree. Knocked Up deals with how two people deal with the fact that they are going to be parents when they aren't even in a relationship together.

Sugar, have you seen Knocked Up?
Is Juno *anything* like it? If so, I will not be going to see it.

I really don't want to derail the thread, but Knocked Up was one of the worst films of the year for so many reasons. I'll be honest and say that I haven't seen the entire film - my doctors have advised me against it; blood pressure - but I've caught the majority whilst it was on in the background.

First of all, it looked like a ridiculous premise from the start and I would never pay money to watch it, but nothing could have prepared me for how asinine it all was. Honestly I'm not a snob when it comes to films what so ever, and especially not comedy (I own The Simple Life with Paris and Nicole on DVD!) but come on: who wrote that ****? Oh yes, Judd Apatow - a man who seems to have a talent for writing the most ridiculous and juvenile situations and filling them with completely unbelievable characters that seem to pander to his own fantasy world. Woody Allen he ain't.

Let's try avoid a whole abortion debate here, but I thought that Knocked Up was one of th creepiest and sleaziest things I've ever had the mis-pleasure of suffering. And not a good kind of sleazy, like you'd get in a John Waters movie, just a really unsettling slight of hand to puch forward an agenda. It left me nauseous and wishing for the days before There's Something About Mary (which I LOVED) and the endless rip-offs that it inspired. Obviously I'm completely out of touch with cinema audiences because this just flies waay over my head. I cannot for the life of me see the appeal in these movies, nor the people who 'star' (HA!) in them. Katherine Hielgjshd gurning away and talking about her leaking tits was enough to inspire me to contact my pharmacist and demand a med adjustment.

And yes I know that it was a comedy film, that I'm probably reading too much into it, and I know that it's really embarrassing when people over-react - but I think people have a legitimate case for slating this movie! Maybe I just have no sense of humor.

From what you posted Sugar it seems a lot more likable than Knocked Up (STRESSBALL STAT!) so maybe I should check it out. Then again most people seemed to love Knocked Up and it's only us bi-polar loons who seem to have a problem with it.

Oh, and I thought that this would be a thread on the Juno awards. XDDD

Float your rage

[Galedeep]

...well, Juno and Knocked Up are similar in that they both deal with pregnency and...well that's about it. I have my own issues with Knocked Up, and didn't find it to be nearly as good as most people did. Most of the comparisons stemmed from the fact that, as I said, one was looking at it from the more male perspective, the other from the female. The fact that one was written by a guy (Judd Apatow) and the other by a lady (Diablo Cody, who is someone who I really should look into more, since she seems really interesting as a person, and for her first screenplay its some pretty impressive work) probably furthered that sort of contrast.

But no, they are really nothing alike. The word that describes the kind of humor Juno uses that has been thrown around, and I mostly agree with, is "quirky;" whereas Knocked Up didn't really have a clear comedic styling, which is where my main complaint with it lies.

[Sugar]

I haven't seen Knocked Up, but just from having seen previews, I'm more than willing to agree that it has nearly nothing in common with Juno. I have a feeling that if I watched Knocked Up I'd find that Juno was made in better taste- most of it's humor doesn't really revolve around the obvious pregnancy-humor opportunities (leaking tits? haha). It's more realistic than most comedy movies. It just feels more... honest.

[Evaline]

When I first heard about this movie, I just figured it'd be one of those crappy "OMG I'm A MOM!" movies. I regret not seeing it, now. It looks pretty good.

[Asci]

Originally Posted by Dark Tragedy

When I first heard about this movie, I just figured it'd be one of those crappy "OMG I'm A MOM!" movies. I regret not seeing it, now. It looks pretty good.

It's not too late, it's still hanging around multiplex theaters.

I saw it, and liked it a lot, but it's not something I'd go spring for the DVD of. The acting is a bit quirky at times.