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 enlarge | Director: Jason Reitman
Actors: Jason Bateman, Emily Perkins, Allison Janney, Jennifer Garner, J.k. Simmons
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Category: DVD
List Price: $29.98
Buy Used: $5.47
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New (69) Used (65) Collectible (2) from $5.47
Rating:  335 reviews
Sales Rank: 96
Format: Color, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), Spanish (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 96 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: FOXD2250687D
UPC: 024543506874
EAN: 0024543506874
ASIN: B000YABYLA
Theatrical Release Date: December 14, 2207 (In 1 Day)
Release Date: April 15, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Shipping: International shipping available
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Showing reviews 316-320 of 335
 Believable Sarcasm Fuels Comic Masterpiece December 31, 2007
M. JEFFREY MCMAHON (Torrance, CA USA)
3 out of 7 found this review helpful
This deliciously scabrous screenplay written by Diablo Cody features the gimlet-eyed sarcastic Juno MacGuff, played masterfully by Ellen Page. At 16, Juno is pregnant and must navigate the rocky landscape with her family, a yuppie couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) who want to adopt the baby, and Juno's deadpan yet warm-hearted boyfriend Paulie Bleaker (Michael Cera). As the plot twists and turns toward its conclusion, we see one of the most convincing quirky and sarcastic characters to go on screen in a very long time. With everyone trying to be hip and ironic in our mediated culture, Juno is hip and ironic but not self-conciously so. The authenticity, precocity, and heart behind Ellen Page's performance makes me wonder if the script was written especially for her. Lovers of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Ghost World, and Little Miss Sunshine, will most likely enjoy this anti-hype film about a 16-year-old girl's loss of innocence. Highly recommended.
4 1/2 - Surprisingly good December 31, 2007
thornhillatthemovies.com (Venice, CA United States)
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
"All I notice is those `pork swords'"
Juno (Ellen Page) walks around taking swigs from the largest bottle of Sunny Delite you will ever see. She hurries into a convenience store and purchases a pregnancy test from the clerk (Rainn Wilson, TV's "The Office"). Her fears are realized. She is pregnant after having sex for the first time with Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera, "Superbad", TV's "Arrested Development"). She tells her father Mac McGuff (J.K. Simmons) and step-mom Bree (Allison Janney) and decides she wants to have the baby, but give it up for adoption. Enter the perfect couple, who are unable to conceive, Vanessa and Mark Loring (Jennifer Garner, Justin Bateman). As the pregnancy progresses, Juno has trouble with her feelings for Paulie and the perfect couple have problems of their own.
I know. From the description I just relayed, "Juno" sounds like an afternoon special, a precautionary tale, a drama. It couldn't be any more different than that. Director Jason Reitman ("Thank You for Smoking") takes a screenplay by first time writer Diablo Cody, a former exotic dancer, and creates one of the funniest films I have seen this year. Much like the equally funny "Lars and the Real Girl", both films take characters who are off center, but believable, and allow us to watch as they use humor to deal with difficult situations.
"Juno" works so well because Juno is so believable. She seems like your average rebellious teenager. Ready and willing to act out, albeit mildly, she is just a teen girl trying to figure things out. So when she is in a band with Paulie, and there seems to be an attraction, he might be the right guy to try sex with for the first time. He is also attracted to her, so he agrees. They are testing out sex together. As Juno relates these events, she provides us with amusing insights, noticing Paulie's addiction to Orange TicTacs for instance. Also, Paulie is on the Junior High running team, so she seems to notice eight or nine of his team mates running by her, wearing their short gold running shorts, their "pork swords" moving underneath, at all times. This is a constant running joke, no pun intended, because Paulie's teammates always seem to be running by Juno whenever she is outside, emphasizing the fact she is noticing boys for the first time in her life.
JK Simmons and Allison Janney are also very good as her parents. As each is introduced to us by Juno, she also provides amusing antidotes for them as well. For instance, we learn her step-mom Bree (Janney) runs a manicure salon, so Bree, like all people who are preoccupied with the one thing they are good at, talks about nails, and manicures, and everything related to it, sneaking in these references as much as possible. When she takes Juno to see a doctor, and the doctor prescribes a particular vitamin, Bree quickly notes how this helps to make nails stronger. Their reaction to Juno's news about the pregnancy is also very funny.
Michael Cera is very good as Paulie, a smart kid, member of the track team and a kid who seems genuinely interested in Juno as a girlfriend, but also as a friend. They really seem to get along together and Paulie is attracted to her. Because he is so sweet, and good-natured, he is also extremely likable. His mother, who clearly doesn't like Juno, puts up with her because she knows her son is attracted to her. He usually makes good decisions, so she gives him the benefit of the doubt. But she isn't beyond giving Juno a dead stare any time she comes to the house. But Juno knows this will happen and simply ignores her until she retreats to Paulie's sanctuary, his bedroom. There, she feels safe.
When the two get together, they look at each other, regarding each other with interest, yet unsure how to express this. There is hunger in their eyes, but they haven't had enough experience to know this is a natural thing. Yet.
Michael Cera makes Paulie interesting because he is clearly going through the same problems all teenage males go through, yet he doesn't quite seem to have the angst we are used to seeing in film characters.
Mac accompanies his daughter to their first meeting with Vanessa and Mark, to make sure they don't take advantage of his daughter. Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman play the perfect couple. Vanessa feels she was born to be a mother and is kind of desperate to have a baby. Mark seems less gung-ho, but is willing to go along because it is what his wife wants.
Vanessa is also a bit weary because they have tried to adopt before only to have the birth mother back out at the last minute. The desperation is very clear, something she is unable to hide with her wide smile. Mark tries to help her deal, but he also seems a bit ambivalent about the whole thing. Or maybe he is just tired.
As the pregnancy progresses, Juno decides to drop by and keep the adoptive couple up to date. As she sees more of them, she learns more about them and realizes there are some cracks in the perfect facade. On one of these visits, Juno finds Mark at home alone and learns about some of his hobbies; they have an argument about horror films and Mark shows her one of his favorites. But he is quick to try to rush her out of the house when Vanessa returns home from work.
What makes Mark and Vanessa so interesting is a level of unease hinted at throughout their relationship. Mark is concerned about Vanessa finding Juno in their house. Vanessa is desperate to have a child, because they can't seem to conceive. There are other moments which subtly reveal things about Mark and Vanessa, showing that perhaps they aren't as perfect as they seem.
Director Jason Reitman, son of Ivan, director of "Ghostbusters", "Dave" and many other memorable comedy blockbusters, seems to have a career in his own right. His debut feature "Thank You for Smoking" was a dark comedy based on the book by Christopher Buckley. A very funny look at the lobbying industry, starring Aaron Eckhart and Catherine Keener, among others, "Smoking" was easily one of the best of that year. Now, Reitman follows with "Juno". Both films share an oddball sense of humor, a skewed way of looking at the universe which helps to make the films and stories more interesting. Reitman isn't afraid to let his characters say what they should, nee what they need to, whether it is PC or not. Because of this, his characters seem more real, even though they are incredibly well-spoken and well-versed.
In "Juno", Reitman seems to have found his muse in Ellen Page. As Juno, Page narrates the film providing many insights, acting as the voice for the director and writer. Because she is a teenage girl, her voice is deadpan and frequently conveys she could care less about what she is experiencing. This fits perfectly for her character; a teenager would share these same feelings. Frequently, as she makes an observation, trying to act disdainful of the feeling, she secretly betrays herself and reveals she is excited or afraid or unsure, even if just a little.
Reitman and his cast deserve a lot of the credit for making this film work. But the first time screenwriter, Diablo Cody, has also done a remarkable job. From what I understand, Cody, a former exotic dancer of some sort, decided she wanted to become a screenwriter and came up with "Juno", her first screenplay, which was produced virtually unchanged. She provides these characters with unusual, interesting voices, making the film very funny.
Her observations of characters, especially Bree and the Lorings, help to make the film come alive. With these casual asides, we actually learn a lot about the people and what makes them tick. None of them are completely bad; none of them are completely good either.
Also, just when it seems like Cody could take the obvious route, making fun of Vanessa and Mark, or Juno's parents, the screenwriter leads us to suspect this is about to happen only to change course and make us laugh at something unexpected. That takes talent.
"Juno" is a very good film, one of the year's best comedies. Filled with interesting, off-center characters dealing with difficult situations in the way they know best; with humor.
 Cute, man-hating flick December 30, 2007
Swami B (Harlem, NY USA)
10 out of 26 found this review helpful
Although the script for "Juno," the tale of an unwed pregnant teen, crackles with wit, sardonic humor, and irony, it is ultimately unsatisfying because of certain imbalances in its characterizations. Most notably, every male character in the movie--from her bumbling, but well meaning father, to her nerdy and dispassionate "boyfriend," to the male half of a yuppie couple (who is an overgrown adolescent) to whom she commits her unborn child for adoption--is a study in male fecklessness and disappointment. "Juno" is too self-aware to be a "message film," but it telegraphs the point that sisters can do it for themselves by handing off the responsibilities of childrearing from fecund teen girls to barren women with a career. And of course, just because the teenage protagonist, commendably played by Ellen Page, chooses to have a baby does not mean that this film is necessarily "pro-life" (to put the movie in strictly political terms).
Juno - Surprising, Well Executed, Worth the Hype, Get it!!!! December 30, 2007
Mark (East Coast)
17 out of 21 found this review helpful
Juno is a great movie that has gotten a lot of hype, and deserves it ALL!!! Yes, it's about a high school girl who gets pregnant. But don't get confused, this movie is not so easily classified. It's not an after school special. It's not "pro" or "anti" anything. It's just a really well written and well executed film about a unique girl dealing with an all too common situation.
There's a lot of plot elements to explore. How will her friends and family react? What will she do? How will the experience change her? No spoilers here: watch the movie and see it unfold. :)
First things first. Everybody can't love every movie. Some will under-rate this movie just because it has been SOOOOO hyped. Believe me, I understand. All I can say is this: see the movie twice, THEN make up your own mind.
The way that mainstream movies get made, it's hard to have a script survive the teams of experts who want to appeal to this and that audience. I could only detect a handful of planted lines. The writing is SUPERB and very well presented with front to back execution - directing, acting, editing. The dialogue is funny and original, like a much more literate Pulp Fiction. That's what makes this movie special. It has SOOO much going for it. Diablo Cody has opened my eyes, and I'm anxiously awaiting her new project currently in pre-production, "The United States of Tara."
The acting of Ellen Page really is TOP NOTCH. Is it Oscar worthy? YES! Without a doubt. If Julia Roberts can win for Erin Brokovich, they should give Ellen Page her Oscar RIGHT NOW. Once again, some will say it's overhyped. Some only think that top notch acting occurs when characters are dying or demented. I say real acting is good acting. I walked into a screening before I saw a single review. I watched the movie twice to confirm it - this performance needs to be seen and studied.
The cast is chock full of big names who do very well in some good roles. Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, and Michael Cera all have good performances. But Ellen Page IS this movie. She steals every scene, hits every mark and nails every line.
And of course, the music ROCKS! Those who are into indie rock, alternative and punk rock will recognize most of the music here. Those who aren't will want to buy the soundtrack, because this is a great introduction. There is a great mix of new and old, from Velvet Underground and the Kinks to Cat Power and Kimya Dawson. The songs are used well and you will find at least one new favorite if you don't know this music already.
Juno
The camera work is also very good. High quality camera and film equipment has either dropped in price by a lot, or films like this are finally starting to get decent budgets. Either way, this is not epic filming, but it is flawless and effective. Good directing by Jason Reitman is no surprise to me.
Now here's the hard question with 2 honest answers: Is this a movie best seen in theatres, or can it "wait" for DVD?
Answer #1: There's no special effects that make the movie visually different when seen in a theatre. So some might say wait. Still, it was worth it for me just to see how the crowd reacted to Juno's phrases, the music, everything. So that's an honest, qualified YES.
Answer #2: This is really the best overall movie I've seen in a LONG time. I saw it twice in the theatre. If you like really good movies, and good acting, SEE IT NOW. YES, it's definitely worth seeing sooner than later. You will still want to buy the DVD if you're like me.
I really hope you'll check this one out. This is something special.
Enjoy!!!
Juno - Surprising, Well Executed, Worth the Hype, See it Twice!!!! December 30, 2007
Mark (East Coast)
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
Juno is a great movie that has gotten a lot of hype, and deserves it ALL!!! Yes, it's about a high school girl who gets pregnant. But don't get confused, this movie is not so easily classified. It's not an after school special. It's not "pro" or "anti" anything. It's just a really well written and well executed film about a unique girl dealing with an all too common situation.
There's a lot of plot elements to explore. How will her friends and family react? What will she do? How will the experience change her? No spoilers here: watch the movie and see it unfold. :)
First things first. Everybody can't love every movie. Some will under-rate this movie just because it has been SOOOOO hyped. Believe me, I understand. All I can say is this: see the movie twice, THEN make up your own mind.
The way that mainstream movies get made, it's hard to have a script survive the teams of experts who want to appeal to this and that audience. I could only detect a handful of planted lines. The writing is SUPERB and very well presented with front to back execution - directing, acting, editing. The dialogue is funny and original, like a much more literate Pulp Fiction. That's what makes this movie special. It has SOOO much going for it. Diablo Cody has opened my eyes, and I'm anxiously awaiting her new project currently in pre-production, "The United States of Tara.
The acting of Ellen Page really is TOP NOTCH. Is it Oscar worthy? YES! Without a doubt. If Julia Roberts can win for Erin Brokovich, they should give Ellen Page her Oscar RIGHT NOW. Once again, some will say it's overhyped. Some only think that top notch acting occurs when characters are dying or demented. I say real acting is good acting. I walked into a screening before I saw a single review. I watched the movie twice to confirm it - this performance needs to be seen and studied.
The cast is chock full of big names who do very well in some good roles. Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, and Michael Cera all have good performances. But Ellen Page IS this movie. She steals every scene, hits every mark and nails every line.
And of course, the music ROCKS! Those who are into indie rock, alternative and punk rock will recognize most of the music here. Those who aren't will want to buy the soundtrack, because this is a great introduction. There is a great mix of new and old, from Velvet Underground and the Kinks to Cat Power and Kimya Dawson. The songs are used well and you will find at least one new favorite if you don't know this music already.
Juno
The camera work is also very good. High quality camera and film equipment has either dropped in price by a lot, or films like this are finally starting to get decent budgets. Either way, this is not epic filming, but it is flawless and effective. Good directing by Jason Reitman is no surprise to me.
Now here's the hard question with 2 honest answers: Is this a movie best seen in theatres, or can it "wait" for DVD?
Answer #1: There's no special effects that make the movie visually different when seen in a theatre. So some might say wait. Still, it was worth it for me just to see how the crowd reacted to Juno's phrases, the music, everything. So that's an honest, qualified YES.
Answer #2: This is really the best overall movie I've seen in a LONG time. I saw it twice in the theatre. If you like really good movies, and good acting, SEE IT NOW. YES, it's definitely worth seeing sooner than later. You will still want to buy the DVD if you're like me.
I really hope you'll check this one out. This is something special.
Enjoy!!!
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