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Jason Reitman's "Juno'
Richard Chaitt
The cinematic path rarely taken
RICHARD CHAITT
In Jason Reitman’s Juno, 16-year-old high school student (Ellen Page) becomes pregnant. Her girlfriend strongly encourages her to abort the baby. But a demonstrator outside the abortion clinic asks that she reconsider. All it took was the demonstrator’s remark that her fetus has fingernails.
Juno and her best friend research potential adoptive parents (much like using a local periodical to purchase a used car). They quickly find a couple with great potential. The rest of the movie chronicles her pregnancy and how it relates to the future parents, the girl’s parents and her boyfriend. All of these relationships ring true, especially since they’re shown through the eyes of a 16-year-old. Ellen Page does great work as the troubled teen and Jennifer Garner plays the new mother who gets more than she bargained for.
What a pleasure to see a film that doesn’t depend on special effects, gratuitous sex and violence. Strong characters and excellent writing will always win the day, and they do so here. Juno deals with a serious subject by way of endearing characters and tender scenes. The film never progresses the way you think it will, and that’s a good thing.
Director Jason Reitman is the same fellow who wrote and directed the similarly quirky comedy Thank You For Smoking. In that film as in Juno, Reitman looks at a familiar situation from a fresh perspective. I can’t wait to see what issue he tackles next. The positive legacy of the Bush Administration, maybe?
To read a response, click here.
RICHARD CHAITT
In Jason Reitman’s Juno, 16-year-old high school student (Ellen Page) becomes pregnant. Her girlfriend strongly encourages her to abort the baby. But a demonstrator outside the abortion clinic asks that she reconsider. All it took was the demonstrator’s remark that her fetus has fingernails.
Juno and her best friend research potential adoptive parents (much like using a local periodical to purchase a used car). They quickly find a couple with great potential. The rest of the movie chronicles her pregnancy and how it relates to the future parents, the girl’s parents and her boyfriend. All of these relationships ring true, especially since they’re shown through the eyes of a 16-year-old. Ellen Page does great work as the troubled teen and Jennifer Garner plays the new mother who gets more than she bargained for.
What a pleasure to see a film that doesn’t depend on special effects, gratuitous sex and violence. Strong characters and excellent writing will always win the day, and they do so here. Juno deals with a serious subject by way of endearing characters and tender scenes. The film never progresses the way you think it will, and that’s a good thing.
Director Jason Reitman is the same fellow who wrote and directed the similarly quirky comedy Thank You For Smoking. In that film as in Juno, Reitman looks at a familiar situation from a fresh perspective. I can’t wait to see what issue he tackles next. The positive legacy of the Bush Administration, maybe?
To read a response, click here.
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