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Juno, No Spoilers
Alhough I have made it policy not to review books on my blog, I have no such policy regarding movies. I saw Juno this weekend and will have to say that overall I liked it.
For those of you unfamiliar with the film, it's about a precocious teenage girl named Juno (Ellen Page) who gets pregnant by her close friend (Michael Cera). After some soul searching and discussion with her parents (J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney), she decides to give the baby up for adoption to an upper-class couple (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner). The movie revolves not around the decision-making process, but around the repercussions of the decision.
What makes this movie good:
1. the quirky characters starting with Juno herself and spiraling outward from there
2. fun soundtrack
3. dealing with a difficult topic in a light way
4. it's not preachy
5. laugh out loud humor
What I found interesting is that although this movie is getting high praise from the four corners of the earth, Juno is no different than most YA literature. In fact, the plot was practically formulaic for a young adult title. Now, I just wish those high-praising reviewers and film producers would just pick up a few YA selections!
If I had to criticize the movie, I'd say that Juno was a little too witty to be realistic, but it kept me amused and on my toes. I also thought the adoptive couple's dynamic could have been explored a little better. The other criticism (and one I've seen on Justine Larbelestier's blog a few times) is that many of the "teen" references were clearly dated to the 70s and 80s--likely when the writer was a kid. I mean come on, when was the last time the Thundercats were on television?
But overall it was a good movie and kicked the crap out of the other two movies I saw this weekend (Bourne Ultimatum and Balls of Fury). Yay Juno! Here's the trailer:
Happy New Year!
For those of you unfamiliar with the film, it's about a precocious teenage girl named Juno (Ellen Page) who gets pregnant by her close friend (Michael Cera). After some soul searching and discussion with her parents (J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney), she decides to give the baby up for adoption to an upper-class couple (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner). The movie revolves not around the decision-making process, but around the repercussions of the decision.
What makes this movie good:
1. the quirky characters starting with Juno herself and spiraling outward from there
2. fun soundtrack
3. dealing with a difficult topic in a light way
4. it's not preachy
5. laugh out loud humor
What I found interesting is that although this movie is getting high praise from the four corners of the earth, Juno is no different than most YA literature. In fact, the plot was practically formulaic for a young adult title. Now, I just wish those high-praising reviewers and film producers would just pick up a few YA selections!
If I had to criticize the movie, I'd say that Juno was a little too witty to be realistic, but it kept me amused and on my toes. I also thought the adoptive couple's dynamic could have been explored a little better. The other criticism (and one I've seen on Justine Larbelestier's blog a few times) is that many of the "teen" references were clearly dated to the 70s and 80s--likely when the writer was a kid. I mean come on, when was the last time the Thundercats were on television?
But overall it was a good movie and kicked the crap out of the other two movies I saw this weekend (Bourne Ultimatum and Balls of Fury). Yay Juno! Here's the trailer:
Happy New Year!