English4U: Juno - The film

Juno

Juno is a Canadian film directed by Jason Reitman and produced by John Malkovich, Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith. It was written by Diablo Cody based on many of her own school experiences.

Starring Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, J. K. Simmons and Olivia Thirlby, the film won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and earned three other Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Page.

It was distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures and relesead on September 1, 2007 in Telluride

Juno received numerous positive reviews from critics, many of whom placed the film on their top ten lists for the year. The film has also received both criticism and praise from members of both the pro-life and pro-choice communities regarding its treatment of abortion.

The film begins with Juno (Ellen Page) staring at a recliner (while drinking a gallon of Sunny-D) telling the audience that it all began with a chair. We see a short flashback of Juno and her best friend, Paulie Bleeker, having sex.

A tale told over four seasons, starting in autumn when Juno, a 16-year-old high-school junior in Minnesota, discovers she's pregnant after one event in a chair with her best friend, Bleeker. In the waiting room of an abortion clinic, Juno decides to give birth and to place the child with an adoptive couple. She finds one in the Penny Saver personals, contacts them, tells her dad and step-mother, and carries on with school.

Sixteen year-old Juno MacGuff is the type of girl that doesn't really care what others may think of her. She loves music, saying exactly what she thinks about the world and the others, and she is the one that takes and assumes all her decisions.

This film is irreverent, funny, has an innovate graphic and music design and compares to nothing you have previously seen about the topic of teenage pregnancy.

Synopsis

Juno is fairly pragmatic about her situation. Although there, Paulie really leaves all the decisions about the baby to Juno.

As the pregnancy progresses, Juno struggles with the emotions she feels for her baby's father, Paulie, who is clear in love with Juno. Juno maintains an outwardly indifferent attitude toward Paulie, but when she learns he has asked another girl to the upcoming prom, she is hurt and angrily confronts him. Paulie reminds Juno that it is at her request they remain distant and tells her that she broke his heart. He also suggests that she has feelings for him she is unable to admit.

Vanessa and Mark, the future adoptive parents have a fight and Mark decided to separate from his wife. At first, Juno is horrified and breaks down in tears. Juno finally accepts that she loves Paulie.

When the baby is born, Vanessa comes to the hospital where she claims the newborn baby boy as a single adoptive mother. On the wall in the baby's new nursery, Vanessa has framed Juno's note—addressed only to her—which reads "Vanessa: If you're still in, I'm still in. —Juno."

The film ends in the summertime with Juno and Paulie playing guitar and singing together, followed by a kiss.