HONEST TO BLOG, BELIEVE THE HYPE: JUNO IS FANTASTIC

Let’s start with director Jason Reitman. I am a huge fan of Thank You For Smoking, which he directed and adapted from Christopher Buckley’s novel. He maintains a similar pace, visual style and spirit in Juno, intermingling comedy with just a dash of surprising sentiment. Most of the Juno buzz has been for screenwriter Diablo Cody, but Reitman’s effort should not be overlooked. The Oscars may not come knocking, but at least he was nominated for a 2008 Independent Spirit Award.

And as for lead actress Ellen Page as Juno…perfection. I first took notice of her at Sundance last year, when she starred as a victim of domestic torture at the hands of Catherine Keener in An American Crime. She reminded me of Jodie Foster and Natalie Portman at the beginning of their careers; mature beyond their years and very talented. And then I rented the intense Hard Candy (see photo below). I can only describe that film and her performance as…tremendously disturbing, especially given the age of Page’s character (14).

In Juno, it was certainly nice to see Ellen Page in a lighter environment (which, under non-cinematical circumstances, teenage pregnancy isn’t). She plays quirky quite well, and it was as if Cody wrote the film with her in mind. I certainly can’t imagine any other actress in her age range that would have been half as convincing or likable. Although she has appeared in a blockbuster (X-Men: The Last Stand), I have high hopes for her future as a very successful independent film star and her chances at a Best Actress Oscar nod for Juno.

I have written about Diablo Cody before, and I would like to reiterate that she is worthy of the accolades she is receiving for this, her first screenplay. It is a bold tale, and the material, with anyone other than Reitman behind the lens and delivered by this fantastic ensemble cast, could have been disastrous. Juno is chock full of pop culture references and unconventional characters, and it is refreshing to experience a film world that looks, feels and sounds just like a 29 year old wrote and envisioned it. As for her next move, Cody is currently writing and producing The United States of Tara, a half hour comedy for Steven Spielberg that will air on Showtime. Not too shabby.

If you are familiar with Jennifer Garner from her kick-ass days on Alias or her cutesy roles in movies like 13 Going on 30, you are in for a pleasant surprise in Juno. Her performance is subtle but striking, and so essential to the story; worthy of a Best Supporting Actress nomination. Just watch her face whenever onscreen husband Jason Bateman appears. Priceless.

The dynamic duo from Arrested Development don’t share screen time together in Juno, but just watching Bateman and Michael Cera in the same film was reward enough. If you would have asked me several years ago whether or not I thought that Jason Bateman would make a comeback, I might have laughed out loud. While an unlikely candidate (Silver Spoons, Teen Wolf Too), his resurgence is well-deserved and his star is definitely on the rise again (he co-stars with Will Smith in this summer’s Hancock). And clearly this is Cera’s year to shine, although I have to say that I much preferred his performance in Juno to the over-hyped Superbad. Is there another actor more worthy of the title ‘King Awkward’ than this guy right now?

Even the smaller roles were brilliantly cast and brought to life in Juno. Though I’ll never be able to shake the image of J.K. Simmons as evil Schillinger from Oz, he has become an invaluable character actor with a great face and comedic timing. Ditto Allison Janney, who has recently proven with both Juno and Hairspray that she has effortlessly shed the conservative sheen from her years on The West Wing. But my favorite Janney appearances on the big screen have been her brief yet stunning turn as Chris Cooper’s wife in American Beauty and supportive girlfriend to Meryl Streep in The Hours.