Oscar Review: Juno

During the month of February, I will be departing from the regular movie review format to bring you something a little different. It is Oscar month and even with the writers of Hollywood on strike, some pretty amazing work was done in the movie world this past year. In the weeks leading up to the Academy Awards, I will review each of the five nominees for Best Picture as well as give predictions for the other categories. The first Best Picture nominee is Juno.

Juno is the story of a girl in a predictable situation that acts in an unpredictable way. Juno, played by Ellen Page (nominated for Best Actress), finds herself pregnant after having sex with her best friend, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). She realizes that her situation while life altering for her could potentially benefit someone else. With the help of her friend, Leah, Juno finds a couple who have been unable to conceive a child and are looking to adopt. Once Juno decides to give her baby to the couple, played by Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner, she then has to carry the child to term and deal with the stares and moral judgments of others.

I really enjoyed this movie. Not only was it fun to watch, but it also takes a serious social issue and shows how to make the best out of a not-so-good situation. The acting and writing was incredible and the ensemble cast really made this picture work. Director Jason Reitman (Thank You for Smoking) brought the picture together beautifully. I would recommend Juno to anyone who enjoys the independent-type films.

OSCAR NOTES: I really feel this film deserves to be nominated for Best Picture, although I felt it was a departure from the ‘norm’ of Best Picture nominees. In that respect, I was surprised to see it on the list. I think it was probably nominated based on the writing and superb storytelling in Juno. It was nominated in three other categories: Best Achievement in Directing - Jason Reitman, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role - Ellen Page, and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen - Diablo Cody.