Plot Summary
When she becomes unexpectedly pregnant by a guy pal, a 16-year-old girl in small-town Minnesota decides to give her baby to the "perfect" couple she locates from the classified ads, only to discover that the impending adoption is pushing them towards divorce and causing her to fall in love with the biological father of the child.
Movie Reviews from Rotten Tomatoes
TOMATOMETER
94%- Reviews Counted: 204
- Fresh: 192
- Rotten: 12
- Average Rating: 8.1/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Fresh: It takes Juno about 15 minutes to calm down and get its joke reflex in check. ... And by the end you've fallen in love with the thing.
Fresh: Juno isn't a film made in the bell jar of unlikely reality that is, far too often, Hollywood: It's a film whose attention to real-life detail is so fine, audiences will be hopelessly and happily lost in its story from the first frame.
Fresh: That smart, hip, human comedy you've been waiting for all year? The one with dialogue like a sugar rush and performances like grace notes? It's called Juno and it just arrived in theaters. Go forth and multiplex.
Fresh: It transcends its own genre. Only superficially a teen comedy, the movie redounds with postmodern -- but emotionally genuine -- gravitas.
Customer Reviews
Originality and Heartfelt Hilarity
Jason Reitman’s new comedy is sometimes dark and sometimes vivacious, but never assuming. Fierce, witty, teenager Juno is pregnant. After this realization, she searches for the right parents to adopt her baby as soon as she “has the thing.” Don’t take that the wrong way – there is a lot more to Juno than how that line makes her sound. Juno’s acerbic personality is a defensive device, and that especially shows when she meets potential adoptive parents Mark and Vanessa. We see that she really is concerned about the future family of her little “sea monkey,” and her wit manipulates the situation with ease. Ellen Page plays the multilayered Juno with the perfect combination of confidence and uncertainty. Juno owns the screen in every scene. We quickly get comfortable with her being in charge – we only take sides when Juno takes sides. We only like who Juno likes. We only laugh at what Juno laughs at. Yes, Juno is our unbreakable, reliable heroine. So, naturally, we don’t like to see our heroine cry. Seeing her hurt is a painful situation because Page makes her so accessible and human. The supporting characters are also stellar. Mark and Vanessa, played by Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner, are two people in an honestly flawed relationship that takes surprising turns. J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney are the quirky, supportive parents who show us the environment Juno was brought up in. And last, Michael Cera, from Superbad, is the father of Juno’s baby. Paulie is the endearing opposite of her blunt, commanding presence, but he is always a convincing match for her. Their conversations are hilarious and poignant. The beginning act suffers a little from a slight lack of direction. Some early dialogue is vapid, her quips lacking depth. But Juno’s character is revealed and developed soon enough. A scene early on struggles in handling a swift tonal change, but these problems are ultimately redeemed. Later scenes effectively balance serious circumstances and the way Juno comically handles them. All of her supporting characters have their own sincere place in her unusual journey. The best scene of the film is an exchange at Paulie’s locker after Juno finds out who he has asked to prom. The dialogue is quick and funny, but its subtext is heartbreaking. The timing is practically perfect, a testament to the talent of new screenwriter Diablo Cody and director Reitman. Juno is truly a character to behold. Her baby brings into question themes of love and relationships. The chemistry between two people is a frightening and remarkable aspect in the relationship of a couple in love. Juno frequently surprises us and even herself as she deals with all these things that are supposedly “way beyond” her maturity level. And beneath all of the unbridled charm, Juno MacGuff is just another teenager trying to figure it all out.
The Second-Best Film of 2007...
I nearly switched my choice for Best Picture from No Country For Old Men to Juno after watching it. It's a sweet film that is not only funny, but realistic. The acting is all great here. Michael Cera is always great and should get his reward sooner than later. Jason Bateman is perfect as the uneasy husband, and Jennifer Garner has done the best work of her career. Ellen Page is very good, but I felt she was a little overrated, but deserving of that Acadmy Award nod in every way -- and she had my vote. J.K. Simmons is probably the best in the film, arguably so. The writing is well done, and deserved the win. Though I think Diablo Cody should change her name, considering she's now a full-fledge writer and no longer works the pole. The film is funny and sweet and dramatic, but some of the jokes made me laugh out loud, and others had me staring and waiting for the story to continue. The music is great and fits the film perfectly. In my own opinion and personal observation, this film DOES NOT support teen pregnancy, only it provides a story of a realistic teen recieving the bun in the oven in no graphic way, finding a way to deal with the stress, and as she waits for the baby to be born she meets interesting and loving people along the way. Overall, this film has hardly any profanity, no nudity, and nothing graphic of any sort. The acting, writing, and direction is all well done, and that makes it the second-best film of 2007. Buy this film, I guarantee one will like it even if they don't rent it first. But people have different taste, so you may want to get it on DVD then decide on if you want it on your iPod.
Brilliant!
This would be one of my favorite movies of all time.Ellen Page was FANTASTIC in this movie.Her brilliant acting made me think a lot higher of her than in her previous movies.Michael Cera is getting popular by the minute.His very nonchalant acting made him absolutely PERFECT for the role of Bleeker. Aside from that,the soudntrack of this movie is AWESOME.They used the perfect songs to go with this movie.They`re very Indie and laid-back type of songs. All in all,Juno was a VERY good movie.It made me laugh,cry,and think all at the same time. Thanks iTunes for putting this movie up!
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Also Available
- Juno (Music from the Motion Picture)
- Various Artists
![Juno (Music from the Motion Picture) [Deluxe Edition]](http://a3.mzstatic.com/us/r1000/047/Music/0a/dd/59/mzi.nunmgkss.75x75-65.jpg)
- Juno (Music from the Motion Picture) [Deluxe Edition]
- Various Artists
