By Sabrina Cognata

I cannot remember the last time I sat through an entire movie where I got to feel an array of emotions that were not “disgusted” or “let down”.  JUNO is Jason Reitman’s wonderfully crafted tale about a high school Junior named Juno McGruff (Ellen Page) and her quest to make good by her unplanned pregnancy, fathered by her best friend and love interest Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). 

After taking three pregnancy tests at a neighborhood convenience store Juno realizes she’s pregnant.  At first she’s surprisingly cavalier about the entire thing, flashing back to the moment of conception in the basement of her best friend’s house.  She tells her best friend and then opts to tell Paulie by setting up camp in front of his house and when he emerges in the morning for cross country practice she lets him in on the news, but assures him she plans on getting it taken care of.

After a trip to the abortion clinic Juno realizes nipping it in the bud isn’t her most likely option and after meeting with her best friend, decides to look for a family in the Penny Saver and out pops Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and Mark Loring (Jason Batemen), the picture perfect couple that so desperately wants a child.  After holding her parents hostage with the news of her pregnancy they both say they hoped it would be drugs or problems at school, but agree to support her decision even though they do not exactly agree with it or think it will be easy. 

Juno and her father, Mac McGruff (J.K. Simmons) venture outside Minneapolis to meet with Vanessa and Mark and seal the deal—so to speak.  After meeting with the couple Juno declares that she doesn’t want an open adoption, and if given the option she would bake the baby to gestation and hand it over to the Lorings right then and there.  Juno excuses herself to the bathroom while the attorney speaks with her father and checks out the upstairs where Mark finds her.  The two bond over music when Juno asks about the guitar in Mark’s playroom.  It’s super apparent Mark is also emotionally 17-years-old and the two hangout every now and then while Juno is pregnant.  Juno thinks Mark is hyper awesome and cannot wait for him to be the father of her child.  He shares his love of Sonic Youth with her and confides in him often as she’s now openly gawked at and ridiculed at school.


Juno tells Paulie that her parents do not plan to rat him out to his mother and he has nothing to worry about.  Paulie’s awkward sincerity makes him easily lovable and Juno knows this.  When Paulie says she’s still as beautiful as ever and maybe they can get back together after things die down (after Juno gives that baby away) Juno tells him they were never together to begin with and says he should look into dating some girl that smells like soup.  Juno tries to save herself, but only makes things worse.  Paulie takes Juno’s advice and asks Soup Girl to prom, infuriating Juno and igniting her jealousy.  After a heated argument with Paulie, Juno leaves to visit Mark for a little clarity.

Mark tells Juno that he’s super unhappy and plans to leave Vanessa and move to the city to be a musician.  Juno really loses it and tells him that Sonic Youth is just a bunch of noise and runs out of the house visibly upset.  On her way out she bumps into Vanessa who’s coming home from work and it prompts Mark to admit he plans to leave because he has no interest in becoming a father.  Juno leaves, but before she’s gone she leaves a note for Vanessa.


Juno realizes that she’s in love with Paulie and the dumbest thing she can do is push him away.  She finds him on the track at school and confesses that she didn’t want him to go to prom with Soup Girl and the two finally kiss.  In the spring, Juno finally goes into labor and gives birth to a baby boy that Vanessa proudly accepts the responsibility of—without Mark or anyone else.  Juno lies in the hospital bed completely despondent that she’s given a little part of herself away and Mac tells her that someday she’ll be back here on her own terms.  Then Paulie shows up and gets into bed with Juno while she cries.  The scene is well done, as I was not apt to stab Jason Reitman to death in the middle of the Arclight theaters.  I actually even choked up a bit.  Gosh, I’m bitchy, but not totally heartless.