Juno

Juno is the last of the 2007 Oscar Best Picture nominees that I watched. It may not be as ambitious or lavish as the other contenders but it is definitely the most sweet and likeable. With a sharp, intelligent script and a luminous lead performance, the film, like its title character, is a charmer.

Juno is a 16 year old girl who is pregnant. With her boyfriend as confused and unprepared as she is, she decides to get an abortion. But abandoning her initial instinct after a visit to the clinic, Juno decides to give the baby up for adoption after its born and zeroes in on a well-to-do couple, who have been unable to have a baby after 5 years of trying, as the adoptive parents.

Juno is a film thats watchable just for its script. The lines are consistently sharp and smart, whether they occur during innocent banter between Juno and her friend, chats between Juno and her baby's future parents or conversations between the parents. There are a number of solid chuckles and hearty laughs and when the script goes for other emotions, like during the harsh lecture Juno's mom delivers to the hospital assistant or in the conversation Juno has with her baby's father after learning he has a date for the prom, it nails them too. Overall, Juno is a film where everything that everyone says is immensely listenable.

The other big asset of the film is its heroine Ellen Page. She brings out every emotion just perfectly and is a complete natural. It helps that she is surrounded by perfectly-cast actors. Michael Sara is perfect as her boyfriend. He initially seems like a flaky high school kid who doesn't want any responsibilities but surprises us along with Ellen. Jennifer Garner conveys the anxieties of a mom-in-waiting very well(she is just fabulous in the scene in the mall where she feels the baby in Page's stomach) while J.K.Simmons hides his usual gruff persona to portray an affectionate and completely practical dad. The actresses who play Ellen's friend and Ellen's mom are also great.

With the subject of unwanted pregnancy and promised adoption, we are prepared for a particular story arc. But the screenplay surprises us with the path it takes. The problems introduced aren't expected - even if there are enough hints before - and the film deals with them in a very mature fashion. There are no bad guys and the screenplay doesn't judge or side with anybody. And the film ends just perfectly.