witty Juno

Juno reminds me of Little Miss Sunshine, one of last year Oscar nominees for Best Picture. It leads me to the conclusion that recently Academy Award tends to give place for such light and less-expensive movies among the more serious action, crime and dramatic ones dominating best picture, best director, or best actors nominees, which are the most celebrated achievements on Oscar night. Of other humorless drama and action movies; Atonement, Michael Clayton, No Country for Old Men, and There Will be Blood (they have greater chance of winning, of course, and I am right, No Country for Old Men wins), there is this witty and funny Juno portraying problems that might happened around us. A film that is…cute.

Wrapped with listenable and mostly acoustic songs, Juno opened with narration by Juno MacGuff, a sixteen-year-old who found herself pregnant. She first thought of solution teenagers would come to, abortion. But at last she decided to keep her pregnancy and found an adoptive parents for her baby.

She found a perfect couple; educated, loving, and childless during five years of marriage. Just like Little Miss Sunshine, everyone was kind. A supportive family (Juno lives with her father, step-mom and five-year-old stepsister), a sweet girl friend – although Juno dresses indifferently, listens to rock music and watches horror movies, she befriends cheerleader Leah who flirts with male teachers (I told you, this is no Mean Girls) – and a boyfriend who backed her during pregnancy. Other students at school look at her stomach open-mouthed, but Juno’s annoyance did not exposed. She moved on happily in her cozy little environment.

If there is something feels not right in the movie, it might be the over-wit, one of superior things in Juno approved by critics (no wonder this movie wins best original screenplay). I asked myself whether sixteen-year-old kids always appear that clever. Juno also possesses understanding and perception too wise for someone of her age. She didn’t look bothered by her pregnancy as I expected at the beginning, although she said things like “dealing with things way beyond my maturity level.”

However, it’s still a movie to watch, guys. I find childish acoustic songs by Kimya Dawson – disapproved by critics, also not my preference – matched the teenage problems and romance perfectly. Other songs are likely more acceptable, especially by rock fans, due to Juno’s fondness for punk rock and her mention of its 1977 glory. That is what is missing from Little Miss Sunshine.