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CHICAGO – Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com appears on “The Morning Mess” with Dan Baker on WBGR-FM (Monroe, Wisconsin) on March 21st, 2024, reviewing the new streaming series “Manhunt” – based on the bestseller by James L. Swanson – currently streaming on Apple TV+.
Juno Phenomenon
Submitted by PatrickMcD on January 10, 2008 - 8:00am
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Juno is making a big splash in the movie universe, raking in more box office every week ala Titanic or My Big Fat Greek Wedding. So word of mouth is strong.
With this movie’s strong showing, and the background publicity for it, overrating or underrating the actual film?
The character of Juno in the film, I can’t really figure out. She seems like the coolest girl in the school (witty, in a band, hot/quirky girlfriend, sexually confident) but the movie portrays her as an outcast. With Juno herself, there seems to be no blowback for that circumstance. I mean, she gets a little verklempt when everyone is staring at her, but then she just “hangs out” cooly in the trophy case and decides she loves the dude from Superbad.
It doesn’t really address the issues of teen pregnancy (maybe though, that’s the point) but creates an ideal world for the baby to gestate. Supportive parents, friends, a boyfriend you gets off scott free essentially and in the middle of it all, the witty jokey Juno always doing the right thing.
Any feelings out there now that you’ve thought about it?
Interesting criticisms
The film is such a hit that most people aren’t taking the time to think about it critically. While it’s no doubt a standout film, my opinion is it deserves its praise and it’s not overrated. It’s pretty much appropriately rated.
She’s not the coolest girl in the school.
She’s not in a clique. She’s just Juno. That’s the point. While in high school it always feels like a popularity contest, you always realize later that none of that matters outside high school. None of that matters to Juno and that’s why she falls for Michael Cera’s character.
It definitely addresses teenage pregnancy. After all, she is pregnant, goes to a clinic, talks about it with her parents and friends, is affected by it at school, builds a relationship with foster parents and does have the baby.
It just addresses it in her way. Some girls that age would have the baby, some would have an abortion and some would put it up for adoption. It could destroy the life of some girls that age or it could make it.
This film just explores one possible route and does it in a realistic way with plenty of humor and very little Hollywood to bog it all down.
I Will Give You That
Juno was a dream girl in that circumstance, a screenwriter’s dream. Great wit, parallel universe, in my humble opinion.
Hank’s in a band! www.myspace.com/thetelepaths
Juno Soundtrack
The Juno Soundtrack is pretty bad ass too. You can listen to part of it here:
http://bridgingtheatlantic.blogspot.com/2008/01/juno-soundtrack-to-be-re…
They purposely avoid the
They purposely avoid the topic of teen pregnancy. I know that was a conscious decision.
Juno is this year’s little miss sunshine or napoleon dynamite or whatever.