JUNO

JUNO... THE LITTLEST INDIE THAT COULD
"You should've gone to China, you know, 'cause I hear they give away babies like free iPods. You know, they pretty much just put them in those t-shirt guns and shoot them out at sporting events."

Unless you have been hiding out under a rock since December, you have already either heard about or have seen Juno. It was nominated for a million categories the standouts being their many Oscar nominations including Ellen Page (Juno) who was nominated for best actress and Oscar winner Diablo Cody for best screenplay. In a year where most all the nominated films were literally bloodbaths, this was the fresh breeze, a lifeboat to save the movie goer drowning in blood and violence. Not since the After School Specials or just about anything on the Lifetime channel has a movie been made about a teen facing pregnancy, nevertheless a funny one. Juno is a true character, richly written and delightfully portrayed. She has a keenly developed level both maturity and immaturity, which I think is part of the human condition, however her spin is unique. Loved her brief and hilarious interaction with Rainn Wilson (Dwight from NBC's The Office). When I was much younger we used the term "home fry" and at the time it seemed cool. Who knew? The cast on the whole has clearly developed characters, who supported Juno, each holding their own as an integral part of the story. The best part of this film was how it found itself rising from the indie cinemas (The Grand Cinema) into the more mainstream theaters as the buzz grew louder. Who would have guessed that a bright and funny film could cheer up so many in the 2007 "blizzard of blood".
PICK: Very clever, well written and refreshingly delivered. A VERY big pick!!!