Movie and Television Reviews

A couple of times every generation, a comedy comes along that's perfectly attuned with one particular group. Fast Times at Ridgemont High is one of these movies. The Cheech and Chong movies, perhaps. Office Space and the Monty Python films. Given a test audience of high school seniors, I can say with confidence that Juno is the latest such classic.

Juno is the story of a high school girl, Juno (Ellen Page) who gets pregnant after a tic-tac drenched romantic rendezvous on her boyfriend's padded chair. Juno's first instinct is to seek an abortion. She chooses the "Women Now" clinic because its name implies a faster result. Once there, Juno's conscience is scratched by her babies' alleged fingernails and decides against the procedure.

She tells her disapproving yet supportive parents about her condition and of her decision to allow a worthy couple to adopt her baby. That couple is the herb-swilling Mark and Vanessa Loring (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner). Everything seems to be going well when the Lorings encounter marital problems and Juno has baby-daddy issues with Bleaker, the nerdy father of her child. Things unravel until the delivery when Juno delivers healthy baby boy and Juno an entirely satisfying ending.

Characteristic of the archetypal comedy is its re-watchability. I've had five pleasurable viewings so far and anticipate a few more. The main reason is Juno herself. A smart, wise-cracking (but not nerdy-awkward or malicious) girl, Juno speaks in a hip hop and blue collar middle class jive that's only barely too sophisticated ("I'm sure the school would have informed you at my expulsion.") Despite some wince-inducing lines ("tunage"), Juno is a whirlwind of inoffensive charisma. Leah (Olivia Thirlby) is a more conventional "Oh my God" teen, but a perfect strait-girl foil for Juno.

An excellent performance by Jennifer Garner and the rest of the cast make for one of the best-acted movies of 2007.

Besides humor, Juno offers some legitimately touching moments. Juno is sympathetic character, but the audience also picks up on the characters' feelings towards the baby and cares a great deal about Juno's ultimate decision for both their sakes. The Lorings' marriage is of concern in relation to the main plot. All of Juno's actions err on the side of love, but Juno avoids melodrama or naked manipulation because of the subtle, easygoing way writer Diablo Cody moves the story along- that, and the laughs, of course. The fact that Juno can go in one of several directions makes for some legitimate suspense.

The same moral ambiguity (except for romantic and motherly love) and unpredictability gives the audience some creepy scenes as well. In one, the audience is appalled by the prospect of a seemingly undiscouraged-by-Juno relationship between the teen Juno and the mature, married Mark.

The movie's not perfect. At times Juno is a little too smart and others are too dumb. Upon hearing the news, Juno's boyfriend, Paulie (Michael Cera) says how the same thing happens to "our moms and teachers." More political types may prefer a stronger stand on one of the issues involved.

Message/Theme:

Any movie dealing with teenage pregnancy and abortion is going to be controversial. The pro-choice camp will legitimately claim that they system works: Juno had her choice. The movie is pro-life, however. The abortion clinic is staffed by a droning temp not an angel of mercy. Neither is it a shining clinic on a hill; it's a drab office that smells of wet magazine. The baby is most obviously a person and everybody concerned treats it as such.

Some people may overlook the loving treatment of all classes involved. Juno is a movie without villains. There aren't any evil yuppies or ignorant blue collar types, unless you count the father's unfamiliarity with pilates. The mother mentions "Jesus" unironically. Such an environment is necessary for this particular movie to work: Teen pregnancy is rare enough at the school for Juno to worry about public and family opinion, yet the atmosphere isn't Victorian enough to force the characters' hand.

Finally, the movie deals with a subject near and dear to any man over 30 years of age: When will a man move from the "Maxim" to the "Popular Mechanics" stage of life? Mark faces such a decision. The movie brilliantly deals with Mark's immaturity by making his wife imperfect enough to justify such a decision. Again, amazing restraint leading to a thoughtful moment.

Juno Acknowledges at the end that it's usual for people to have children after falling in love.

Beyond the politics and mortification of the situation, there's always love to which aspire.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Widescreen Special Edition)

Cheech and Chong's Up In Smoke (High-Larious Edition)

Office Space - Special Edition with Flair (Full Screen Edition)

The Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus 16-Ton Megaset