AFI Fest

Juno

Arclight Cinemas

Monday, November 5, 2007

Molly Ringwald lives!

Not that there was any question about whether or not the 80’s-icon-turned-musical-theater-actress was in any danger of departing this mortal coil, but gosh, it is such a relief to see that we finally have an actress that can be given a teen role and infuse such depth and humor in it that it could contend with more seasoned performers during award season! (BTW, that incredibly lengthy, pop-culturey- run-on sentence plays homage to the type of dialogue that her character speaks in the film).

Okay, so ladies and gentleman, if you made it through that opening, please give a warm welcome to Ellen Page, the star of Fox Searchlight’s amazingly delightful, warm, fuzzy, thought-provoking new dramedy, Juno.

Director Jason Reitman’s follow-up to 2005’s wickedly satirical Thank You for Smoking proves that the directing genes he has inherited from his famous father (Ivan Reitman) are a force to be reckoned with for a long, long time. Reitman’s film feels so effortless, so perfectly crafted, that there is no debate as to why it is receiving the amount of award buzz that it is. In fact, when the closing credits roll, I challenge anyone to find fault with it.

You see, remember that Clooney/ Wahlberg movie years ago about the boat? Yeah, you know, The Perfect Storm. That movie about the fisherman who are subject to great danger when several weather elements combine at the same time and same place to create the … fanfare please … mother of all storms. Well, that’s exactly what happened with Juno!

Okay, let me get serious here and explain that crap, because I know that you are just scratching your head and debating whether or not to double click your way out of this article and back to more reader-friendly territory. And I can’t blame ya, really. But, I just feel incredibly rambly, because I love this movie so much. Let me explain it simply, by doing this: Juno is a perfect comedy.

Just like in The Perfect Storm, the right studio and the right director put themselves full-force behind the right script, written by first-time writer Diablo Cody. After that amazing accomplishment, Juno was cast brilliantly by Mindy Mann, with the right cast. I am so glad to see up-and-comer Ellen Page (she of Hard Candy fame) in the title role, other than, say, a star like Lindsay Lohan. Ellen Page has created a character that is so memorable, comical, and touching, I am certain that it will be remembered at awards time. However, hats off to Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, JK Simmons, and Michael Cera for consistently taking the expected clichés out of the characters and giving us original performances through scene after scene.

Now, all of this together makes Juno a good movie. But when you add Jennifer Garner’s quietly effective performance as the potential adoptive mother to Juno’s unborn child … a character that is the complete opposite of Juno herself … well, my God, that’s just too much. Now, you got … yep … the perfect movie.

At AFI’s Gala Centerpiece for Juno, it goes without saying that I cried. It was bittersweet, wonderful crying that I tend to do at everything that even attempts to tug at my heartstrings (what can I say, I’m an emotional cuss).  However, I felt validated when the burly gentleman sitting next to me wiped away tears. His wife was bawling like Sally Field.

But it’s a good cry. It’s a great cry. It’s a feel-good cry.

And Juno is a perfect movie.