K. Simmons, and Leah played by Olivia Thirlby. Page, above all, takes center stage with her pretty face, her ponytail and hoodie, and her wise cracks, which is quite typical of an intelligent, perceptive high school girl. Cera in Paulie's part brilliantly personifies a track star that is very smart in some ways but knows little or nothing about love, making his character very believable. Juno's parents are equally credible as supporting parents clearly related to Juno's wit, humor and sarcasm.
The dialogue is ideally matched to the situation thanks to the screenplay devised by Diablo Cody. The yuppie couple who wants to adopt Juno's baby are very contrasting characters in this light, Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner impersonating a laid-back writer of jingles for television and his wife, Vanessa, a successful, intense corporate type - yet both characters fit exceedingly well in this film. When Juno encounters Jennifer Garner as the future adopter of her baby, the viewer perceives how perfect a choice Garner was for this role. Mac, Juno's dad, is good with the one-liners and her step-mother Bren is sharp-tongued, and both are interpreted by authentic actors.
It would be interesting to note that both sides of the American social debate regarding the legalization of
Whereas pro-life activists interpreted Juno's reluctance to go through with the abortion as a marker of personhood, supporters of pro-choice insisted that the movie is decisively choice-oriented. However, as critic a.O. Scott pointed out in his 2007 New York Times review of Juno, its real message is "pro-adulthood" and it may be absurd to suggest that it is a pro-anything else film. Juno had a choice to make and she made it apart from any ideology or political viewpoint.
In conclusion, it can be asserted that Juno had a carefully appropriated soundtrack, was a well-produced film which cast a multitude of finely tuned actors that successfully managed to convey an original plot, a great script, and wholesome characters by means of wonderfully constructed dialogue and acting techniques. And perhaps most importantly, Juno tackles the controversial contemporary problem of underage pregnancy, which many high school students have been confronted with, and works creatively with that problem, infusing humor and irony accordingly.
References
Morris, W. 'Juno' lets smart girls identify with its glib but sweet spin on a teen's life-altering decision. The Boston Globe. 24 Feb. 2008. Web. Available: www.boston.com/ae/movies/oscars/articles/2008/02/23/juno_reaches_an_underserved_audience_cool_smart_teen_girls/. 8 June 2013.
Scott, a.O. Seeking Mr. And Mrs. Right for a Baby on the Way. The New York Times. 7 Dec. 2007. Web. Available: www.movies.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/movies/05juno.html?_r=0. 8 June 2013.
