Ellen Page as: Miss Dickinson
Other Cast: Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons, Olivia Thirlby
Production Status: Released
Release Date: December 25, 2007 (USA)
Directed By: Jason Reitman
Screenwriters: Diablo Cody
Genre: Comedy / Drama / Romance
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Available at:
Preview Trailer
° Purchase DVD, Region 1
°
Sixteen year-old Juno MacGuff is the type of girl that beats to her own drummer, and doesn't really care what others may think of her. She learns that she's pregnant from a one-time sexual encounter with her best friend, Paulie Bleeker. Juno and Paulie like each other, but don't consider themselves to be exclusive boyfriend/girlfriend let alone be ready to be a family complete with child.
Although she would rather not be pregnant, Juno is fairly pragmatic about her situation. Although there, Paulie really leaves all the decisions about the baby to Juno. Initially she decides that she will have an abortion, but that's something that she ultimately cannot go through with. So she decides to have the baby and give it up for adoption. But first she has to tell her father, Mac, and stepmother, Bren, that she is pregnant. Although they would have preferred if Juno was on hard drugs or expelled from school, Mac and Bren too are pragmatic about Juno's situation. The next step is to find prospective parents for the yet unborn child.
In the Pennysaver ad section, Juno finds Mark and Vanessa Loring, a yuppie couple living in the suburbs. Juno likes the Lorings, and in some respects has found who looks to be a kindred spirit in Mark, with whom she shares a love of grunge music and horror films. Vanessa is a little more uptight and is the one in the relationship seemingly most eager to have a baby. On her own choosing, Juno enters into a closed rather than open adoption contract with the Lorings - meaning she will have no contact with the baby after she gives it up.
During the second and third trimesters of Juno's pregnancy which she treats with care but detachment, Juno's relationships with her family, with Paulie, and with the Lorings develop, the latter whose on the surface perfect life masks some hidden problems.
• Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Coquitlam Centre Mall, Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
Eric Hamber Secondary School, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (view)
• Ellen Page suggested that her character Juno would be a fan of the music by Kimya Dawson and The Moldy Peaches.
• The hamburger phone in the movie is owned by the writer, Diablo Cody.
• When searching for potential parents for her baby, Juno says she's looking for someone cool "like a graphic designer." In real life, both "Juno" star Ellen Page's father and Diablo Cody's ex-husband are graphic designers.
• At one point before Juno visits Mark, he is sitting at his computer reading Diablo Cody's real-life blog, known as "The Pussy Ranch."
• The first film released by Fox Searchlight Pictures to cross the $100 million mark at the box office.
° Awards: Won Oscar. Another 36 wins & 21 nominations (view)
• Ellen on Jason Reitman: "He's an amazing guy with an enormous heart. He had me in mind along with Michael Cera and Jason Bateman and we all came together and did some scenes.
• Ellen on the script: "I was blown away by the script and it was something that I completely fell in love with."
• "It's a teenage female lead we've never seen before. She dresses like she wants, says what she wants, and doesn't apologize for it... Girls haven't had that sort of character before. We don't have our Catcher in the Rye."
• Ellen on her reputation as a Hollywood outsider: "Sometimes I think I come off as a Hollywood-hater, and it's not true. I'm not some judgmental prick. It's not like I'm 'Boo hoo! People like the movie.' You know what I mean?"
• No, it's Morgan Freeman. Do you have any bones that need collecting?
• What do you mean? Don't I just have the thing? Squeeze it on out and hand it over?
• 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.
• Ick! I don't want to give my baby to a couple who describes themselves as "wholesome." I was looking for, maybe, a thirty-something graphic designer with a cool Asian girlfriend who kicks ass on the bass guitar, but I don't know, I don't wanna get too particular.
• It's a baby. It's your baby. It kinda looks like it's waving, you know, like it's saying, "Hey Vanessa, will you be my mom?"
• She gave you... your own room in... in your whole house? For your... for your stuff? Wow, she's got you on a long leash, Mark.
• And Bleeker is very good in... chair!
• Well you know, because they're your fav - and I figured you could never have enough of your favorite one calorie breath mints.
• Silencio, Old Man
• I could like, have this baby and give it to someone who like totally needs it.
• It all started with a chair.
• Oh, *wicked* pic in the PennySaver, by the way. Super classy - not like those people with the fake woods in the background. Honestly who do they think they're fooling?
• No, thanks. I'm off sex right now.
• Ow, ow, fuckity-ow! Bren, when do I get that spinal tap thing?
• Yeah, I'm a legend. You know, they call me the cautionary whale.
• As far as boyfriends go, Paulie Bleeker is totally boss. He is the cheese to my macaroni.
• You should try talking to it. 'Cause, like, supposedly they can hear you even though it's all, like, ten-thousand leagues under the sea.
• Oh, and she inexplicably mails me a cactus every Valentine's Day. And I'm like, "Thanks a heap coyote ugly. This cactus-gram stings even worse than your abandonment."
• I named my guitar "Roosevelt"-not Ted, Franklin. You know, the cute one, with polio.
• I need to know that it's possible that two people can stay happy together forever.
• When I see them all running like that, with their things bouncing around in their shorts, I always picture them naked, even if I don't want to. All i see is pork swords.
• Madison? Isn't that kind of... I don't know, gay?
• Yea, if I could just have the thing and give it to you now, I totally would. But I'm guessing it looks probably like a sea monkey right now and we should let it get a little cuter.
• Juno MacGuff: I think I'm, like, in love with you.
Paulie Bleeker: You mean as friends?
Juno MacGuff: No, I mean, like, for real. 'Cause you're, like, the coolest person I've ever met, and you don't even have to try, you know...
Paulie Bleeker: I try really hard, actually.
Juno MacGuff: What? Cause I got bored and had sex with you and I didn't want to like marry you?
Paulie Bleeker: Like I'd marry you! You'd be the meanest wife ever, okay? And I know that you weren't bored that day because there was a lot of stuff on TV, and then 'The Blair Witch Project' was coming on Starz and you were like 'I haven't seen this since it came out and if so we should watch it' and 'but oh, no, we should just make out instead la la la'
Paulie Bleeker: Well, I still have your underwear!
Juno MacGuff: I still have your virginity.
Paulie Bleeker: Would you shut up?
• Juno MacGuff: Wow your shorts are like especially gold today.
Paulie Bleeker: My mom uses color safe bleach.
Juno MacGuff: Go Carol.
• Juno MacGuff: That's a wise choice because I knew this girl who like had this crazy freak out because she took too many behavioral meds at once and she like ripped off her clothes, and dove into the fountain at Ridgedale Mall and was like, "Blah I am a Kracken from the sea!"
Su-Chin: I heard that was you.
• Leah: All right, how about this one? 'Healthy, educated couple seeking infant to join our family of five. You will be compensated. Help us complete the circle of love.'
Juno MacGuff: Yeesh, they sound like a cult, is what the sound like! And besides they already have three kids. They're just like greedy little bitches!
• "She reminds me of a young Audrey Hepburn. There is something beautifully feminine about her and yet she's playing this incredibly tough, cool character. She's fearless. I've just been so impressed with her and I adore her. She's amazing." - Allison Janney
• "A lot of actors are good mimics, or they are method actors and do a lot of research, or they are naturally very charming. What's different about Ellen, is that she knows what Juno would do, say or feel at any given moment, and she can turn it on and off like a light switch. It's incredible to watch." - Jason Reitman
