Juno

I’ve fallen behind on my script reading and something drew me to read Juno today. I almost read Jennifer’s Body, and for a moment, wondered why I thought the two were connected… I quickly remembered they are both written by Diablo Cody. You can tell too, and I mean that in the most complimentary of ways. The characters have a strange way of talking that just works for the world they live in… much like how Joss Whedon has a way with dialogue.

I can’t even remember the last time I watched Juno, but I know it hasn’t been in the last six and a half years, and I’d be surprised if it was after 2010. It was nice to revisit that story, and there were things that surprised me. I’m not sure if I read the script before, but here are my thoughts. I’d also like to add that I watched the film right after finishing the script.

First, it is such a cute story. If there’s another film like it, I haven’t encountered it. I vaguely remember criticism of the film regarding the way the characters spoke, which didn’t bother me. I will say the zany dialogue was more noticeable to me here than it was in Jennifer’s Body. Also, for some reason, I thought it was Bill Hader who played the clerk at the store when it was Rainn Wilson. Also, I knew the best friend in the film wasn’t played by the actress who played the best friend in Awkward, but the whole time I was reading the script, I envisioned that actress.

I’ll preface, as I did with the Juno post, by saying I’m unsure how to refer to character pronouns, as the character of Juno, a teenage girl, was played by Elliot Page, who has come out as a trans man), so the pronouns I’ll be referring to are that of the character’s not the actor’s. If you haven’t watched the film and are reading this for some reason or another, it is the story of a teenage girl named Juno, but not named after the city, who gets pregnant. At first, she is going to have an abortion, but stops, in part because she learns the baby has fingernails. Sidenote, and this is something I noticed while reading the script for Jennifer’s Body, white is the default, which I’m not surprised by, but it always kinda takes me out of the story when another race is mentioned. In Juno, the character outside the abortion clinic is specifically Asian. I can’t remember if anyone else’s race is mentioned, I know the main character’s race isn’t. It just seems odd to me and I’m not sure if in a good or bad way. Also, when watching the film, I was like, where do I remember this actress from. I went to her IMDB page and she was also in Jennifer’s Body (she is the one that called Jennifer and Needy “lesbigay”.) I love seeing people collaborate again.

I got sidetracked… So, Juno knows she isn’t going to raise this baby and decided to find a nice family to adopt her child. Enter Mark and Vanessa, played by Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner, respectively. They are your quintessential yuppie suburban couple. The film and script don’t say what Vanessa does for work, but I assume she’s a lawyer or deals in the corporate world. Mark writes jingles for commercials, though had, and still has, dreams of being a rock star. Mark and Juno instantly connect. They have similar tastes in music and film, and despite him being in his 30s, he seems to have the maturity of a teenage boy. Mark also gives American Beauty vibes, as he is an older man who is excited and revitalized by getting attention from an underaged girl. Mark and Juno’s interaction doesn’t go beyond an awkward slow dance but is still creepy nonetheless.

During said dance, he tells Juno he is leaving Vanessa, and that ruins the “relationship” the two had. The script, and film, seem to imply Mark thought he and Juno would/could end up together after he left Vanessa… Juno’s negative reaction to this revelation shatters that illusion for Mark, and he remembers, or finally realizes, he is dealing with a teenage girl.

Mark leaves Vanessa, but Juno still gives the baby to her, despite the idea of the baby having this “perfect couple” to adopt it being ruined. And the film ends with Juno and Paulie, the baby daddy, singing a cute little song about how much they like each other. It’s such a charming film and script, I don’t think I’ve come across anything else quite like it.