Great new movie you all need to see - JUNO

[Cipher]

Originally Posted by Touchdown MSU

Sister-in-law is a Labor and Delivery nurse. She's run into a couple of adoptions like in Juno and let me tell you- Garner's role is NOT a stretch by any means. Those chicks that cant have babies and pay all that money to adopt American newborns are borderline psycho.

Not to get too defensive here, since I am sure this comment is somewhat meant in jest, but until you have gone through something like that I don't think you can really talk. My wife and I spent years trying to have a child, went through mutliple IVF attempts and misscarriages and a failed adoption attempt before we finally received our "American newborn". To think that anyone that has been put through all of that emtional turmoil might be a little bit "borderline psycho" shouldn't be all that surprising. Like I said, until you and someone you love have to go through an ordeal like that, I wouldn't be so quick to judge.

[Lorenzo the Texan]

Interesting thread about an interesting movie. I just finally saw it this weekend and really really liked it.

I had the same sort of shift-of-feeling about the characters as I did for the characters in the movie "Closer". I wasn't sure if Bateman or Garner was the more selfish, and then after I re-thought it, I wasn't sure if it wasn't a bad thing for either of these two to be selfish for the reasons they were. They were both unhappy and were both trying to improve their situations... which isn't a bad thing.

I think when it comes down to it, the reason I like the movie so much is that:

A) Every single character has flaws, which gives them depth. Divorced dad, knocked-up teenage daughter, suppressed husband, suppressing wife. Heck, even Juno's best friend was gossipy and baited Juno with a lot of aggressive statements. Contrast that to awful one-dimensional characters in a movie like Titanic. The fiance who is so evil he'd chase down the good guy in a freaking sinking ship just so he could shoot a gun at him. No one is all the way evil or all the way good. Watch Pulp Fiction again - you feel sympathy for even the most screwed up character because they are all good AND bad.

B) There is not one extraneous scene in the entire film. There isn't one word of dialogue that doesn't propel the story. No side nonsense. No garbage. I just watched the Boondock Saints yesterday. Why was William Defoe's character gay? What did it add to the story? And why did they bring it up so much? It didn't make him any more or any less anything. They could have made him a trapeze artist in his spare time and it would have added the same amount of depth to his character.

Overall thoughts on Juno: Good characters, good script, great story that makes you think long after the movie is over. Was the dialogue a bit too smarmy and cute at times? Sure. But I'll take smarmy and cute over Martin Lawrence in an old lady suit, or explosions and loud soundtracks, or CGI zombies with superpowers just about any day.

[MSU addict]

Originally Posted by Lorenzo the Texan

B) There is not one extraneous scene in the entire film. There isn't one word of dialogue that doesn't propel the story. No side nonsense. No garbage.

I saw the movie on DVD and also watched the deleted scenes (I usually do). The director said he cut almost all of them for the reasons you cite, even though they were in the screen play. He even cut what he thought was the funniest line of the film. Personally, I don't mind a few outliers and unresolved things in movies.

[Touchdown MSU]

Originally Posted by Cipher

Not to get too defensive here, since I am sure this comment is somewhat meant in jest, but until you have gone through something like that I don't think you can really talk. My wife and I spent years trying to have a child, went through mutliple IVF attempts and misscarriages and a failed adoption attempt before we finally received our "American newborn". To think that anyone that has been put through all of that emtional turmoil might be a little bit "borderline psycho" shouldn't be all that surprising. Like I said, until you and someone you love have to go through an ordeal like that, I wouldn't be so quick to judge.

I didn't mean to judge with a broad stroke as obviously everyone is in different situations. I was just trying to point out that Garner's character was very realistic from what I've heard from someone who is somewhat close to that type of situation. Let me tell you though that the stories my SIL told me were borderline unbelievable and I'm sure it is a tad bit more normal on average.

[Ozymandias]

If you are a fan of Ellen Page in JUNO, I suggest you rent HARD CANDY. I think she gives a better performance in that film. The film is about a total 180 degree shift in tone from JUNO, though.

[Awesome Robot With Lasers]

[Babies Need Tickets]

Originally Posted by BleedGreen4ever

I actually do know quite a few people that talk/act similar....my wife is one for instance....its not really a stretch, some people have very quirky, funny, dry senses of humor, which is a nice relief from your stupid, mindless punchline one-liner sitcoms that the majority of America seems to like lately...

Juno reminded me of a former girlfriend, who acted/talked very much like the character in the movie. It's narrow-minded to think that no one acts that way (or rather, that this movie's dialogue is any more unrealistic that any other movie's dialogue).

[Maize and Blue]

Originally Posted by Babies Need Tickets

Juno reminded me of a former girlfriend, who acted/talked very much like the character in the movie. It's narrow-minded to think that no one acts that way (or rather, that this movie's dialogue is any more unrealistic that any other movie's dialogue).

I'm sure there may be some people who act like that, but I couldn't help but think that the movie was screaming at me "LOOK HOW CLEVER I AM!! LOOK AT ALL THE WITTY THINGS WE SAY!!" Of course, I'm just an idiot with no sense of humor.

[Babies Need Tickets]

Originally Posted by Maize and Blue

I'm sure there may be some people who act like that, but I couldn't help but think that the movie was screaming at me "LOOK HOW CLEVER I AM!! LOOK AT ALL THE WITTY THINGS WE SAY!!"

I can see that. That's how my girlfriend was, too.

[spotdog14]

Originally Posted by Awesome Robot With Lasers

totally agree! she was the only reason i rented the movie and it turned out that it was a pretty good movie! hahaha.

[Plate of Shrimp]

Originally Posted by Awesome Robot With Lasers

she's the new jodie foster...

[Ozymandias]

Originally Posted by Plate of Shrimp

she's the new jodie foster...

Yeah, I can totally see her being a lesbian/becoming a lesbian.

Hopefully she chooses characters that avoid pinball machines, though.