Reminding me of a young Katherine Hepburn and how she would play this role, she projects confidence, even when there is self-doubt. All the while, Juno stands on her two feet and declares her opinion of people and the world in general.Įllen Page is perfectly cast as Juno. Paulie supports her in the only way he can: quietly. Things aren’t all they seem with Mark and Vanessa, and Juno is getting stares and “stink eye” from classmates at school. Simmons) go to meet them, and upon seeing that Mark is a fellow guitarist, Juno decides she will give the baby to them.įrom there, the story begins to spin in different directions. Juno finds Mark and Vanessa, a couple that can’t have children, in the “Penny Saver” newspaper. When Juno goes into the clinic, she sees the painted nails of the receptionist and that sparks a decision: She will not abort the baby, but give it up for adoption. The classmate tells Juno that the baby she is about to abort has fingernails. Juno decides to abort the child, but at the clinic she encounters a classmate protesting abortion. She tries in vain to shake the positive sign off the test, but a character tells her: “That ain’t no Etch-a-Sketch. From there, we watch Juno repeatedly use home pregnancy tests that reveal the bad news. Juno tells the audience that this story began with a chair-where the baby was conceived. Paulie’s identity is tied to the team, but there is an aspect of him that Juno is drawn to. He is reclusive and obsessive about his track team, which functions like a Greek chorus in the movie.

The father is a shy high school classmate named Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). All of this from a 16-year-old who becomes pregnant the first time she has sex. She is funny and not afraid to speak her mind. Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) is one of the strongest female characters to come along in a many a day.

And it has as its central character one that provides the film with heart and direction. It has laughter and tears, which all pregnancies have. This is not an “after-school special” look at the issue. “Juno” deals with the issue of teenage pregnancy, but it does so with a sense of pluck and humor.

Where to watch juno