Juno

So it looks like it's time to watch Juno. I saw part of it a while ago, when we had a substitute teacher in Spanish in high school and someone just happened to have Juno with them. We told the teacher we'd watch it in Spanish and then we conveniently couldn't figure out how to change the langauge. So now it's time to watch all of it. It wasn't on the list, but hey, lots of people have seen it, right? I mean, it's not one of the more "old classic" sort of movies on my list, but it does fit with the "my fellow college students have all seen this" part of my list. So it's something I should take care of. Plus, it was one of the movies available at the front desk of my dorm. Easy access was a factor with this choice.

So the movie's starting, and I'm thinking, "What is up with all this Sunny D?" Clearly, I didn't remember a whole lot from watching it before. I mean, I knew she was pregnant, but I didn't remember/didn't realize, "Oh yes, she's going to need to pee a bunch for that big test."

It became clear pretty quickly that Juno's the kind of person I like. All snarky and witty and wearing what's comfy instead of trendy. That's awesome. Actually, that's just me, or so I like to think. I mean, I know I dress that way, but I like to think I've got snarky and witty covered too. Juno's me but pregnant. Except that I totally eat like a pregnant girl sometimes. A giant cookie and a lamb kabob? Yes, please. Not as simultaneously as Juno would've had them, but still.

Anyway, her snarkiness and wittiness leads me to my next point: this is a pretty funny movie. Yeah, we've got a pregnant sixteen-year-old, and yeah, there are real consequences of that-and that's good-but it's still funny. And I definitely prefer that to something all dramatic and over-the-top. Not that teen pregnancy isn't a huge emotional thing, but I feel like that's done more often in entertainment. I can't be sure though. If I could, I wouldn't have to watch so many things. Either way, this is the right way to mix humor and pregnancy. I'm sure it can be kind of distasteful if done incorrectly. Anyway, it's a good and hilarious movie. Babies in t-shirt guns in China? Yeah.

I really enjoyed Juno’s relationships with people—particularly Bleeker, Mark, and her stepmom. Bleeker’s all awkward and shy (I mean, obviously. It’s Michael Cera.), and Juno’s—I don’t know if I want to say confident?—but definitely more sure of herself, or less concerned with what other people think. And normally, I’d say, “No, you had a kid and now you’re falling in love? This is so backwards. You guys won’t work out.” But I’m pretty sure they will.

Her relationship with Mark is interesting. I mean, is he a cool alternative father figure? Is he something like a romantic interest? He’s not really the right age for either, and then he acts a bit younger… But he’s not creepy. So it more or less works out to a cool friend. I think.

I love Juno’s relationship with her stepmom. Juno can throw up blue slushie in her urn, but she’ll still defend her daughter to the bitch ultrasound technician. It’s great. You can have dysfunctional family relationships where people still come through for each other when it’s necessary. 

I enjoyed the soundtrack. Usually, I’m not really a fan of a bunch of songs with actual words in movies. They’re appropriate a few times in most movies, but mostly unnecessary. I think it worked here though, maybe because it added to the quirkiness. And hey, fun fact: Wikipedia tells me this was 20^th Century Fox’s first number one soundtrack since Titanic, which is cool because that’s what I talked about last.

As a side note, or really an end note, I've been told twice that I look/sound like Ellen Page. I guess I can see that. And hear it. It's a bit weird that I was at work both times I was told that. The second time, this woman was whispering to her friend about "how that cashier looks like the pregnant girl in that one movie..." and I said, "Ellen Page?" because I was proud of myself for knowing  (but that was only because a coworker had made the comparison just a month or two earlier) and because I wanted her to know I could hear her. Anyway. This isn't about me.

I think I'm gonna go buy some orange Tic Tacs now. 

P.S. Does anyone have a clue what Dancing Elk Condors are?