MOVIE REVIEW: Juno

Juno the movie is a modern fairy tale. Only this time around, the damsel in distress is a wise-cracking pregnant 16-year-old, her white knight is someone that no one thinks is up to the challenge, and her noble steed is an older model Toyota Previa.

I had resisted watching Juno because what could possibly be inspiring about a pregnant teen? Oh sure, sometimes you have pregnant teens who have their babies in Wal-Mart, but it all seems so after-school-special-ish.

Not so this movie. There's a happy ending, all right, but it isn't your usual happy ending. It's not a tragedy, although it's got the makings of one.

At the center of the movie is Juno, a quirky, wise-ass teen who finds herself pregnant after one encounter with her geeky, track-team boyfriend, Paulie Bleeker. After a little bit of soul-searching (and a close encounter at an abortion clinic where she resists the urge to make the situation business as usual), Juno decides to have the baby -- and give it up for adoption.

Here's where the potential for tragedy lies. Juno lives with her father, a retired Army man turned HVAC technician, her offbeat but decidedly unwicked stepmother, and her half-sister. Her mother abandoned the family a long time ago for greener pastures in a trailer park. In her search for good parents for her child, Juno turns to (where else?) the local Pennysaver for answers. There she's got a full range of potential adoptors, right next to ads about Pekingese and parakeets. She eventually decides on a childless couple who look to be perfect.

Vanessa and Mark Loring seem to have it all. They've got the beautiful house, the goofy couples pictures on the wall, and pots of money. The only thing missing from their perfect lives is a baby, which Vanessa wants more than anything. Husband Mark, however, seems to be stuck. A former rocker who now sells out by writing commercial jingles for The Man, you get the feeling that this is more Vanessa's dream than his. He and Juno bond over similar tastes in movies and music, while serious Vanessa is out in the adult world, doing serious work to bring home the bacon.

So what happens next: is it yet another after-school special? Not so, because while we may forget that the precocious Juno is only 16 years old, the producers never do. Surrounded by people who have the luxury of living in worlds where the decisions are slow and easy, she has to cope with her disillusionment and make a hard, fast, adult decision that will allow her to grow up in her own time.

Juno was an utter delight, and it was no wonder that it received so many awards. I give it four packs of Dunhills and a pound of Starbucks Breakfast Blend.