Written by Diablo Cody, the movie follows the unconventional but levelheaded reactions of the teenage Juno (Ellen Page) to her unexpected pregnancy. Juno is an endearing character who uses irony to cope with her overwhelming issues and adult-size decision-making. "I am dealing with things beyond my maturity level," she says at one point, clearly smart and savvy enough to understand that.
Her pregnancy occurs as the result of an impulsive liaison with her sort-of boyfriend Paulie (Michael Cera), an adorable geek who runs track and seems to need Herculean will to muster the courage to speak. They may be sweet on each other, but she soon decides they're parentally challenged.
After briefly toying with an abortion-she runs from a clinic after learning fetuses have fingernails-Juno decides to find a home for the impending baby. The ideal candidates are the seemingly perfect young couple Mark and Vanessa (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner), who plan to give the child a life Juno can't.
Screenwriter Cody proves in "Juno" that a good story is a good story, no matter who's the central character or what the genre is.
