Oscaruary*: Juno

*Might contain spoilers*

It all started when I read the ho's review for Juno. It said:

In the film's best scene Vanessa [Jennifer Garner] runs into Juno [Ellen Page] at a shopping mall. She asks if she can touch her belly. What follows is a one way dialogue that nothing else in the film ever compares to. This moment encompasses the overall mood it was trying to get for its heroine; a sort of limbo where her decisions started counting for once and how terrifying yet magical it all turned out to be. [Movies Kick Ass]

- The title character:

What followed was a whole discussion about the film's flaws. Alright, you might say we're negative bitches but if you wanna know all about blind raving on Juno just look at the cinema media at the moment.

We both thought Juno a lovely and tremendously cute movie, with charming quirky characters and awesome performances. But there's a irresponsability and some irrealities in it that is kind of freaky. I said:

That's my favorite scene as well: the one that stuck into my mind for ages and I totally agree with the grade, cos the film is mega cute and funny but somewhat irresponsible. I mean, alright its Juno's film and maybe twas Cody's intention to make it that way. But the way Juno moves through the story as if she's always too cool [she's cool for getting pregnant, she's cool for wanting to take it out, she's cool for deciding to keep it, and so it goes]… and how every one else seems to support her preposterousness…

To which the ho replied:

I know! Except Vanessa and her stepmom [Allison Janney].

The conclusion to that is that Diablo Cody's screenplay most of the times seemed to worship Juno's inconsequent behaviour.

- About reality:

Of course that we don't give a damn for the reality in the movies, but in the end of the day when you move on with your life it's the "level of abstraction" you've taken from it [or any other form of art] that says if it's important to you or not. By level of abstraction I mean how much of it stuck to your mind; like the ho said: "because they linger in your mind" when I said that the Loring couple is the only thing close to reality.

The ho goes further about it in his review, by saying:

Surprisingly this isn't a dark family drama, but a cute, "look at how quirky I am" indie comedy that uses its genre to avoid touching deeper repercussions (that nobody ever freaks out about all the STDs Juno could've gotten results a bit disturbing). [MKA]

I would add up abortion to the repercussions. The film chooses to avoid the discussion; till then it's alright. But it somehow reflects on how Hollywood deals with the subject as I read once on a Guardian blog.

Have you ever met a parent that treated a teenage daughter's pregnancy with such carelessness and sarcasm as Juno's father [J.K. Simmons]? Or a guy so idiotic that wouldn't want to participate on his own child's future [Michael Cera]? That leaves the Lorings and Juno's stepmom as the ones you would run into in real life.

About Mark Loring [Jason Bateman] the ho says:

Mark glows with rock star dreams he feels his wife stopped him from fulfilling, while she becomes oblivious to her husband's feelings, because for her they should've become one by now. Bateman's empty smile captures the joy of long lost dreams with the selfishness of refusing to grow up. [MKA]

On the MSN he mentioned a discussion with Andres about Vanessa:

I had a small discussion with Andres cause he said Vanessa was OCD and Mark was the coolest guy alive; [I said: I totally disagree.] (...) I do so as well, but that shows that the film only works effectively with them. G-d knows I wouldn't argue about the orange tic tacs.

I went further by saying that it's when the film tries to make us hate Vanessa for not being quirky like the others that the screenplay starts to fail. I mean:

What I think Vanessa was is a bit obsessive. She (oh so) wanted to have that baby and sometimes it felt like she didn't know why and that's where I also think that the Cody's screenplay fails as well. I felt that as Juno and Mark's relationship starts to evolve, it feels like the movie is trying to make us hate Vanessa for seeming so desperate. However, it's JUNO's movie maybe twas supposed to be that way; however again I bet a lot of people disliked Vanessa by the end of the movie (because they) thought she was cold.

And for a movie that loudly brags for being indie and quirky, judgement on difference should be the last thing to be endorsed. That leads to the thought that most of these lovely comedies with all its alternative languages and pop cultural screenplays are mostly the most [pardon the cacophony] conservative.

- About the Oscar, Ellen Page and Roger Ebert.

The ho: We sound like Ebert and [Richard] Roeper on their show; except Ebert jerks off to Juno but whatever, I think page will win.

Moi: I don't and hope not.

The ho: Well if I have to remind you, Ebert creates an oscar winner every year. Usually it's the one we'd never pick, but he's damn powerful like that.

Moi: Lol I know. But who knows, things've been so solid for Christie.

The ho: They'd been solid for Sissy Spacek in 01 as well. Until Ebert made a fierce Monster's Ball campaign.

In simple and short conclusion: we wouldn't choose Juno as 2007's Best Film, neither Page as the best actress. Even if we loved both.

*Oscarurary: since February is my Astral Hell month we named it Oscaruary so I don't think of it.

[Song: It's Cool To Love Your Family - Feist]