The indie-comedy Juno came out in 2007 and took everyone by surprise. Despite being a small little project, audiences fell in love with the quirky humor and likable characters. It went on to become a box office hit and was even nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.
The movie follows Juno (Elliot Page) a young high school girl who gets pregnant and decides to give the baby to a childless couple. The subject matter provided the story with a wonderful mix of comedy as well as drama. Diablo Cody's Academy Award-winning script has audiences laughing out loud one moment and tearing up with the very next line.
Funniest: "That Ain't No Etch-A-Sketch. This Is One Doodle That Can't Be Un-Did, Homeskillet."
Just as Rainn Wilson was making a name for himself as Dwight Schrute on The Office, he had a small and funny cameo in the first scene of Juno. He plays Rollo, the eccentric proprietor of a convenience store where Juno buys several pregnancy tests.
After taking the test in the store bathroom, Juno sees it is positive and shakes the test hoping that will somehow change her luck. Unfortunately, Rollo reminds her that a pregnancy test is not an Etch-a-sketch while introducing the movie's unique dialogue.
Heartbreaking: "I Don't Know What Kind Of Girl I Am."
Following the earth-shattering news of her pregnancy, Juno has the unpleasant task of telling her parents about it. Her father Mac (J.K. Simmons) takes the news reasonably well but is clearly disappointed in his daughter. He tells her he thought she was the kind of girl who "knew when to say when" but Juno its, "I don't know what kind of girl I am."
That line speaks to the movie's emotional coming-of-age story in which Juno is trying to figure herself out while dealing with this huge life moment.
Funniest: "And Paulie Is Actually Great... In Chair."
Some early narration from Juno reveals the pregnancy was the cause of her having sex with her best friend Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera) on a chair in his room. When she tells her parents about the pregnancy, Mac understandably asks who the father is.
When Juno reveals Paulie is the father, Mac is surprised and says he didn't think he had it in him. But Juno stands up for Paulie, even telling her father that he was great "in chair."
Heartbreaking: "I Never Realize How Much I Like Being Home Unless I've Been Somewhere Really Different For A While."
Along with navigating the troubles of teen pregnancy, the movie also explores Juno's discovery of the idea of love and finding a soulmate. She believes she finds a couple who are the type of picture-perfect soulmates she romanticizes, but that reality is eventually broken.
When returning home after witnessing the end of that adult relationship, Juno has a new perspective on her own life. Through her narration, she says, "I never realize how much I like being home unless I've been somewhere really different for a while."
Funniest: "Desperately Seeking Spawn."
Juno decides that she wants to have the baby and give it to a couple who is unable to have a child of their own. While it is a noble thought, Juno has no idea how to go about finding a couple like this.
When discussing the idea with her friend Leah, Juno is told that the local classifieds feature adds for people looking for surrogates. Leah even dubs them with the catchy but not entirely flattering title of "Desperately seeking spawn."
Heartbreaking: "If I Have To Wait For You To Become Kurt Cobain, I'm Never Going To Be A Mother."
Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman are great additions to the cast as Vanessa and Mark, the couple Juno picks to give her baby to. At first, Vanessa seems like an uptight partner while Juno finds herself connecting with the much hipper Mark.
However, when Mark reveals that he is not ready to be a father, the dynamic of the couple suddenly shifts. Mark now appears like a selfish creep while Vanessa is someone who wants to be a mother but is stuck waiting for her partner to grow up.
Funniest: "And I'm Gonna Punch That Bleeker Kid In The Wiener Next Time I See Him."
Simmons makes for a wonderful father figure in the movie. Mac's reaction to the situation feels like an authentic dad who is dealing with the complicated situation yet still wants to be ive of his daughter.
Of course, while he is a pretty reasonable guy, he does still have those fatherly tendencies when it comes to Juno. After he is told Paulie Bleeker got her pregnant, Mac calmly promises to "kick that kid in the wiener" next time he sees him. Luckily for Paulie, Mac decided not to keep that promise.
Heartbreaking: "Someday, You'll Be Back Here, Honey. On Your ."
The movie does a great job of never playing into the cliched or predictable storylines, such as Juno suddenly wanting to keep the child for herself. Once she makes the decision to give the baby up, she never waivers in that decision.
However, the movie also doesn't shy away from the significance of Juno giving birth. Once the baby is delivered, Mac comforts his daughter in the hospital. Without her saying anything about it, he assures her that she will be in this place again, but on her own .
Funniest: "I Try Really Hard, Actually."
With everything else going on in the movie, it's pretty impressive that it also manages to tell a really sweet teen love story between Juno and Paulie. Though she clearly has feelings for Paulie and he feels the same way, Juno is reluctant to pursue a relationship for fear that it will not work out.
After a brief falling out, Juno finally its to Paulie that she is in love with him, saying that he is the coolest person she knows and he doesn't even try. Paulie corrects her that he actually tries very hard.
Heartbreaking: "It Ended With A Chair."
The movie starts with the line "It all started with a chair," referring to the chair Juno and Paulie had sex in. It is a simple and funny line to begin the story but it ends up having a great emotional payoff at the end.
Following Vanessa's falling out with Mark, Juno recognizes that Vanessa will still be a great mother and lets her know the baby is still hers. After delivering the baby, Juno's narration says, "It ended with a chair." Showing the rocking chair Vanessa has in her nursery which she has lovingly set up for her new child.
