'Juno' creatively delivers on DVD this week
By Bruce Miller Journal staff writer | Posted: Sunday, April 13, 2008
A teenage girl who's pregnant. A young man in love with a plastic doll.
Who could believe they'd be the subjects of two of the best screenplays of the year?
And yet, "Juno," the little film that could, won Diablo Cody an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and "Lars and the Real Girl" showed Ryan Gosling in a whole new light.
Both are available on DVD Tuesday. Both show that creativity is still flourishing in a town determined to kill it.
Cody, a former Minnesotan, crafts a charming story of a high school girl faced with an unwanted pregnancy. Very matter-of-fact, Juno (Ellen Page) looks in the local Penny Saver to find adoptive parents. She lands on a friendly couple (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) who seem to have it all together. He's a former rocker, she's a perfect homemaker. Juno bonds with the husband, sharing favorite stories, swapping cool CDs. She admires the wife for her intelligence and sense of calm.
Dad (J.K. Simmons) and stepmom (Allison Janney), meanwhile, offer the support necessary to make it through nine months. The baby's father (Michael Cera) hangs around, too, but the relationship was never one of intense love. That makes the girl's decision easier and the comedy much less toxic.
While some of Cody's lines are too frequently clever, they manage to surprise much the same way "Napoleon Dynamite" did. The film has touches of "Fargo." It's so fresh and original, it's a wonder Cody didn't study at the feet of Judd Apatow.
Director Jason Reitman doesn't judge anyone (or attempt some big moral message) but he does give his film a centered quality that impresses.
Juno, as a result, is such a smart, sassy girl it's a wonder she's in this situation. Page makes her immensely likable and, like Claire Danes in "My So-Called Life," serves as a tour guide through a world most don't know.
"Juno" doesn't resolve easily. There's one major bump and a heartbreaking surprise but it suggests life does go on.
The supporting cast (Janney in particular) is great. Cera is a wonderful track geek and Bateman makes a pretty good adoptive dad.
Still, "Juno" revolves around Page's work. Without her, Cody's lines wouldn't have the same punch. She's like the girl guys like to hang out with but never date. She has that Janeane Garofalo sense of irony that wears well in the long run. She's pretty, too, but Page manages to downplay her looks in order to shore up her sense of humor.
"Juno" may tackle the same issue as "Knocked Up," but it hardly stoops to find its laughs. Instead, it holds its head high and earns every laugh and tear it can elicit.
Also: 'Water Horse'
It's not quite "E.T.," but Ness is more in "The Water Horse."
Based on the legend of the Loch Ness monster, the family friendly film manages to address many subjects (war included) while telling how the dinosaur-like creature came to call Scotland home.
Alex Etel -- a freckled charmer -- stars as a loner whose father has been lost at sea. While trolling the shore, he discovers a football-sized rock. He takes it home and quickly realizes it's a shell. In no time at all, a creature (that looks a bit like Shrek and a T Rex) pops out. The kid dubs him Crusoe (after "Robinson Crusoe") then tries to hide him from a firm mother (Emily Watson). A handyman (Ben Chaplin) discovers the secret while repairing the plumbing. He becomes the boy's biggest ally and helps him transport the creature to the loch.
A happy ending? Not so quick. Soldiers have taken the family's home as their headquarters. A gruff captain (David Morrissey) wants to discipline the boy. Mom lets him take charge -- but the kid isn't buying any of it. Instead, he bonds with the handyman and steals away to see his pet.
When Crusoe grows to his full height, he's a towering presence. In the water, he's like the ultimate recreational vehicle. The boy takes a ride (and goes underwater, too), then decides he has to do something to help his new friend.
Before everyone waves goodbye (shades of "Free Willy"), director Jay Russell manages to confront death, abandonment, abuse and loneliness.
Also this week:
TV: "A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila," season one; "American Dad," volume 3; "College Hill: Interns"; "Melrose Place," season four; "Nick Jr. Favorites"; "SpongeBob SquarePants: Pest of the West"
Movies: "A Passage to India"; "Alien Nation"; "Alien vs. Predator"; "The Backwoods"; "The Final Season"; "I Want Somebody to Eat Cheese With"; "Impulse"; "Inside"; "Lars and the Real Girl"; "Retribution" "War/Dance"
Who could believe they'd be the subjects of two of the best screenplays of the year?
And yet, "Juno," the little film that could, won Diablo Cody an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and "Lars and the Real Girl" showed Ryan Gosling in a whole new light.
Both are available on DVD Tuesday. Both show that creativity is still flourishing in a town determined to kill it.
Cody, a former Minnesotan, crafts a charming story of a high school girl faced with an unwanted pregnancy. Very matter-of-fact, Juno (Ellen Page) looks in the local Penny Saver to find adoptive parents. She lands on a friendly couple (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner) who seem to have it all together. He's a former rocker, she's a perfect homemaker. Juno bonds with the husband, sharing favorite stories, swapping cool CDs. She admires the wife for her intelligence and sense of calm.
Dad (J.K. Simmons) and stepmom (Allison Janney), meanwhile, offer the support necessary to make it through nine months. The baby's father (Michael Cera) hangs around, too, but the relationship was never one of intense love. That makes the girl's decision easier and the comedy much less toxic.
While some of Cody's lines are too frequently clever, they manage to surprise much the same way "Napoleon Dynamite" did. The film has touches of "Fargo." It's so fresh and original, it's a wonder Cody didn't study at the feet of Judd Apatow.
Director Jason Reitman doesn't judge anyone (or attempt some big moral message) but he does give his film a centered quality that impresses.
Juno, as a result, is such a smart, sassy girl it's a wonder she's in this situation. Page makes her immensely likable and, like Claire Danes in "My So-Called Life," serves as a tour guide through a world most don't know.
"Juno" doesn't resolve easily. There's one major bump and a heartbreaking surprise but it suggests life does go on.
The supporting cast (Janney in particular) is great. Cera is a wonderful track geek and Bateman makes a pretty good adoptive dad.
Still, "Juno" revolves around Page's work. Without her, Cody's lines wouldn't have the same punch. She's like the girl guys like to hang out with but never date. She has that Janeane Garofalo sense of irony that wears well in the long run. She's pretty, too, but Page manages to downplay her looks in order to shore up her sense of humor.
"Juno" may tackle the same issue as "Knocked Up," but it hardly stoops to find its laughs. Instead, it holds its head high and earns every laugh and tear it can elicit.
Also: 'Water Horse'
It's not quite "E.T.," but Ness is more in "The Water Horse."
Based on the legend of the Loch Ness monster, the family friendly film manages to address many subjects (war included) while telling how the dinosaur-like creature came to call Scotland home.
Alex Etel -- a freckled charmer -- stars as a loner whose father has been lost at sea. While trolling the shore, he discovers a football-sized rock. He takes it home and quickly realizes it's a shell. In no time at all, a creature (that looks a bit like Shrek and a T Rex) pops out. The kid dubs him Crusoe (after "Robinson Crusoe") then tries to hide him from a firm mother (Emily Watson). A handyman (Ben Chaplin) discovers the secret while repairing the plumbing. He becomes the boy's biggest ally and helps him transport the creature to the loch.
A happy ending? Not so quick. Soldiers have taken the family's home as their headquarters. A gruff captain (David Morrissey) wants to discipline the boy. Mom lets him take charge -- but the kid isn't buying any of it. Instead, he bonds with the handyman and steals away to see his pet.
When Crusoe grows to his full height, he's a towering presence. In the water, he's like the ultimate recreational vehicle. The boy takes a ride (and goes underwater, too), then decides he has to do something to help his new friend.
Before everyone waves goodbye (shades of "Free Willy"), director Jay Russell manages to confront death, abandonment, abuse and loneliness.
Also this week:
TV: "A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila," season one; "American Dad," volume 3; "College Hill: Interns"; "Melrose Place," season four; "Nick Jr. Favorites"; "SpongeBob SquarePants: Pest of the West"
Movies: "A Passage to India"; "Alien Nation"; "Alien vs. Predator"; "The Backwoods"; "The Final Season"; "I Want Somebody to Eat Cheese With"; "Impulse"; "Inside"; "Lars and the Real Girl"; "Retribution" "War/Dance"
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