Juno - last year's best movie?? Can't say for sure

Continuing with my analysis of oscar winners, i figured that with the academy awards in 3 days.. y not review this year's top nominees for Best Picture. I started by watching Juno last night starring ellen page, michael cera, jennifer garner and the ever so lovable Allison Janney (CJ for you west wing lovers) Juno was said to be the feel good movie of the year. One that made people smile with the underlying comedy even though the story revolves around a very controversial topic.

Juno (ellen page) is a 16 year old girl who ends up getting pregnant bearing the child of fellow 16 year old bleeker (michael cera).. After a revelation at the abortion clinic, juno decides that she doesn't want to abort the baby because it has fingernails.. :P

Juno MacGuff: ...and the receptionist tried to get me to take these condoms that looked like grape suckers and was just babbling away about her freaking boyfriends pie balls! Oh an Su-Chin was there and she was like, "Hi babies have fingernails." FINGERNAILS!
Leah: Oh, gruesome. I wonder if the baby's claws could scratch your vag on the way out?

Juno decides to give the baby up for adoption to a couple she finds in the pennysaver ad, vanessa and mark loring played by Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman. Mark is a musician who is kept on a tight leash while Vanessa is craving to be a mother more than anything in the world. The movie develops vanessa's character as a bossy wife, while portraying mark as the jovial, funloving guy but both of them as good hearted people until of course the climax. The story revolves around what happens after from the time that juno agrees to give the baby up to the couple till the time of birth.

The movie touches on a number of relationships effortlessly. Juno and Bleeker being the obvious one. Mark and Vanessa. Juno and Bren (Allison Janney, Juno's stepmother), Juno and Mac (J K Simmons, Juno's father). The movie's strength is definitely in the dialogues. Ellen Page does a brilliant job of playing a typical teenager, right down to the delivery of the dialogue and her mannerisms. The movie was certainly great.. but i don't know if i'd say it's worthy of an oscar best picture. I'll need to look at the other nominees to decide. Ellen page certainly is a contender for the best actress category and rightfully so. The movie's strength is also to be able to make the story very lighthearted despite the serious topic. The understanding parents who want what's best for their daughter. Allison Janney was excellent as a loving stepmother, contrary to the norm in movies. One of the interesting aspects i found was the background score for the movie was actually a series of vocal songs, somewhat like recitals, depicting the story. I found it to be a very unique and charming delivery and added the little extra touch to Juno that made it great.

So that's my 2 cents on Juno. I'll keep updating over the next 3 days with the other nominees. I'm planning to watch George Clooney in Michael Clayton tonight.. and hopefully before the actual oscars be able to come to a conclusion on the best movie... I'm adding a couple of the quotes from Juno that i found most interesting.

Vanessa Loring: You think you're really going to do this?
Juno MacGuff: Yea, if I could just have the thing and give it to you now, I totally would. But I'm guessing it looks probably like a sea monkey right now and we should let it get a little cuter.
Vanessa Loring: That's great.
Mark Loring: Keep it in the oven.

[at Juno’s ultrasound]
Leah: Dude that thing looks freaky.
Juno MacGuff: I am a sacred vessel; all you got in your stomach is taco bell.

Juno MacGuff: I'm losing my faith in humanity.
Mac MacGuff: Think you can narrow it down for me?
Juno MacGuff: I guess I wonder sometimes if people ever stay together for good.
Mac MacGuff: You mean like couples?
Juno MacGuff: Yeah, like people in love.
Mac MacGuff: Are you having boy troubles? I gotta be honest; I don't much approve of dating in your condition, 'cause well... that's kind of messed up.
Juno MacGuff: Dad, no!
Mac MacGuff: Well, it's kind of skanky. Isn't that what you girls call it? Skanky? Skeevy?
Juno MacGuff: Please stop now.
Mac MacGuff: [persisting] Tore up from the floor up?
Juno MacGuff: Dad, it's not about that. I just need to know if it's possible for two people to stay happy together forever, or at least for a few years.
Mac MacGuff: It's not easy, that's for sure. Now, I may not have the best track record in the world, but I have been with your stepmother for 10 years now and I'm proud to say that we're very happy.
[Juno nods]
Mac MacGuff: In my opinion, the best thing you can do is find a person who loves you for exactly what you are. Good mood, bad mood, ugly, pretty, handsome, what have you, the right person will still think the sun shines out your ass. That's the kind of person that's worth sticking with.

When Juno decides to tell her parents..

Leah: Dude, I think it's best to just tell 'em.
Juno MacGuff: I'm Pregnant.
Bren: Oh, God.
Juno MacGuff: But, uh ah, I'm going to give it up for adoption and I already found the perfect couple, they're going to pay for the medical expenses and everything. And and what ah 30 or odd weeks we can just pretend that this never happened.
Mac MacGuff: You're pregnant?
Juno MacGuff: I'm sorry. I'm sorry... And if it is any consolation I have heartburn that is radiating in my knee caps and I haven't taken a dump since like Wednesday... morning.
Bren: I didn't even know that you were sexually active.
Juno MacGuff: I, uh...
Mac MacGuff: Who is the kid?
Juno MacGuff: The-the baby? I don't really know much about it other than, I mean, it has fingernails, allegedly.
Bren: Nails, really?
Juno MacGuff: Yeah!
Mac MacGuff: No, I know I mean who's the father, Juno?
Juno MacGuff: Umm... It's Paulie Bleeker.
Mac MacGuff: Paulie Bleeker?
Juno MacGuff: What?
Mac MacGuff: I didn't think he had it in him.
Leah: I know, right?