TATS QUIBLAT

Juno (2007)
Dancing Elk Productions
Directed by Jason Reitman


Everyone must go and see this movie. It's brilliant. It speaks a language so universal, everyone will find a piece of himself in this very simple story. I will try, in my best attempt, to sum up in three points why I believe this should be a must-see in everyone’s list. I will outline three things that, although not didactically expressed in the movie, I think the best three points any movie has ever made.

If you're a writer, this film will inspire you to go, start writing, and tell your story. If you're a mother, this one is definitely for you. Remember that moment you first saw your first child? Yeah, that moment when you were scared shitless and didn't know what to do? You'll find that moment here. You will relate with this. You may be a loving dad, or a lonely high school student, or a struggling musician, a cheerleader, an athlete, a jock, a teacher, a door-to-door salesman, a stepmom, a stepsister, an ugly bitch, a toad, whatever you may be, you will find yourself (or, at least, a piece of yourself) in this film. This film is very inclusive.

That is probably the first reason why this film works. It invites everyone into a circle of trust—prejudices and biases aside. It paints a picture uncommon in its plot but scarily very familiar when it comes to its truth, posits, and whatnot. As far as the film is concerned, in the story of humanity, normalcy is the ultimate outcast. (First point of Juno, check!) Normalcy debilitates. It stunts one’s emotional growth.

If you don’t have a quirk, you’re probably at work. Why?

Because maturity’s a bitch dressed in fine linen, screaming and demanding comfort, stability, and certainty. Thus, humanity is forced to deal with everything so maturely and normal; and more often, even way mature than the average level of maturity humanity can handle.

But, even in our best attempts, even as we hit life with our best shot, we don’t always get what we want. Things fail. Things fall apart. Things break down and fall short of everyone’s expectations, and in the worst timing at that. Then we hit rock bottom.

Down there, we meet people who’ve had the same fate as ours. We bond with them. We form a community. We start a society of people who have tried and failed and have lived to tell their story. In this community, we feel free and very much at peace with ourselves. Then we wonder, why did we think that life was perfectible in the first place? If you think life is perfectible, you will always find it unsatisfying. (Second point of Juno, check!)

Lastly, I think the film has found the key that unlocks the mystery of human emotional turmoil. And guess what, it’s something we’ve known all along but didn’t really have faith in—a strong sense of self. (Third point of Juno, check!) All of us have a fundamental sense of who we are that either picks things up along the way or says no to those which do not apply, or matter, or make sense. Life is half living and half figuring things out. So while we live and figure things out in a life that should abhor normalcy, we need a strong sense of self to remain sane, whole, and grounded. We need a strong sense of self to constantly remind us that just because something could possibly go wrong doesn’t mean we don’t take a shot. Regardless of the outcome, it’s the person that shows up at the starting line that really matters. Showing up is half the battle won. Taking the shot is another half. So when the gun goes off signaling the start, you already are a running winner. And if you need a trophy to prove that, go and get it. But you don’t really have to.

Apart from these points, Juno has a wonderful soundtrack that includes a song from my personal favorite Belle & Sebastian. I fell in love with this band ever since I first heard their music back in college. Also, Juno is beautifully written. The lines are crisp, witty, and hilarious--pretty much more than amazing for a first-time writer (Diablo Cody) whose previous job was that of a stripper. And the leads, Michael Cera and Ellen Page, they are the most adorable couple that ever graced the celluloid.

The Oscars was right in putting this film up there in the Best Picture category. Well-deserved.

And oh, teen pregnancy is a serious issue that can derail your wagon from reaching the stars. Be careful.