"It All Started With a Chair...."

After suffering (seriously!) through Youth Without Youth, boy was I pleased that Juno turned out to be everything I expected. I had been looking forward to this film for a few months, and while it's not the only movie to actually live up to my expectations/hopes this year (see Michael Clayton and No Country for Old Men - SEE THEM!), it was certainly the most uplifting.

Someone on IMDB describes the film as Superbad for girls, which isn't too far off the mark. Both movies feature witty characters who are never at a loss for words, who might have an elevated vocabulary, but who are written as less-than-perfect teens. And this is why both Juno and Superbad connect. So very few of us had perfect developmental years. Juno's sixteen-year-old title character finds out in the first five minutes that she's pregnant. It's how she and others react to this news that shapes the film. To say much more would give away too much.

But, then, it really wouldn't. You see, Juno isn't filled with a bunch of shocks and surprises. There's no big twist ending. What makes this a quality movie is the emotion and character of the piece. Major praise must be directed to star Ellen Page, who has already picked up a few relatively minor awards for the part, along with a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress. She is of that rare breed of performer who can convey so much with just the slightest hint of expression; I look forward to more from her. Big kudos also to writer Diablo Cody. She writes fantastic dialogue for all of her characters - not just the clever teens - and creates a story that is at once tender and intelligent, without getting anywhere near After School Special territory.

So, does this make my Top Ten for '07? Does it?

One will have to wait and see....