Box office performance
In limited release and playing in only seven theaters in Los Angeles and New York City, Juno grossed $420,113 over its debut weekend, averaging $60,016 per screen.[71] When Juno became Fox Searchlight's first film to surpass $100 million at the box office, the company's president Peter Rice issued the statement: "This is an astonishing feat for us and the film has surpassed all our expectations. We knew this film had crossover potential and it has resonated with audiences all across the country."[78] The film has grossed $143,495,265 in the United States and $88,877,416 in other territories for a total worldwide gross of $232,372,681.[4] It was also the highest-grossing of the five Best Picture nominees for the 80th Academy Awards.[79]
Critical reaction
Juno received highly positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 94% approval rating from critics based on 217 reviews, with an average rating of 8.10/10. The site's consensus states, "One of the brightest, funniest comedies of the year, Juno's smart script and direction are matched by assured performances in a coming of age story with a 21st century twist."[80] making it the best reviewed comedy film on the website in 2007.[81] On Metacritic, the film had an average score of 81 out of 100, based on 38 reviews.[82] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film four stars and called it "just about the best movie of the year. ... Has there been a better performance this year than [Elliot] Page's creation of Juno? I don't think so."[83] Ebert placed Juno at number one on his annual "best of" list. The film also ranks at number 463 in Empire magazine's 2008 list of The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time.[84] Juno MacGuff also ranked number 56 on Empire's list of The 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.[85] Paste Magazine named it one of the 50 Best Movies of the Decade (2000–2009), ranking it at number 15.[86] In June 2010, Entertainment Weekly named Juno one of the 100 Greatest Characters of the Last 20 Years.[87]
However, not all critics share the positive view towards Juno. David Edelstein of New York magazine felt that the film was desperate to be "a movie that confers hipness on teens, that makes kids want to use the same slang and snap up the soundtrack".[88] Music reviewer Jim DeRogatis criticized the film's stylized dialogue and what he saw as a casual take on abortion and Juno's naïveté in becoming pregnant, claiming: "As an unapologetically old-school feminist, the father of a soon-to-be-teenage daughter, a reporter who regularly talks to actual teens as part of his beat and a plain old moviegoer, I hated, hated, hated this movie."[89]
"The Juno Effect"
In 2008, after 17 students under sixteen years of age at Gloucester High School in Massachusetts became pregnant, Time magazine called it the "Juno Effect".[90] Time stated that some adults dismissed the statistic as an outlier while others accused films such as Juno and Knocked Up for glamorizing teenage pregnancy. Kristelle Miller, an Adolescent Psychology Professor at University of Minnesota-Duluth stated that "[t]he 'Juno effect' is how media glamorizes pregnancy and how [...] pregnancy is also redemptive of any past problems".[91]
After Senator John McCain named Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate on the Republican presidential ticket, it was revealed in September 2008 that Gov. Palin's daughter, Bristol, age 17, was pregnant with the child of another teenager. News reports and editorials termed Bristol Palin's pregnancy as the latest episode in the debate over teen pregnancy of which Juno was a part,[92][93] while conservative commentators made comparisons between Bristol Palin's pregnancy and the film.[94][95] Noted New Republic literary editor Leon Wieseltier, "The Republicans wanted a new conversation, and they got one. Juno in Juneau!"[94] Fox News' Roger Friedman wondered, "Juno at once violated and vindicated conservative values. The question is, will the public rally 'round Bristol Palin the way it did Juno? Or will it reject her for getting in this situation in the first place?"[95]
Juno actor Jason Bateman defended the film. "Unfortunately," he said, "we've had these instances where guys kill people because of what they hear in rock 'n roll lyrics or some garbage like that. Look, if you're going to blame a movie or song for your actions, whether they be good or bad, I think you're looking at the wrong things to influence your life. I think people should look to other areas of their life for lessons and guidance, mainly parents, or teachers, or friends, or whomever. That should probably be where you should point your eyes and ears."[96]
Amy Benfer of Salon.com wrote in 2010 that, according to figures released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pregnancy rates for all teenagers dropped 2 percent between 2007 and 2008, meaning that "the slight uptick in teen pregnancy rates between 2005 and 2006 were probably just an anomaly and not some heinous trend brought about by pop culture", and that if there had been such a thing as a "Juno effect", it would have caused pregnancies to go down, not up. She criticized proponents of the theory, stating that they believed that teenagers "somehow lose all ability to evaluate any nuance or context in that woman's particular situation, and instead make some sort of primitive cause-and-effect connection" and that "by talking about pregnant girls, and most of all, by daring to portray some of them as ordinary, even likable, we'd get way more babies having babies." She concluded that "depicting teen parents may not glamorize them, so much as humanize them. You know, that thing that happens when one person recognizes that someone else is a person too? So, now that we can firmly state that realistically depicting the lives of the tiny percentage of girls who do become pregnant won't necessarily contaminate the rest of them, it's time to stop worrying and ask what we can do to help."[97]
In light of Georgia's anti-abortion law, Diablo Cody said in 2019 she would not have written Juno now that people perceive it as an "anti-choice" film.[98] In 2022, she said, "Back in 2008, I got a letter from some administrator at my Catholic high school thanking me for writing a movie that was in line with the school’s values. And I was like: 'What have I done?' My objective as an artist is to be a traitor to that culture, not to uplift it," but also, "I have no regrets about writing the movie. I do think it’s important that I continue to clarify my feelings about it because the last thing I would ever want is for someone to interpret the movie as anti-choice. That is a huge paranoia of mine. I’ve never really thought about revisiting the film — it kind of feels like something that should stay preserved in amber. But I would rather have this account be out there than [my] silence being misinterpreted".[99]
Top ten lists
The film appeared on critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2007:
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Accolades
Reitman expressed disappointment that Juno was ruled ineligible for the Genie Award nominations:
It's a Canadian director, Canadian stars, Canadian cast, Canadian crew, shot in Canada—how are we not eligible for a Genie when David Cronenberg's film [Eastern Promises] about Russians living in London shot in England with a British crew and British cast is eligible? I'm sorry, but somebody is going to have to explain that to me.[109]
Sara Morton, the head of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television, issued a statement explaining that the film had never been submitted for Genie Award consideration by its studio.[110] The Hollywood Reporter explained that Genie rules define Canadian films as financed at least in part by Canadian sources, and because American companies Mandate Pictures and Fox Searchlight were the sole funders, Juno was ineligible.[110] Nonetheless, Genie spokesman Chris McDowall said that while the film was not evaluated for eligibility since it was not submitted, "Financing is one of the criteria, but it's not everything."[110] Despite this, the film was eligible for the 2008 Canadian Comedy Awards, receiving two wins from three nominations.[111][112]
Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|
Academy Awards[113] | Best Picture | Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith | Nominated |
Best Director | Jason Reitman | Nominated | |
Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Nominated | |
Best Original Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won | |
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards[114] | Best Comedy | Nominated | |
Argentine Academy of Cinematography Arts and Sciences Awards[115] | Best Foreign Film | Jason Reitman | Nominated |
American Film Institute Awards[116] | Movie of the Year | Won | |
African-American Film Critics Association Awards[117] | Best Picture | 7th Place | |
Alliance of Women Film Journalists[118][119] | Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Nominated |
Best Breakthrough Performance | Won | ||
Best Original Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won | |
Best Woman Screenwriter | Nominated | ||
Best Seduction | Elliot Page[a] and Michael Cera | Nominated | |
Best Ensemble Cast | Won | ||
Amanda Awards[120] | Best Foreign Feature Film | Jason Reitman | Nominated |
American Cinema Editors Awards | Best Edited Feature Film – Comedy or Musical | Dana E. Glauberman | Nominated |
Argentinean Film Critics Association Awards | Best Foreign Film | Jason Reitman | Nominated |
Artios Awards[121] | Outstanding Achievement in Casting for a Studio Feature – Comedy | Mindy Marin, Coreen Mayrs and Heike Brandstatter | Won |
Austin Film Critics Association Awards[122] | Top 10 Films | 3rd Place | |
Best Film | Nominated | ||
Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Won | |
Best Supporting Actress | Allison Janney | Won | |
Best Original Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won | |
Breakthrough Artist | Michael Cera (for Superbad) | Won | |
Awards Circuit Community Awards | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Elliot Page[a] | Runner-up |
Best Original Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won | |
Best Cast Ensemble | Runner-up | ||
Bodil Awards[123] | Best American Film | Jason Reitman | Nominated |
British Academy Film Awards[124] | Best Actress in a Leading Role | Elliot Page[a] | Nominated |
Best Original Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won | |
Canadian Comedy Awards[125] | Best Direction | Jason Reitman | Won |
Best Performance by a Male | Michael Cera | Nominated | |
Best Performance by a Female | Elliot Page[a] | Won | |
Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards[126] | Best Film | 3rd Place | |
Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Won | |
Best Original Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won | |
Breakthrough Film Artist | Elliot Page[a] (for acting) | Runner-up | |
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards[127] | Best Director | Jason Reitman | Nominated |
Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Won | |
Best Original Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won | |
Most Promising Performer | Michael Cera (for Superbad) | Won | |
Chlotrudis Awards[128] | Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Nominated |
Best Supporting Actor | J. K. Simmons | Nominated | |
Best Supporting Actress | Allison Janney | Nominated | |
Best Original Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Nominated | |
Christopher Awards | Feature Films | Won | |
Cinema for Peace Awards[129] | Most Valuable Film of the Year | Jason Reitman | Nominated |
Costume Designers Guild Awards[130] | Excellence in Contemporary Film | Monique Prudhomme | Nominated |
Critics' Choice Movie Awards[131] | Best Picture | Nominated | |
Best Comedy Movie | Won | ||
Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Nominated | |
Best Young Actor | Michael Cera | Nominated | |
Best Writer | Diablo Cody | Won | |
Best Acting Ensemble | Nominated | ||
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards | Best Picture | Nominated | |
Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Nominated | |
Best Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won | |
Detroit Film Critics Society Awards[132] | Best Film | Nominated | |
Best Director | Jason Reitman | Nominated | |
Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Won | |
Best Ensemble | Won | ||
Best Newcomer | Michael Cera (for Superbad) | Nominated | |
Diablo Cody (as a writer) | Won | ||
Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | 3rd Place |
Breakthrough Artist | 5th Place | ||
Empire Awards[133][134] | Best Actress | Nominated | |
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards[135] | Best Actress | Won | |
Best Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won | |
Pauline Kael Breakout Award | Elliot Page[a] | Won | |
Gijón International Film Festival | Grand Prix | Jason Reitman | Nominated |
Special Prize of the Young Jury | Won | ||
Gold Derby Awards[136] | Best Motion Picture | Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith | Nominated |
Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Nominated | |
Best Supporting Actress | Jennifer Garner | Nominated | |
Best Original Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won | |
Best Ensemble Cast | Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Allison Janney, Elliot Page,[a] J.K. Simmons and Olivia Thirlby | Nominated | |
Golden Globe Awards[137] | Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Nominated | |
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Elliot Page[a] | Nominated | |
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture | Diablo Cody | Nominated | |
Golden Schmoes Awards[138] | Favorite Movie of the Year | Nominated | |
Best Comedy of the Year | Nominated | ||
Best Actress of the Year | Elliot Page[a] | Won | |
Best Supporting Actress of the Year | Jennifer Garner | Nominated | |
Best Screenplay of the Year | Diablo Cody | Nominated | |
Breakthrough Performance of the Year | Elliot Page[a] | Won | |
Best Music in a Movie | Nominated | ||
Most Overrated Movie of the Year | Nominated | ||
Golden Trailer Awards | Best Comedy | Nominated | |
Best Comedy TV Spot | Nominated | ||
Gotham Independent Film Awards[139] | Breakthrough Actor | Elliot Page[a] | Won |
Grammy Awards[140] | Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media | Juno | Won |
Houston Film Critics Society Awards[141] | Top 10 Films | 2nd Place | |
Best Picture | Nominated | ||
Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Nominated | |
Best Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won | |
Humanitas Prize[142] | Feature Film | Nominated | |
Independent Spirit Awards[143][144] | Best Feature | Won | |
Best Director | Jason Reitman | Nominated | |
Best Female Lead | Elliot Page[a] | Won | |
Best First Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won | |
IndieWire Critics Poll | Best Lead Performance | Elliot Page[a] | 10th Place |
International Online Cinema Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Nominated |
International Online Film Critics' Poll | Best Original Screenplay | Nominated | |
Internet Film Critic Society Awards[145] | Best Comedy | Won | |
Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Won | |
Italian Online Movie Awards | Best Actress | Nominated | |
Best Original Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Nominated | |
Best Soundtrack | Nominated | ||
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards[146] | Best Original Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won |
L'Alpe d'Huez Film Festival[147] | Grand Prix | Jason Reitman | Won |
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards[148] | Best Picture | 7th Place | |
Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Won | |
Best Screenplay (Original or Adapted) | Diablo Cody | Nominated | |
MTV Movie Awards | Best Movie | Nominated | |
Best Male Performance | Michael Cera | Nominated | |
Best Female Performance | Elliot Page[a] | Won | |
Best Kiss | Elliot Page[a] and Michael Cera | Nominated | |
Nastro d'Argento | Best Non-European Director | Jason Reitman | Won |
National Board of Review Awards[149] | Top Ten Films | Won | |
Breakthrough Female Performance | Elliot Page[a] | Won | |
Best Original Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won | |
National Movie Awards[150] | Best Comedy | Won | |
Best Performance (Female) | Elliot Page[a] | Nominated | |
New York Film Critics Circle Awards[151] | Best Actress | Runner-up | |
Best Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Runner-up | |
New York Film Critics Online Awards[152] | Top 11 Films | Won | |
Best Breakthrough Performance | Elliot Page[a] | Won | |
North Texas Film Critics Association Awards | Best Picture | Won | |
Best Director | Jason Reitman | Won[b] | |
Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Won | |
Oklahoma Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Film | 2nd Place | |
Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Won | |
Best Breakout Performance | Won | ||
Online Film & Television Association Awards[153] | Best Picture | Nominated | |
Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Nominated | |
Best Original Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won | |
Best First Screenplay | Won | ||
Best Breakthrough Performance: Male | Michael Cera | Won | |
Best Casting | Won | ||
Best Ensemble | Nominated | ||
Best Titles Sequence | Won | ||
Online Film Critics Society Awards[154] | Best Picture | Nominated | |
Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Nominated | |
Best Supporting Actress | Jennifer Garner | Nominated | |
Best Original Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won | |
Palm Springs International Film Festival | Chairman's Vanguard Award | Jason Reitman | Won |
Producers Guild of America Awards[155] | Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures | Lianne Halfon, Mason Novick and Russell Smith | Nominated |
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards | Best Original Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won |
Breakthrough on Camera | Elliot Page[a] | Won | |
Robert Awards | Best American Film | Jason Reitman | Nominated |
Rome Film Festival | Golden Marc'Aurelio | Won | |
Russian National Movie Awards[156] | Best Low-Budget/Arthouse Film | Nominated | |
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards | Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Nominated |
Best Original Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won | |
Santa Barbara International Film Festival | Virtuoso Award | Elliot Page[a] | Won |
Satellite Awards (2007)[157] | Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Won | |
Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy | Elliot Page[a] | Nominated | |
Best Original Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won | |
Satellite Awards (2008)[158] | Outstanding Overall DVD | Nominated | |
Screen Actors Guild Awards[159] | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role | Elliot Page[a] | Nominated |
Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards[160] | Best Picture | 4th Place | |
Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Runner-up | |
Best Original Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won | |
St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards[161] | Best Film | Nominated | |
Best Comedy or Musical Film | Won | ||
Most Original, Innovative or Creative Film | Nominated | ||
Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Won | |
Best Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won | |
Best Score | Mateo Messina | Nominated | |
St. Louis International Film Festival | Best Feature (Audience Choice Award) | Jason Reitman | Won |
Stockholm International Film Festival | Audience Award | Won | |
Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie – Comedy | Won | |
Choice Movie Actor – Comedy | Michael Cera (for Superbad) | Nominated | |
Choice Movie Breakout – Male | Nominated | ||
Choice Movie Actress – Comedy | Elliot Page[a] | Won | |
Choice Movie Breakout – Female | Won | ||
Toronto Film Critics Association Awards[162] | Best Actress | Won[c] | |
Best Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Runner-up | |
Toronto International Film Festival[163] | People's Choice Award | Jason Reitman | Runner-up |
Utah Film Critics Association Awards[164] | Top Ten Films | Won | |
Best Picture | Runner-up | ||
Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Won | |
Best Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Runner-up | |
Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards[165] | Best Director | Jason Reitman | Nominated |
Best Actress | Elliot Page[a] | Nominated | |
Village Voice Film Poll | Best Actress | 5th Place | |
Voices in the Shadow Dubbing Festival | Best Female Voice | Alessia Amendola (for the dubbing of Elliot Page) | Nominated |
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards[166] | Best Breakthrough Performance | Elliot Page[a] | Won |
Best Original Screenplay | Diablo Cody | Won | |
Women Film Critics Circle Awards[167] | Best Movie About Women | Jason Reitman | Won |
Best Woman Storyteller | Diablo Cody | Won | |
Writers Guild of America Awards[168] | Best Original Screenplay | Won |