Director
Jason Reitman
Leading Actors/Actresses
Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman
Supporting Actors/Actresses
J.K. Simmons, Allison Janney, Olivia Thirlby
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Language
English
Awards
Academy Award for Best Writing/Original Screenplay (Diablo Cody), Nominated for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Ellen Page), Best Achievement in Directing, Best Motion Picture
Date of Release
2007
Producer
Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, Mason Novick, Russell Smith
Setting and Context
Minnesota, 2007
Narrator and Point of View
Juno is the narrator, and we also see almost all of the film's events from her point of view; the few exceptions are when the point of view belongs to Mark and Vanessa.
Tone and Mood
Humorous, quirky, but at times heavier and more dramatic.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist is Juno and Antagonist is Mark
Major Conflict
The first conflict is that Juno is pregnant and in high school. The second conflict is that the adoptive father of her baby, Mark, decides he is going to leave Vanessa just weeks before from the adoption.
Climax
Juno has the baby.
Foreshadowing
When Juno asks Mark if he is ready to be a father he hesitates, and gives an awkward, yet affirming answer. This foreshadows his uncertainty of even wanting to be a parent and his eventual decision to leave Vanessa.
Understatement
Reitman understates how much Bleeker loves Juno. Bleecker willing to be with her through her pregnancy but we don't see it fully, only bits of his shyness and insecurity. Not until the end do we get to see his commitment to her come through. Also, the casual and quippy dialogue about many heavy issues like abandonment, divorce, teen pregnancy and adoption can be categorized as understatement.
Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques
Allusions
The seasons are used as chapters in this film, and they allude to the seasons of life that Juno is going through in her pregnancy. There are many cultural and pop culture references throughout (Sonic Youth, Dario Argento, The Stooges, etc.)
Paradox
Parallelism
Juno walks against the flow of traffic in her school's hallway before anyone knows she's pregnant and no one gets out of the way for her. Once she is pregnant every single person gets out of the way as she walks in their direction.
