_Juno_: The _Heeb_ Review

*by Andrew Marantz*

I have to confess: when I first saw the trailer for _Juno_, I thought it would be a _Knocked Up_ knock-off. Well, blame that misleading trailer, because _Juno_ is its own movie. And, although I liked _Knocked Up_, _Juno_ is far better.

Yes, both are indie comedies about headstrong heroines who have been accidentally impregnated by dorky guys. Yes, both include subplots about turbulent suburban marriages. Yes, Paul Rudd and Jason Bateman are neck-and-neck for the title of World’s Wryest Heartthrob. Yes, Michael Cera could pass for a young Seth Rogen, especially now that Cera has starred in Rogen’s semi-auto-biopic, _Superbad_. (If you want to futher confuse yourself, check out “this clip”:http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/4882 of Cera pretending to get fired from the set of _Knocked Up_.)

However, differences between the movies abound. _Knocked Up_ earned brownie points for being “heartwarming” and “family friendly,” but it did so largely by pretending abortion and adoption didn’t exist. _Juno_, choosing complexity over glibness, faces these options head-on. It’s hard to tell how the moral majority will react, but I think _Juno_’s frankness makes it the more courageous film—and, ultimately, the one with the bigger heart.

While _Knocked Up_ prized gags over character development, every character in _Juno_ is complex and three-dimensional. For example, take the two controlling wives. Leslie Mann’s character in _Knocked Up_ starts off infuriatingly bitchy and ends up merely amusingly bitchy; she changes alliances but does not change fundamentally. Contrast Jennifer Garner’s character in _Juno_, who starts off infuriatingly bitchy and ends up human. Garner’s character’s arc feels natural because screenwriter Diablo Cody does not resort to manipulation or (too much) sentimental triteness. She simply treats her flawed characters with respect; and, ultimately, the audience does the same. I can’t wait to see what Cody, a former stripper, will wear to the Oscars.

What do you think?