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As we post this premium, it is income tax day, so we thought that we would post an offering that is a bit on the lighter side, although not without its angst.

The runaway "indie" hit of 2007 is being released just when you are sending in your tax returns. Its author, the colorful Diablo Cody, says that it is an effort to humorously reveal that teenage girls are not as one-dimesional as portrayed in the media, that many, many are thoughtful, making the best of adolesence, and gutsy to boot.

Cody, who became somewhat famous before she became fabulously famous when she wrote her memoir about her year as a stripper, is pro-choice and says that Juno's decision to deliver her baby is a vehicle for revealing character and humor, not a political statement. Watch the film and you'll agree with her.

And Ellen Page is a low-key wonder as Juno, who is not named after the Alaskan city as you will learn.

From an online reviewer:

What makes the film work above all things though is how, as stated earlier, this is not a movie about teen pregnancy. Think of it as a device and you'll get the politics out of your system. Cody's script is more about love, friendship, and maturity. The film is a feel good film, but the relationships in the film are complex. Cody's script and Reitman's direction keep you interested til the end giving a very satisfying conclusion.

From Roger Ebert (who gave "Juno" 4 stars):

Jason Reitman's "Juno" is just about the best movie of the year. It is very smart, very funny and very touching; it begins with the pacing of a screwball comedy and ends as a portrait of characters we have come to love. Strange, how during Juno's hip dialogue and cocky bravado, we begin to understand the young woman inside, and we want to hug her.

Has there been a better performance this year than Ellen Page's creation of Juno? I don't think so. If most actors agree that comedy is harder than drama, then harder still is comedy depending on a quick mind, utter self-confidence, and an ability to stop just short of going too far. Page's presence and timing are extraordinary. I have seen her in only two films, she is only 20, and I think she will be one of the great actors of her time

You can watch the trailer for "Juno" here.

The Toronto Star said of "Juno":

You may think you've seen films like Juno before, but you haven't, homeskillet. The best thing about this movie is that for all its wiseacre badinage, it's utterly believable about the most basic of human situations.

The Washington Post said of "Juno":

What made last year's "Little Miss Sunshine" so appealing was a family of vibrant characters caught up in what amounted to a talent-show farce. "Juno," which stars Ellen Page ("Hard Candy") as the title character, not only gives us a superb new cast of believable characters, it transcends its own genre. Only superficially a teen comedy, the movie redounds with postmodern -- but emotionally genuine -- gravitas...

What distinguishes "Juno" more than the likes of, say, "Superbad," is its memorable banter among the characters, all of whom feel real, including the goofily adorable Paulie and Juno's well-meaning but overly direct father (J.K. Simmons). Above all, it gives us Juno, a charming, complex and witty personality who uses irony to cope with overwhelming issues. ("I am dealing with things beyond my maturity level," she says at one point, clearly smart and savvy enough to understand that.) And let's not forget how funny the movie is, too. Our title character was named, she declares, after Zeus's mythical wife who was "beautiful and mean, like Diana Ross."

But the real hero of the movie is screenwriter Diablo Cody, who has proved that a good story is a good story. She'll make audiences think forever differently about such fuzzily defined notions as "girls," "knocked up" or "young people."




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