Juno

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  • Juno

    In the myth thread, Juno was brought up as an example of rad dialogue and no one disagreed. Am I the only person who, despite thoroughly enjoying it, felt it was too contrived and false? Tarantino often gets stick (usually from elitist wannabes) for having characters all speak with the same voice - his voice - but the same applies to Juno. More to the point, Juno was a 16 year girl with the voice of a 30 yr old. Witty and colourful as it was, there were just too many allusions, asides and references for a girl of that age; irrespective of her altnernate lifestyle and outlook on life. I know nothing of Diablo Cody, apart from she's strangely alluring, but I bet my bottom dollar that Juno is just her mouthpiece, in much the same way as Tarantino's characters are mouthpieces for him.

  • #2
    Re: The Juno

    Thank god someone agrees, I watched it for the first time last week and although it was enjoyable, I didn't see what the big deal was about. I see what you mean about it all feeling contrived, everyone just seems so passive about the whole pregnancy and her decision to give it away. Michael Cera's character was just being, well, Michael Cera, keeping quiet and out of sight for most of it, but if you got your best friend and potentially the love of your life pregnant, you would probably have more of a reaction, they might detach themselves from it but its his baby that gets given away and he barely cares. Juno herself doesn't ever really seem to take it that seriously either, even when she's given birth, even if you didn't plan to keep the baby you'd probably be reluctant to have the baby taken away, but no its just kthanksbye. A little bit that I think is just a personal gripe of mine is when a film feels the need to name drop pop culture as dialogue filler, its a cheap way of making people like the film that mentions Sonic Youth, I get thats what the relationship with Jason Bateman's character is founded on but it's in these scenes it felt contrived. I thought the overdose of indie "charm" is what made the film seem slightly soulless to me anyway, me being too critical but still, and I think the main flaw of the thing is the script, its one of the few times when I was watching a film and thought these characters were poorly written. Everyone harps on about the chances of becoming the next Diablo Cody, but I'm happy not to be, that way I might actually write a good script.

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    • #3
      Re: Juno

      I am commenting only on Juno's dialogue, nothing else.

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      • #4
        Re: Juno

        I got carried away criticizing the whole thing. I think it's fine putting a bit of yourself in a character, but you're right when the character is a young one they shouldn't sound 30. It's probably just something to make a script stand out, Kevin Smith did the same thing with Clerks because it sounds like every character (bar Jay) has a thesaurus on them at all times.

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        • #5
          Re: Juno

          Juno's dialogue sucked, just like every other part of that pointless retardation of a film.

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          • #6
            Re: Juno

            I can see why others enjoyed the film, but I didn't think it was much. The dialogue is why I didn't like it. It felt like it was trying so hard to be different but instead it just came off wanky.

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            • #7
              Re: Juno

              I didn't find Juno too contrived or false. I thought the character was perfectly pitched within a small, clever, quirky movie. And if Juno was Cody's mouthpiece, what's the problem with that?

              I thoroughly enjoyed it and I've never understood all the Juno (and Diablo) hate around here. I guess it's just one of those popular movies that makes some people angry.
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              • #8
                Re: Juno

                Originally posted by hscope View Post
                I thoroughly enjoyed it and I've never understood all the Juno (and Diablo) hate around here. I guess it's just one of those popular movies that makes some people angry.

                I've always suspected that the anti-Juno slant was partly driven by an inherently conservative sexism. It's written by a woman, stars a strong, smart young woman who's pregnant - but doesn't want to be (imagine that!) - and has largely ineffectual and/or passive male characters. And it was made for very little money.

                While the film wasn't brilliant, it was different, fun and nothing blew up.
                In other words, it's the inverse of the majority of Hollywood blockbusters.

                Worse than all of this, though, is that it's the kind of film the majority of DDers would never - ever - write.

                Nothing scarier than a success story that will always be beyond your grasp.

                (Anyone who doubts the above, think about the only other film that engenders the same measure of hatred here: Lost in Translation. )
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                • #9
                  Re: Juno

                  I loved Lost in Translation. Very much, because it was what it was and nothing more. And it didn't try hard to be anything more than it was. It was subtle and brilliant and the characters were themselves.

                  I didn't hate Juno, I just couldn't get past the ridiculous dialogue exchange between Ellen Page and Rainn Wilson which took me away from the beginning and I couldn't care for a character who spoke in alien. Apart from that, I liked the story and the characters weren't too bad. I just didn't like most of the dialogue, and that is without a sexist slant. A lot of it felt forced and a bit wanky. I noticed it sloped off after a few scenes in the beginning. I really enjoyed the scenes with Bateman and Page. Really nice.

                  But some people like that sort of dialogue, just not me

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                  • #10
                    Re: Juno

                    Originally posted by one seven spectrum View Post
                    I didn't hate Juno, I just couldn't get past the ridiculous dialogue exchange between Ellen Page and Rainn Wilson which took me away from the beginning and I couldn't care for a character who spoke in alien.

                    ... But some people like that sort of dialogue, just not me
                    My post was aimed directly at people who HATE Juno. Like, viscerally, passionately hate it. And LIT, too.

                    I completely understand why someone wouldn't like that film. In fact, I completely understand why someone might dislike any film. Personal taste and interests, etc.

                    It's hatred I don't get. The hate Juno/Diablo has received here in the past is like nothing else I've seen. Except that directed at Ms Coppola.
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                    • #11
                      Re: Juno

                      Yeah, I agree.

                      Hatred is a really strong and bitter emotion that, along with jealousy, human beings would have evolved much further without them both.

                      Ever since I began screenwriting and filmmaking, I refused to use the word 'hate', because when you make even a short film or spend time on sets of feature length productions and see how much effort and creative energy goes into even the most criticised of films, you begin a new appreciation for the medium. Sure, there are films I didn't get, couldn't connect with, etc - but I always remain to be constructive with my criticism and even my positive views.

                      I think it's great Diablo Cody got her big break from Juno and her story should be an inspiration to others that think you need to write a hundred scripts before you find success. Sure, the more you write (hopefully) the better you get, but if you write a story someone likes and runs with it first go, I say well done. I like to hear those stories, even though I know it has a very slim chance of happening to me. It's just nice to know there's a silver lining in among the storm clouds.

                      I just hope her next project isn't judged too harshly with people expecting it to be another hit like Juno.

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                      • #12
                        Unique.

                        The movie was unique. The voice was unique. Live with it. People are unique, Juno, the character was unique, she was different, and witty, introspective in a Hunter s. Thompson kind of way. She had a slant. Writers need slants.

                        We ignite writers for being ordinary, the moment one is not, we oblierate them for expressing themselves. And I didn't love it, but her character leaped from the screen.
                        "A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others."
                        AYN RAND

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                        • #13
                          Re: Juno

                          Originally posted by 1mper1um View Post
                          Am I the only person who, despite thoroughly enjoying it, felt it was too contrived and false?
                          No, you are not.

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                          • #14
                            Re: Juno

                            So she's written as a smart 16(?) year old who gets knocked up... would the film be improved if she was trailer trash with a 87 word vocab and a world view that consisted of school (to fifth grade), three blocks north and two south and the collected wisdom of Jerry Springer?
                            I heard the starting gun


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                            • #15
                              Re: Juno

                              depends on if you like quirk in your films. I'm guessing Juno was excellent in the quirk category, no?

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