My Problem with Juno

Post Oscar buzz is slinging mud all over screenwriter new comer Diablo Cody and her Oscar winning screenplay for the highly overrated Juno. I'm no lover of the film Juno. It's a decent movie, yes, and quite enjoyable at times, but does it make it worthy of one of the highest honors in film making? The answer is hell no. Here are my problems with Juno.

If they made a movie of Dawnson's Creek, this is what it would feel like, minus the incredibly nuanced performance by Michael Cera. It would be fast talking Smart Alick kids who get mixed up in their pubescent emotions and speak like no one ever speaks. And this makes the movie a lot less realistic. Also, the parents reaction to their daughters teen pregnancy is so far fetched that it's borderline absurd. I guess their might be parents out there who actually don't really give a shit that their daughter is pregnant. The adoption scenario is nice and all, as it does show a very pro-life point of view, but it's mind numbingly insane that the character has such an easy time finding someone willing to adopt her kid. These are the problems with the film.

Now that this is said, you do have to admit for someones very first screenplay, it's pretty damn good. The movie is highly enjoyable chock full of one-liners and some sentimental moments (not to mention a Wes Anderson wannabe soundtrack.) Diablo Cody has a way of telling a story. Reading blogs and articles sending backlash her way is what really irritates me. After a long writers strike, we go on to bash someone just because she was a stripper once and now she comes out of nowhere to write an Oscar winning screenplay. This is the kind of shit that really irritates me about Hollywood and the media. Learn to respect someones past. Everyone has their tale of how they got to where they are now and it is not fair to judge someone based on their past. Even if she was a prostitute, that wouldn't matter now that she wrote a decent movie script and somehow won the Oscar.

The real travesty here is that Tony Gilroy's flawless script for Michael Clayton lost out due to the buzz of this movie. Not a dull character, an unbelievable performance or a plot hole can be found in Michael Clayton, yet people side with the one movie that has a psuedo feel good vibe to it. Annoying.

So, to Diablo Cody, wherever you are, congratulations on somehow winning. Don't listen to detractors (including me) and keep at it. You have potential to continue writing really decent movies. Don't get to egotistical and who gives a shit about shoes. Your movie is alright, but my God was it not worth a Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Original Screenplay nomination.