Juno ****

This year, unwanted pregnancies are to independent filmmakers, what wars are to the mainstream. Juno follows the footsteps of two other unwilling mother-to-be's from Waitress and Bella. Only, at the age of sixteen she is somewhat less experienced in the matters of life.

After seventh or eighth home pregnancy test, high school student Juno MacGuff is convinced that her sex experiment has gone awry (actually, from nature's point of view, it went quite well). Since it is not easy to hide a pregnancy, she starts spreading the news. The grocery store clerk Rollo (Rainn Wilson, none other than The Office's quirky Dwight) is the first one to point out the upcoming difficulties. Her best friend Leah (Olivia Thirby) and her parents, Mac (J.K. Simmons) and Bren (Allison Janney) MacGuff are supportive once the shock wears off. In fact, her father's and stepmom's main concern is the identity of the father, Paulie Bleeker. Anyone remember the goofy kid from Arrested Development, who was in love with his cousin? Paulie is just like him, body and soul, for not only does he have that same slightly geeky attitude, but is also created by the same young actor, Michael Cera. Soon after receiving the news (in a way some might call unusual), Paulie also boards the "Support Juno" train.

Marriage out of the question, Juno decides to get an abortion, but she can't go through with it at the last moment. The best friend Leah comes up with the next bright idea, looking for adopting parents in classifieds, which brings a rich, suburban couple, the Lorings, into the play. Despite Mark Loring's (another Arrested Development veteran, Jason Bateman) obvious lack of excitement; Vanessa Loring (Jennifer Garner), who believes "she was born to be a mother", and Juno, who is willing to give the baby right away, start the adoption process after the first visit.

Appeal of Jason Reitman's last movie Thank You For Smoking came from it's mix of reality and fantasy. The pro-smoking lobbyist Nick Naylor was neither someone you would see everyday and thus find boring, nor an over the top creation of a writer, whom you couldn't form a connection with. Newcomer screenwriter Diablo Cody seems to have hit the same sweet spot in Juno's group of characters and funny, fast-paced dialogue doesn't hurt either. The only problem for me was the rush towards the end. At 92 minutes the movie is not too long. So, a few minutes could have been added for a smoother, better detailed stop.

These "unwanted pregnancy" movies, all with one word titles pointing to their star, are great showcases for the next generation of female actresses. Keri Russell and Tammy Blanchard had their turns in Waitress and Bella and now it is time for 20 year old Canadian Ellen Page, previously known for her role in another indie, Hard Candy. She not only perfectly delivers Cody's offbeat comedy, but also travels through the dramatic lows of the movie without "hamming" it for a moment. She leaves a permanent mark in the memory as Juno, the pregnant high school girl.

The member of the casting team who said "Let's bring in that father and son team from Arrested Development" deserves a shiny star for the brilliant idea (just email me and I will send your star). The style of comedy is just right for Jason Bateman and Michael Cera and my only regret is that there aren't any scenes featuring them together. (and that's why Ms. Cody doesn't get a star!)

In other major supporting roles, J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney as the "cool" parents, embrace the general subtle tone of the movie, while Olivia Thirby and Rainn Wilson are allowed to be a bit broader in their limited minutes. Finally, Jennifer Garner has the tough job of being the only unfunny person in the comedy.

Good, soft music is a staple of good indie movies and therefore I usually skip it in my reviews, but not this time. Juno's soundtrack album, especially "Anyone Else But You" by Cera and Page, is worth listening to. Now, can someone tell me why it isn't released until January?

Jason Reitman gets his second hit in his second movie. This one applauded even louder than his first. Juno is already getting nominations, critics' awards and is a serious contender for the Oscars. Now, Mr Reitman. Let's see if you can top this off. (I hope he does)