Showbits

When I first heard of the film Juno, it was only in the context of it having had a stronger opening weekend than Aliens vs. Predator. A closer look revealed a familiar cast: Jason Bateman and Michael Cera, who so effectively played father-and-son on the abortive television series Arrested Development.

Though these two actors justify seeing Juno, it is the plot and titular character that warrant its box office success. In concept, Juno is very similar to the 2004 film Saved!: a teenage girl with an unplanned pregnancy must live with her decision to have the baby. But the differences between the two films are both subtle and powerful. Saved! is set in a private Catholic school, where perception and judgment are almost physical in their reality and impact. Can a woman who has sex out of wedlock be considered a good person? Is such an act justifiable — not only to her peers, but to herself? Who are her true friends: those who guided her along the path of Christianity, or those who accept her when she strays?

Both Saved! and Juno deal with relationships, but Juno occurs in a more accepting environment. Juno's predicament is almost entirely accepted by her peers and guardians, leaving her to deal with the people it brings her closer to: her parents, the child's adoptive parents, and the child's father. Looking through the classifieds, Juno finds Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman, an apparently perfect couple unable to have their own children. But the arrival of not only a child, but also its mother, into this couple's life brings to surface issues all three didn't realize were beneath the surface — while Michael Cera, the father of Juno's child, is left on the sidelines, confused by what his role should be to either his offspring or its mother. (As you may know from Arrested Development, "confused" is an emotion Cera plays well.)

Juno is a clever comedy, due primarily to the witty repartee of Ellen Page (X-Men 3) as Juno. She has a casual way of speaking her mind, using unpredictably creative metaphors, making others uncomfortable. Juno handles herself with surprising maturity and decisiveness — but when confronted with the unexpected, the scared 16-year-old peeks out. Her relationships are complex, one that made me fidget in my seat even more than Blue Car did. Juno's fetus is the impetus, not the focus, of the whirlwind of emotions that are bewildering to so many.

Page and Cera as parents-to-be, Garner and Bateman as parents-who-can't, and JK Simmons (Spider-Man) and Allison Janney (The West Wing) as Juno's parents-who-are each turn in lively and nuanced performances, making Juno a film unquestionably better than Aliens vs. Predator. How's that for a recommendation?

A movie I was hoping to catch in theaters earlier this year but have now seen on DVD is The Astronaut Farmer. I knew the movie starred Billy Bob Thornton, who I'd ever only seen in bit parts in Armageddon and The Apostle. Once the title rolled, though, I was surprised to see the film also contained an all-star supporting cast: Virginia Madsen (Firewall, Voyager), J. K. Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson from the Spider-Man movies), and — in a surprising and uncredited appearance — Bruce Willis as an old military buddy. By the movie's end, I'd not only enjoyed these bit parts but also come to respect Mr. Thornton as a leading actor.

The movie starts with Charlie Farmer (get it?) already deep in the throes of his obsession to obtain that which eluded him in his Air Force days: space flight. We don't know how long he's been building a spaceworthy rocket in his backyard barn, but it's only when he tries to purchase enough fuel for liftoff that the government becomes aware and suspicious of this potentially terroristic activity and intent on shutting it down. Just as discouraging are the numerous community members who see Charlie as a whacko — perhaps even a threat. Only his family supports his endeavor… but even they have their limits.

Astronaut Farmer is a fun movie about the underdog with some wonderful scenes underscoring the protagonist's uniqueness. When he's a guest speaker in a grade school classroom, the teacher compliments him on his "costume" — it having never occurred to her that Charlie is being authentic in both dress and intent. Later, when he is suspected of mental instability, the small-town sheriff sends him to the only psychologist available: the school nurse. Charlie's intolerance for this folderol is to his company's consternation and audience's amusement. A pair of sympathetic FBI agents support this light mood. (When they get a call from their superiors, be sure to listen to the ringtone!)

However, the film may sometimes strain plausibility with its bright-eyed optimism. Or maybe that's just the pessimist in me; I honestly couldn't decide whether to root for or decry our hero when he tells an FAA hearing board, "When I was a kid, they used to tell me that I could be anything I wanted to be, no matter what… and maybe I am insane, I don't know, but I still believe that." With all the tragedy and disappointment Farmer's had in his life, can he really still be that naive? And why can't more of us be that way? It's the same struggle played out more comically in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

Perhaps all that mounting frustration is what motivates a sudden and dramatic plot twist at the one-hour mark. Or maybe it was the otherwise calm pacing of the story that the directors decided midstream needed a tweak. Either way, though disruptive at first, this thread too plays itself out by the movie's end. Farmer captures the hearts and imaginations of a nation in this tale that's by-the-book, but is sweet nonetheless and an inspirational counterpoint to my cubicle's décor — maybe I should consider replacing it: