Blu-ray Review: Juno: Digital Copy Special Edition

Release Date: April 15th, 2008
Running Time: 96 minutes

The Film

Every year it happens: Hollywood decides what the best movies of the year are and shoves them down your throat with advertisements and awards until the public is convinced. The biggest example of that in 2007 was Juno. Don’t get me wrong, Juno is a fantastic film, but is it really a feat of filmmaking on par with Sweeney Todd, There Will Be Blood, or No Country For Old Men? Personal opinions aside, even though the film isn’t an action-filled affair, Blu-ray is the true way watch Juno.

Juno stars Ellen Page as the sarcastic, witty 16-year-old Juno MacGuff from Minnesota. It turns out her one-night encounter with the gangly, quirky track star Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera) got her pregnant. After deciding against an abortion, her friend Leah (Olivia Thirlby) suggests she find adoptive parents for the baby. Juno comes clean to her very supportive parents (J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney), and begins her search for people in need of a baby. This brings her to the Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and Mark Loring (Jason Bateman). Everything about them seems perfect: they are successful, appear to be a loving couple, and Vanessa wants nothing more than to care for a child. So all Juno has to do is carry the child to term, no problem–right?

As the film progresses it becomes apparent that Vanessa and Mark aren’t as happy as they seem to be. Mark is terrified at the thought of having a child; he’s simply not ready. In fact, his hobbies and interests hold far more in common with Juno than that of his wife, setting off a series of hang out sessions bordering on the inappropriate. We also get to see Juno’s experiences while being pregnant, though I felt a lot of dramatic material was skipped over as the film jumps from the beginning to the end of her pregnancy. As such, Juno isn’t exactly the most realistic portrayal of teen pregnancy. Juno’s support system is phenomenal, something many pregnant teens are lacking. She also handles every situation with her usual tact and wit, rarely displaying the level of overpowering emotion you would expect from such a life-altering event.

A lot has been said about the script. Again, I have to stress how much I enjoyed the film, but I cannot accept it as being the best screenplay of 2007. Witty writing doesn’t always translate into Academy Awards or Quentin Tarantino would have an Oscar for every one of his films. I felt the characters were all imbued with a certain level of Diablo Cody’s own personality to the point where many of them have similar styles of speech, sort of like how everyone talked insanely fast on The Gilmore Girls. Having said that, there’s certainly nothing wrong with Juno. It is a feel-good film with great characters, some hilarious dialogue, and a couple of very memorable scenes. I wholeheartedly recommend Juno to everyone.

The Disc

The video is presented in a crisp 1.85:1 1080p High Definition transfer. Every aspect is improved over the standard DVD release. The colorful palette of the film is bolstered, with the warm reds and yellows looking fantastic. A minor amount of compression artifacts are present, but nothing horrible. The level of detail and black levels are more consistent than the standard release as well. Since it is an independent film I expected a far less impressive transfer, but was pleasantly surprised with the outcome.

The audio is offered in an English 5.1 DTS HD Master Lossless audio track as well as English/Spanish/French 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround with English/Spanish subtitles. Since the film is heavily dialogue driven there aren’t much differences between this and the standard def release. Nearly all of the audio comes from the center and front channels but the dialogue is consistently pristine and balanced. The clarity of the music is fine as well but won’t strain your speakers by any means. It isn’t a noteworthy mix, but that isn’t always a bad thing. The mix is exactly as it should be for the film.

The Extras

All of the special features from the 2-disc standard definition release have been carried over.

Commentary is offered with Director Jason Reitman and Writer Diablo Cody. This is a breezy, light-hearted track. Reitman and Cody are obviously very passionate about the project and have plenty to say about their experiences making the film. I don’t normally recommend commentary tracks, but if you find yourself an ardent fan then it is worth a listen.

Four featurettes are offered. “Way Beyond ‘Our’ Maturity Level” is a 9-minute look at the characters of Bleeker, Juno, and Leah. It is a little EPK, but since the characters are so rich in the film it is fun to hear the actors and Cody giving their take on it all.

“Diabo Cody is Totally Boss” is a 9-minute background piece on Cody and her foray into screenwriting as well as her participation during the production.

“Jason Reitman for Shizz” is an 8-minute featurette on how Reitman landed the job due to his passion for the project.

“Honest to Blog! Creating Juno” is a 13-minute featurette that rehashes a lot of the information covered in the previous segments. It is very promotional and probably worth skipping if you watch through the other special features.

Fox Movie Channel provides two more short featurettes. “World Premiere” is a 5-minute look at the red carpet event from the premiere and “Casting Session” is an 8-minute discussion on the casting and audition process.

Next are 20 minutes of deleted scenes with optional commentary by Reitman and Cody. You might as well watch the scenes just to see Ellen Page knock it out of the park some more. They aren’t necessary for story, but the performances are strong.

22 minutes of Screen Tests are offered with Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Olivia Thirlby, and more. A lot of the dialogue is exactly as it appears in the film so watching this segment gets a little redundant.

A 5-minute Gag Reel is offered, as well as a 2-minute “gag take” with Reitman and Rainn Wilson. “Cast and Crew Jam” is a 3-minute music video. Finally, a trailer for the soundtrack is offered as well as a digital copy of the film.

Final Thoughts

Juno is a wonderful film: funny, heart-warming, and quirky. It has just become over-hyped with the awards season to the point where people will undoubtedly be a little disappointed. Nevertheless, it is a great watch with a load of special features, and Blu-ray is the premiere way to experience it.