In lesser hands, these people all could’ve been caricatures. But Cera, fresh off Superbad, is charming and satisfyingly subtle as Paulie. Thirlby has real appeal in the simple best friend role. And Simmons and Janney seem to exude small-town homey-ness from their bones. Garner and Bateman might have the toughest jobs – we’re never quite sure until later whether one, both, or neither of them are meant to be the villain – and both of their performances are surprisingly brave.

And of course there’s Juno herself, Ellen Page, the young actress from Hard Candy and X-Men: The Last Stand. She’s perfect in the role: at once intelligent, oblivious, witty, vulnerable, and of course, lovable.

If I’m being too vague in my review, it’s because I developed such affection for the movie that I’d rather let the movie just work its charms on you. Cynics, you may scoff at the clever-quirky dialogue, but just wait until your defense mechanisms melt away, and you realize you’re watching a truly great film.

Movie Grade: A

Synopsis:

"Juno" stars Ellen Page as the title character, a whip-smart teen confronting an unplanned pregnancy by her classmate Bleeker (Cera). With the help of her hot best friend Leah (Thirlby), Juno finds her unborn child a "perfect" set of parents: an affluent suburban couple, Mark and Vanessa (Bateman and Garner), longing to adopt. Luckily, Juno has the total support of her parents (Simmons and Janney) as she faces some tough decisions, flirts with adulthood and ultimately figures out where she belongs.