2007’s trifecta of unwanted American cinematic pregnancies (following Waitress and Knocked Up – we’re not getting into that hysterical Golden Palm-winner) comes to a close with Jason Reitman’s Juno, a picture that might be too cutesy and contrived for some, but those suffering withdrawal from the absence of Gilmore Girls’ rapid-fire barrage of pop culture references wrapped around family drama with precocious teens will be thrilled to virtually no end.  Juno is fresh, funny, and heartwarming, and the notion that the combined age of its four main contributors – Thank You for Smoking’s Reitman, stripper-turned-screenwriter Diablo Cody, and leads Ellen Page and Michael Cera – is only 98 becomes a staggering revelation that makes the film’s success even more insanely impressive.  Its December release date, among downers like The Kite Runner, There Will Be Blood and Atonement, only makes Juno stand out even more.

Page (Hard Candy) plays the titular Juno MacGuff, a 16-year-old suburban Minnesotan who finds herself in a family way after a one-time dalliance with best friend, Paulie Bleeker (Superbad’s Cera).  After briefly flirting with the idea of “shmashmortion,” Juno decides to have the baby and give it up for adoption.  The search for the perfect family is made remarkably simple thanks to a PennySaver ad placed by Mark and Vanessa Loring (The Kingdom alum Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner), a wealthy yet infertile couple positively aching for a child to bring life to their cold McMansion.

While the initial agreement between Juno, her dad (J.K. Simmons, now nearly completely devoid of the ghosts of Vern Schillinger), and the rhymes-with-borings is hammered out quickly and without issue, the tale still has a snag or two.  While Mark and Juno bond, perhaps inappropriately, it becomes clear he’s just an overgrown kid himself.  Vanessa appears unfriendly and overbearing, and that’s to say nothing of Juno’s experience as a pregnant high school student and what that does to her relationship with Paulie.

Juno opens at breakneck speed – I can’t remember the last time I was pulled into a film this quickly and this deeply – before settling down a bit for its second act.  After momentarily feeling like the story was about to jump the rails, it’s neatly reigned in, becoming one of the year’s most memorable and satisfying conclusions.  This is a top-notch comedy, from the set decoration to the Kimya Dawson/the Moldy Peaches-heavy soundtrack, to the actors who read Cody’s crackling dialogue.  Mostly, though, it’s a coming out party for the frighteningly talented Page, who proves the chops she displayed in Candy was no fluke.

1:32 – for mature thematic material, sexual content and language