Juno

This is touted as the latest indie feelgood movie. Only that it’s not all that indie, and I wouldn’t have thought of it as a feelgood movie either. How can being 16 and pregnant make anyone feel good?

But, that aside, Juno is a rather sweet little film. Yes, that kid’s knocked up, but at least she retains a sense of humour (sarcasm, I dare say) throughout and it almost feels like this whole pregnancy thing is taking a backseat in the storyline. And, thank God, the makers of this one left off the moral high ground (the possibilities on this one could have been endless: do not get pregnant! Abortions are murder! In fact, don’t sleep with anyone until you’re at least married! For you will love even an unwanted baby!) and took a fairly realistic stance (no, highschool kids do not want a living and breathing newborn in their life, yes, sometimes kids should be more careful, and yes, you can basically sell your child in America). And I thought the idea of calling the suburb where the adopters live St Clouds was marvellous, but you probably won’t pick up on that if you haven’t read The Cider House Rules by John Irving.

And that kid is so lo-fi she’s almost too cool for school. She’s got the Converse, the zip-up hoody, the cool T-shirts and a Bangs poster on the wall.

Anyhoo, on to the more interesting things. This is almost a music film. The girl is in a band. She has some interesting opinions on music (she even says the unthinkable: Sonic Youth are just noise! Yes, they mostly are! I am glad someone plucked up the courage to make this public statement. Sonic Youth may have the odd moment of clarity, but, overall, they are vastly overrated!), the guy who nearly adopts the kid toured with the Melvyns once and they even have a go at doing an impromptu cover of a Hole song. Bless. And there’s always a time and place for a Belle & Sebastian song! The rest of the soundtrack is pretty much laced with the Moldy Peaches and Kimya Dawson (I suppose Adam Green should have been on it as well, just to complete the set). Who would have thought it? Who would have thought this was ever going to happen. There you are, at your local Odeon and there’s two kids singing a Moldy Peaches song onscreen! Amazing! I almost wept with joy! (not so pleasant was the fact they used the same song for the birth scene. Odd choice!).

Next stop … a romantic comedy about an awkward comic collector meeting an even more awkward bassist of an indieband that doesn’t technically exist, all based around the works of Milky Wimpshake! Ha!