Full disclosure, I would probably see Ellen Page and Jason Bateman in anything, I love them both so much. Page is of course in the starring role here, and delivers an outstanding performance as the quirky Juno, a high school who finds herself pregnant after spontaneous sex with her nerdy friend (Michael Cera). The film is very well made, with clever dialog and composed of countless little moments that are amusing, despite dealing with a serious subject. Juno resolves to give the baby up for adoption to a yuppie couple played by Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner, but things get complicated with Bateman's character begins getting close to her because of their interests in rock music and slasher films, kindling long-standing desires on his part to do more in life before becoming a father.

This is a very well-cast movie from top to bottom. J.K. Simmons plays Juno's father who is generally kind and supportive, but expresses his disappointment by saying "I thought you were the kind of girl who knew when to say when". Page's facial reaction, followed by her response, "I don't really know what kind of girl I am" is priceless, and just one of many great scenes for her. Allison Janney plays her step-mom, and has a powerful moment telling off the ultrasound technician while sticking up for Juno, and then later quipping "doctors are sadists who like to play God and watch lesser people scream". Cera plays awkward teenage dorkiness naturally, and Olivia Thirlby turns in a solid performance as Juno's friend.

This is a 'teenage film' that is smart, and has so many positive messages; it's accepting of unorthodox kids and difficult situations, which everyone deals with as Juno does, with humor and head up high. It's an empowering film, and a love story. The scene of Cera and Page strumming guitars and singing 'Anyone Else But You' (by The Moldy Peaches) is a sweet ending and caps off a nice alternative/indie soundtrack. Page really established herself with this film, and is well worthy of the Academy Award nomination she received.

"Juno" is an incredibly cute movie, and for once I don't even mean that in a patronising sense. If the movie universe was some sort of gigantic petting zoo, "Juno" would be the adorable little lamb standing in the corner making the jealous other lambs look like death incarnate. It's not a sugary sweet tale by any means, in fact it's a real down to earth kind of story that's not always pretty, but the approach to it couldn't be more right. It's humble, it's little, it's low-budget, and that's exactly what makes it so great. What I also liked about it, hell what I like about a lot of independent movies, is that it's never predictable. There is no formula, you don't know what's coming, you don't sit there quietly ticking of all the clichés: you just enjoy yourself tremendously. Finally, one last addition to the heap of praise and I swear I'll stop: it's been ages since I've seen an ending scene this beautiful. It's exactly the way you want it to be, and the camera zooming out at a barely noticeable speed is a brilliant touch. I quite liked "Juno".

The thing that separates "Juno" from so many other films about teen pregnancy is that, in this case, the 16-year-old who finds herself in that predicament refuses to become a victim of her circumstances. From the moment she confirms the unwelcome news, Juno studies her options - abortion, raising the child as a single teen parent, adoption - then takes matters into her own hands. Like the Roman goddess who is her namesake, Juno is a bright, often sharp-tongued individual who prides herself on her observant cynicism and her way with a sarcastic quip. However, she's not above appealing to the adults in her life when the problems of the world get to be too much for her (though, in some cases, the grownups are coping with more serious issues than she is). Yet, Juno makes certain that it is she and she alone who will have the final say when it comes to determining the course of her own future and that of her child.

"Juno" is that rare low-budget, independent feature that finds unexpected success in the mainstream by striking a chord of recognition in audiences across the demographic spectrum. First-time screenwriter Diablo Cody hits pay dirt with a clear-eyed, largely unsentimental script that is not afraid to go off in unexpected and interesting directions and that avoids patronizing its Middle American characters. Juno's father and stepmother manage to take the news in stride, while the yuppie couple Juno alights on to be the child's adoptive parents are given a depth and complexity far beyond what a lesser writer might have afforded them. Director Jason Reitman keeps the quirkiness to a minimum and allows the scenes to play out in a naturalistic, unhurried way. Confident in the strength and appeal of his material, he lets the gentle human comedy speak for itself.

In a star-making turn, young Ellen Page takes a daring approach to her character, often bringing Juno right to the brink of un-likability, then pulling back at just the crucial moment, making us see how utterly likable she truly is. As the child's father, Michael Cera is virtually the same lovably passive nerd we found so endearing in "Superbad," while J.K. Simmons and especially Allison Janney give rich shadings to Juno's supportive parents. Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner also make their mark as the couple who post their picture in the "baby wanted" section of the local throwaway.

"Juno" faces the downside of any independent film that unexpectedly finds itself ripped from the confines of the art houses and suddenly duking it out at the multiplexes with all those high-budget, high-octane, testosterone-laden blockbusters - namely the risk of over-inflated expectations. Thus, my advice is to look beyond all the hype and box office records and simply let "Juno" sneak up on and take a hold of you in its own quiet, inimitable fashion. I think it works best that way.