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The 80th Academy Awards have come and gone. A close examination of the Best Picture nominees reveals a common theme among four of them. "Atonement", "There Will Be Blood", "Michael Clayton" and the winner (the over-hyped) "No Country for Old Men" all deal with dark themes and storylines. The one ray of sunshine in the group is 20th Century Fox's "Juno" directed by first-time nominee Jason Reitman. This is a sweet, lovable movie about a pregnant teen who gives her baby up for adoption.
While the film's one award went to the film's witty screenplay by Diablo Cody, there is much more at play here. At the forefront is a star-making performance by Ellen Page as the title character. From the first time she appears on screen she immerses herself as the wise-cracking yet sensitive girl coming of age right before our eyes. Her nomination is richly deserved.
The film also boasts a terrific supporting cast including Jennifer Garner (TV's "Alias') & Jason Bateman ("Arrested Development") as the prospective parents, Michael Cera ("Superbad") as Juno's boyfriend & as the teen's parents, veteran actors J.K. Simmons (the "Spiderman" films) and Allison Janney ('The West Wing'). All told, this a sweet & heartfelt film, one that should not be missed upon the film's upcoming DVD release.
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