comment #1

le corbeau says ...

As good as Christie may be, is there anyone excited by the arrival of Alzheimer's as a guaranteed Oscar-bait subject? Like drunk scenes, mad scenes, paraplegic movies, and playing Queen Elizabeth I, it's a great opportunity for a performer to show off, but I guess I just have an instinctive reaction against giving Oscars for totally easy lay-ups like this, on subjects that only the very, very patient have any patience for sitting through more than once, anyway.

comment #2

JHRussell says ...

It is a 3 way race, and I think Page is surging, too, with the reception the film is getting...I also think that if she is nominated and wins, it will be as much for her brilliant performance in "Hard Candy" that flew under everyone's radar in 2006 including the Independent Spirit Awards folks who overlooked her...

I still think that Christie is probably going to win here - not my pick, but she certainly deserves the nomination - Cotillard was amazing, but it was a foreign lang flick and it was a marginal movie with a tour de force performance featuring an unlikable character...

comment #3

AdamJ says ...

Jeff,

Don't you think that the clear popularity of Juno combined with Ellen Page's willingness to support the movie gives her some sort of edge over Christie and Cotillard? I'm not saying she is a guaranteed winner but she might just be the frontrunner at the moment. There is still a long way to go and getting Cottillard back over here for interviews and parties might just do the trick for her. It's certainly the more Oscar-y part. If it all ended today though I think Page would win.

comment #4

NDH says ...

It all depends on how the Academy reacts to Juno. If they award it with a Best Picture nomination, then I would definitely count Page as a formidable threat (perhaps even the front runner). But if Juno misses out on a Best Picture nom, then Page hasn't a chance in hell of winning. As of now, I'd give Cotillard the edge over Christie, simply because she gave a bigger performance in a bigger movie. Also, Cotillard singlehandedly carries her film, whereas Christie is essentially a co-star.

comment #5

Jeffrey Easter says ...

Jeff,
I think that EPage's other poignant and well acted moment (although there are other nice moments but this one stood out for me) is when here father says "I thought you were the kind of girl who knew when to say when?" and Juno says (pause) "I don't know what kind of girl I am" I thought she gave more in those few seconds than 90% of the actresses gave all year. I am not saying she gave the best performance of the year but I think there were many high quality moments in her performance.

comment #6

Gaydos says ...

Ah yes, again it's clear that the Oscars are like the "World" series, global only if you believe in the tooth fairy. It's an American enterprise, rigged for the Yanks. Did you notice the actress who ranked at the top of the Indiewire Critics poll of best performances of the year? She's in a tough little movie called "four months..." Couldn't possibly consider her, given the way the game is played..

comment #7

DavidF says ...

I was happy I saw Juno because it's a good movie.

I'm even happier that I've already seen it since Jeff (once again) thoughtlessly gave away a massive spoiler with no warning whatsoever.

Yeesh.

comment #8

le corbeau says ...

Her reaction to the mention of fingernails was pretty sharp too. You could see her being half snarky in response, but also thinking about it, for the first time. Sneaking a "pro-life message" (I don't think it really was, I think it was a realistic treatment of one person's decision, but some could take it as a message) into a hip comedy without making it seem heavyhanded was one of the year's defter tricks-- certainly more deft than Knocked Up's handling of the subject.

comment #9

BurmaShave says ...

This was brought to attention on other sites, but people need to stop calling JUNO an 'indie crossover'. It is a studio film engineered to look like one, but with the full resources of Fox behind it.

Also, I know I would be in the minority here, but I really wish Ashley Judd were getting more heat for BUG, as her performance in that was better than all of these.

comment #10

snoop says ...

Laura Linney in The Savages?

She's the hardest working women in the biz these days and has built a phenomenal resume. As much as I liked Christie and Page, it's a shame that more people aren't talking about Linney.

comment #11

snoop says ...

Agreed about the not being an indie thing. Every role is played by name actor and it was directed by a name director who's last "indie" hit also was pretty studio if you ask me. Good studio, but studio nonetheless.

comment #12

le corbeau says ...

Indie= no CGI

comment #13

scooterzz says ...

picturehouse seems to be aware of the problem....a new mailer containing yet another screener of 'la vie en rose' was sent to several groups to arrive on new year's eve....this would make the third screener many have recieved and i'm not sure that's a good thing in that, upon re-screening, the lead performance is a bit less impressive than seeing it for the first time (at least that was the opinion of the bunch of us who watched it last night).....

comment #14

le corbeau says ...

I remember when La Vie en Rose played but I sure don't remember anyone I know jumping up and down about how fantastic and must-see it was... it may be a very fine performance but I just don't think anyone is that excited about following Ray Charles and June Carter Cash with Edith Piaf. Add "playing a famous, screwed-up singer" to the list with paraplegics and Alzheimer's of Oscar's cheap lays.

comment #15

jeffmcm says ...

I think Christie will be hurt by people seeing Away From Her and realizing that she plays a supporting role to Gordon Pinsent. The more she can coast on her reputation the better she'll do.

comment #16

AdamJ says ...

Page, Cottilard, and Christie are the obvious frontrunners but couldn't the winner eventually be someone else? I can't say that I know who that would be other then maybe Knightley if Atonement turns out to be a big winner. Maybe Jolie? If I were a betting man right now I think Page would be the winner with all the money and heat Juno is receiving right now. I think the movie's overrated, but I guess that isn't what we're talking about.

comment #17

VedaPierce says ...

If the Academy is burnt out on queens and the mentally-addled, then it must be equally so on tortured entertainers. Besides, actors in foreign-language movies don't win Oscars.

comment #18

MiraJeffAICN says ...

Much as I disliked Cody's script for Juno, Ellen Page really did make that movie. I still think she was better in Hard Candy, and I still think that Linney and Anamaria Marinca gave better performances, but I'm fine with the love for EP. As for Cody, I read Jennifer's Body last week and anyone who thinks she's The New Tarantino needs to have their head examined. Pedestrian all the way, except for the dialogue, which was an extended series of Codyisms. Some are catchy, but others are just weird attempts to redefine words in the English language. Take the word Hot. Someone, somewhere, maybe 15 years ago give or take, decided that the word Hot would be slang for very attractive. Fine, I accept that. The world has accepted that. No problem there. Now take the word Salty, a term that Cody tries to introduce as the male version of hot. Look at that Zac Efron. He's soooo salty. Please. If Diablo Cody had her way, this is how the Youth of America would start talking. Girls would be on the prowl for the saltiest boys around. Um... I'm sorry, but that is retarded. Her writing just bugs the shit out of me. Her buzz is bullshit. Her awards from nearly every critics group are undeserved. It just blows my mind how Diablo Cody is becoming a household name but .001% of people could tell you who James C. Strouse is, or who co-wrote Darjeeling with Wes and Jason. It's really sad, actually. She's a media creation, born out of her stripper background, an admittedly irresistable storyline. She's an excellent self-promoter (i.e. a total publicity-whore) who seems to be taking all the credit when her script was actually a dime-a-dozen, made magical by great performances and a director with real vision. And EW has totally bought into the hype by giving her that column, which will turn out to be a bad idea when Sean Smith realizes it reads like a teen girl's hipster blog. I can't wait for the luster to fade on her Hollywood halo and she fades into obscurity as that stripper who got nominated for an Oscar, once. If she wins the gold over Kelly Masterson, Strouse, Brad Bird, Haggis or Mungiu, there will be something seriously fucked up with this world. Sorry if I sound like a hater. I'm sure she's a really nice lady once you get to know her. But the constant media attention with critic after critic tripping over themselves to annoint her the next screenwriting God makes my stomach literally queasy. Part of me is jealous, and part of me just wants her to go away and get back on the pole.

comment #19

ASD says ...

I came to the conclusion the award was Page's to lose weeks ago. Christie and Cotillard are both in critical darlings that barely anyone saw. They're also likely to be the only nominees from those respective films which means they're more likely to be skipped over by lazy voters. Helen Mirren's corronation last year not withstanding, Best Actress historically skewers younger. Plus factor in the foreign language barrier for Cotillard (Sophia Loren was the last non-English speaking best actress) and the lack of visibility for Christie? All are pointing towards a Page victory. Or at least that's how I'm reading it.

comment #20

Rod32303 says ...

When it comes down to it, and Page is brilliant in "Juno," she won't win. It isn't her first film, and fine as it is, it isn't her best performance ("Hard Candy" still makes me nervous). Laugh if you want to, but there's still a little performance by ANGELINA JOLIE playing Marianne Pearl that, if nominated, will make this race even more interesting.

Oh, and Julia Roberts was nothing if not "spunky" in "Erin Brockovich," which, you know, won her the gold.

comment #21

Dellamorte says ...

I've said this before, and I'll say it til it happens, my gut is that Page gets it for Juno and Gilroy gets it for the screenplay of Clayton. I think this is a where all the major awards being spread out, though No Country could collect screenplay or director, and then supporting actor and cinematography, though Juno could go picture/actress or picture/screenplay.

comment #22

Rothchild says ...

MiraJeff,

At least you admit it's jealousy. I'm sorry she's not Paul Haggis. You went on and on for months with your usual "I read ______ and I know the movie will be awful and won't win any awards because I'm all knowing" bullshit. She's not your style. who gives a fuck? You're clearly wrong. I'm telling you right now, you'll never write a script as good as Juno in your whole life. I wouldn't be this much of a dick if you'd just shut the fuck up for once.

Oh, and you were totally wrong about Walk Hard. Have you ever been right about any script?

comment #23

Peterson says ...

I like Juno very much, but I have one small thing that didn't ring true with me. When Juno refers to the girl who gave her the 'stink eye' as Soupy Sales, I instantly wondered how a 16-year-old girl would have any inkling who the hell he was. It's not like his tv shows have been in circulation in my lifetime ( I'm in my 40's ! ) and his movie career was minimal at best.

comment #24

BurmaShave says ...

Same way a 30 year old ex-stripper would know about him, just from knowing shit.

comment #25

christian says ...

Is it just possible that one young girl might be on this little thing called "the web" and stumbled across the many Soupy Sales clips there? Diablo Cody is all of 29 and obviously knows who Soupy is. So, it's not anymore crazy than Max Fischer knowing French torch singers or doing play versions of 70's films, right?

comment #26

Mjs says ...

It has become really annoying to hear all the gripes about Juno that center on her knowledge of pop culture. Not every teenager is only interested in emo and torture porn. Until recently I worked as a manager over several teenagers. You'd be surprised how many of them know about punk rock bands, obscure films, etc.
When I was a teenager my tastes fell far from the center. This was in the nineties, and I hated most of the movies and music my friends and classmates loved. And yes, I had heard of Soupy Sales.
The point is, hate the movie if you hate it. But don't hate it because the lead character (and so probably the screenwriter) has a greater knowledge of pop culture than you did at the same age.

comment #27

MiraJeffAICN says ...

Rothchild, I can admit when I'm wrong. Walk Hard turned out to be a great movie. Doesn't mean the script was great. The thing is, you read these scripts before anyone's attached and it's tough imagining how it's going to turn out. It's a total crap-shoot. You don't imagine a Paul Rudd cameo as John Lennon. You just see that there's some lame Beatles tripping and fighting cameo in the script and it reads flat and cliched on the page. The heart that does exist in Walk Hard didn't exist on the page. In the script we're told that Dewey Cox is a musical genius but when you read the lyrics to those songs you just imagine them sounding stupid, regardless of who sings them. Of course, they weren't, they were near-brilliant musical parodies, but you wouldn't have been able to tell that just by reading the words. You need to hear them performed with conviction. I'm not saying it's easy to identify a good movie based on the script. It's actually really hard. You need to visualize it in your head, with the right actors giving the right line deliveries. But there are also times when a movie has great performances and it's so well-directed so you think it's a good movie but when you go back and think about it, you realize the story had flaws or the characters weren't developed or the dialogue sounded fake. You can have a good movie with a bad script and you can have a good script that makes a bad movie. I liked Juno just fine. I hated the first 10 minutes but in the end, it won me over. Would I smoke crack and name it the best movie of the year like Ebert did? Um, no. I wouldn't even say it was among the top 5 comedies of the year. (Knocked Up, Superbad, Hot Fuzz, Darjeeling, Savages) It's not that I don't think Diablo Cody is talented, because clearly she is, but it's the amount of attention she's received that sticks in my craw. Every single magazine and entertainment newspaper section has written their own feature on Cody's rags-to-riches story. You'd have to be naive to believe that her background doesn't play some part in how the media has obsessively covered her. She's become this larger-than-life character who is bigger than the 'little indie' movie she wrote. She's the outsider, the little blogger from Minneapolis, who's made it in The Industry and that's why everyone is rooting for her. I mean, she's actually quite charming, but she has to be aware of how 'different' she tries so desperately to act, and the latest round of press has her sort of addressing this issue, of how she can't help being cool, and how there's a backlash to the backlash to the backlash etc... Judging her strictly by her work on the page, and that's only two scripts but still, she remains unimpressive to me. The heaps of accolades do nothing to change my mind. It seems everyone has drank the Kool-Aid. Every exchange smacks of cleverness. Nothing feels natural. Jennifer's Body is a total departure from Juno and I can't wait to see how people react to her follow-up if it ever gets made. She's like this savant who stumbled into a career and is running with it, not that I can blame her. But seriously, some Hollywood talent agent reads her blog, develops a thing for this country bumpkin stripper, and decides he's gonna cash in on her oh-so-different, woe-is-me life. I mean, what are the odds. I'd like to reverse the genders on that one and see a female agent pluck some male stripper who fancies himself a writer from obscurity. You wanna nominated DC for an Oscar. Fine. Go right ahead. But now you tell me she's the odds-on favorite to WIN? That's just crazy to me. I don't know what else to say. I'm glad everyone's loving Juno. I'm glad everyone's grazing on it like sheep. It's a heartwarming movie that deserves an audience. But do I need to read about it in every publication from now until Oscar Night. NO! It just seems like she's out there waging her own Oscar campaign. I'd love to see Cody's camp just put a blackout on all media requests. Let the work speak for itself. You don't see Julie Christie out there this season going look at me, look at me! And if it costs her, then so what. She'll have to live with it. But I don't know how Cody can live with herself with all the shameless mugging and plugging. I can't believe a screenwriter on the up and up like her would commit to writing a back-page column for one of the industry's most popular magazines, but when you're the flavor of the month, I guess you want to plant as many seeds in as many gardens as possible. Juno may have been the real deal for some people but I'm calling bullshit, just like I'm calling bullshit on Atonement and Sweeney Todd. Those movies got nothing on Diving Bell, but the only time you read an article about that film is when Julian Schnabel shows up in a skirt somewhere blowing smoke in someone's face acting crazy. It's no surprise, but it is a little fucked up that a movie as glorious as Diving Bell can be so thoroughly ignored by the American moviegoing public while those same people can embrace Juno as the last bastion of hormonal angst and teenage honesty. There is nothing classic about Juno (I'll take any John Hughes movie any day), or its screenwriter, and all those cutesy, talk-sing indie songs made me wanna puke.

comment #28

BurmaShave says ...

LEAVE DIABLO CODY ALONE!!!! SHE'S GOING THROUGH A REALLY ROUGH TIME RIGHT NOW!!! HOW DARE YOU?!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

comment #29

Fudge Ripple says ...

Actually, what I thought was especially funny was the lines when Juno's pop culture references are WRONG. ("This is Morgan Freeman, do you have any bones that need collecting?" "Thundercats are GO!") I thought those moments subtly made the point that Juno wasn't quite as on top of things as she projects. And, although the "Codyisms" are distracting in the first 20 minutes, there's a really sturdy screenplay underneath them, and the last half hour works like gangbusters.

comment #30

le corbeau says ...

Gee whiz, somebody's been scarfing the orange Resent-mints.

I can't believe a screenwriter on the up and up like her would commit to writing a back-page column for one of the industry's most popular magazines

I can't believe it either! I wonder what Libby Gelman Waxner would say!

comment #31

swordandpen says ...

It almost feels this has become more about the writer than the screenplay itself. Personally, I just found the movie to be underwhelming. For the first hour, every character has an overly-written zinger coming out of their mouths. Then, the final half-hour tries to wring emotions and tears, but it always felt calculated and phony from beginning to end. Between both of Reitman's films, he's building quite a smug filmography.

In a pretty above average year like this, the thought of awarding this mediocrity of a sitcom awards for screenplay, actress and picture just seems insane as when they bestowed awards on As Good As It Gets years back. There are plenty of better options in any of those categories.

comment #32

Dirty Harry says ...

Quote of the day: Indie = No CGI.

Page was fine, smartass sitcom kid-plus, but Garner was the actress who truly stood out. I never would've guessed she had that kind of performance in her. Seeing her potential was one of the highlights of the year for me. Her and Casey Affleck.

There are a lot of complaints about Academy voters, most of which I find tiring and more than a little self-serving, but what is frustrating is that Julie Christie's chances are lessened because she won't promote herself.

On the other hand that knowledge allows us to dismiss every Academy choice well-armed to do so. So, maybe I shouldn't complain.

Oh, and American casualities in Iraq were at their lowest last month since the war began. And if that news bothers you it's proof you're a bastard.

comment #33

le corbeau says ...

Page was fine, smartass sitcom kid-plus, but Garner was the actress who truly stood out.

But also, what makes it work is that they're in the same movie. You think it's a smartass teen movie, but it turns out, like Rushmore, to have more maturity than that--and to be about the smartass teen starting to realize that there's more to life than he/she gets yet.

Which is the difference between them and MiraJeffAICN's nostalgic luvvvvvv for John Hughes' slick product, which would never break ranks with its teen audience and suggest that they aren't superior to all adults.

comment #34

insidah says ...

Has film become so mediocre that an extended sitcom like Juno is really considered a best film candidate? If Ellen Page is Oscar worthy, than why didn't Linda Cardellini win every Emmy for Freaks and Geeks? Or Winona Ryder win Oscars for Beetlejuice or Heathers or any other of her teen fare? This is getting ridiculous.

comment #35

Jeffrey Kunze says ...

MiraJeff,

For the sweet affection of Christ, try using paragraphs!

I'm sure other people have told you this before, but seriously, adults do not write continuous lines of sentences without ever breaking them up.

Organize your thoughts bro!

comment #36

MiraJeffAICN says ...

"Orange Resent-mints"
Mgmax, are YOU Diablo Cody? I feel like that's exactly what she would've written.

A sample from Jennifer's Body--

Jennifer: Eat my ass, Chip! You're just jello cause you're not invited.

Chip: I'm not jello! That place is gross. Everyone there has a mustache.

Jennifer: You're totally jello! You're lime green jello and you can't even admit it.

Me: Um, what the fuck did that exchange mean? Oh I see, jello means jealous in Diablo's secret hipster language. I'm sorry but I've never heard anyone substitute the word jello for jealous. What wacky teenagers did DC observe before she wrote that little shitnugget? Now watch it win an Oscar next year. I'm becoming more convinced with each day that Diablo Cody sold her soul to the actual Devil (along with her body's naming rights) in exchange for a fruitful career based around one over-hyped script that's like a Lifetime movie with a sense of humor. Kill me now, please. Stupid fucking orange tic-tacs.

comment #37

christian says ...

"Oh, and American casualities in Iraq were at their lowest last month since the war began. And if that news bothers you it's proof you're a bastard."

Yet the death toll for 2007 was the highest. If that makes you feel okay with the war it's proof you're a neo-con asshole.

comment #38

MiraJeffAICN says ...

Kunze, sorry if I hurt your eyes with my blocks of text but I'm barely an adult, if that matters, and we're posting in a blog talkback, not exactly taking my SAT II- Writing exam, brotha. Paragraphs are almost as overrated as Juno. Copy/paste it into a word doc and then hit enter before a couple random lines and it should help. And I'm a slob writer, I have no organizational skills, it just spills out like verbal diarrhea.

comment #39

christian says ...

Which makes your points even more salient.

comment #40

Rothchild says ...

Dude, at least you're not even trying to disguise the fact that you're not a bitter and totally jealous wannabe screenwriter. I have to give you credit for that. I really want to find the asshole that keeps giving you scripts and ask him/her to stop. It's really annoying that we've reached a point where PDFs get passed around so much in this town.

And I'm really glad you don't know my real name. Otherwise you'd be in here copying and pasting my dialogue while banging you head against the desk. Then again, that would be amusing.

comment #41

gpcreative says ...

How about the HUGE SunnyD product placement in the first 10 minutes! I wonder how much that cost?

comment #42

Rothchild says ...

I meant "that you're a bitter and totally jealous wannabe screenwriter."

comment #43

scooterzz says ...

mira -- i think we get it: you don't like the movie and you resent the attention paid cody...... now, really, how many more endless posts do you need to subject people to?

comment #44

swordandpen says ...

"Oh, and American casualities in Iraq were at their lowest last month since the war began. And if that news bothers you it's proof you're a bastard."

-Posted by: Dirty Harry at January 1, 2008 02:40 PM

I'm sure the families of those American casualties will appreciate your use of their deaths as fodder for smug political rhetoric.

comment #45

le corbeau says ...

I'm sure the families of those American casualties will appreciate your use of their deaths as fodder for smug political rhetoric.

I'm sure they're plenty used to that by now.

Mgmax, are YOU Diablo Cody? I feel like that's exactly what she would've written.

Yeah, uh, that'd be the joke in that there one, actually.

Oh I see, jello means jealous in Diablo's secret hipster language. I'm sorry but I've never heard anyone substitute the word jello for jealous.

I felt the same way about Anthony Burgess's secret hipster language in Clockwork Orange! Actually, I'm old enough to remember that your precious, Breakfast Club, was full of slang teenagers didn't actually use either-- until they picked it up from Hughes' writing.

comment #46

MiraJeffAICN says ...

Sometimes a line of dialogue catches on and becomes part of every day language. I hate the movie, but take 'Ear Muffs' from Old School, for one example. People say that shit all the time now and it doesn't bother me, because at the time, it didn't feel like Old School was trying to introduce that into the lexicon, but Juno does feel like it's trying and that's one of its more annoying attributes.

Scooterzz, I'm done harping on Juno and Cody. I realize I'm beating a dead horse and trying to cement my status as the driver of the anti-Juno bandwagon. I'll give it a rest.

Rothchild: Dude, I hear ya. I hate people who copy/paste shit like I just did because there's zero context. But I had to give an example of Cody's writing ability besides just Juno, and that's all I got. Sue me. As for bitter and jealous, you're right on one count. I'm definitely jealous. Who in their right mind wouldn't be? Here's someone given an incredible opportunity, someone who probably never even thought that opportunity would be a possibility, and now she's the toast of the town and people think her movie is the best thing since sliced bread. I mean, what aspiring screenwriter wouldn't be jealous of that? Do I wish some horny talent agent would read this talkback and decide to get me and my spec meetings all over town? Of course! But that's not in the cards for me, not yet anyways. But bitter, no. I'm too young to be bitter. You've gotta really struggle for a while to be bitter. I flat-out know I could write a sellable script that someone, somewhere would buy. I just don't have the time. I'm too lazy. Don't 'want it' bad enough. But the skill set is there, which is what 95% of wanna-be writers lack, but then again, most of those 95% didn't graduate from the best screenwriting program in the country. Rothchild, if you're looking for someone to bounce ideas off of, I am trying to find the time and motivation to get back in the game. I don't play well with others but I can be a help. That's what they pay me for. Well... used to anyway.

comment #47

le corbeau says ...

MiraJeff, somebody could have a field day with that rant, but I'm just going to keep it simple: instead of trying to compensate for feelings of jealousy which are unworthy of anyone, just write something good and sell it and you won't care about Diablo Cody any more.

As for her, is it the best script since All About Eve? No. Is it a bright and human comedy in a mostly dead and dull season? Yes, and it and her success is entirely deserved for that.

comment #48

Dan Revill says ...

Finally saw Juno last night. It's a movie that half won me over, and half was too busy loving itself.
The lingo, such as it was, at first was pretty annoying, but then it slowed down, and didn't seem as obvious anymore. Then again, maybe I was just used to it.
The moments that really stuck out for me were the quieter parts - Juno w/ her father and/or stepmom. The stuff with Paulie Bleeker. The last half hour or so...I found it trying too hard while at the same time parts seemed effortless. It's a conundrum of a film. I didn't hate it by any means, but I can definitely see the Garden State fans eating this up like jell-o. ;-) It's not the best teen flick to come around, but it's a good little film with a great lead performance by an actress who is definitely going places - maybe even to the Oscar podium - although I am more in the Julie Christie camp and have been since the fall of '06. :)

comment #49

Rothchild says ...

Next time I need to bounce ideas off of someone instead of going to my girl, friends, manager, agent, working screenwriters, big deal writer/directors, producers, or development execs I'll go to some asshole on the internet that loves Paul Haggis. To quote a man from a Guinness commercial, "Brilliant!"

comment #50

MiraJeffAICN says ...

Mgmax: Point taken. Shit or get off the pot, I know.

Aladdin: Janney and JK are great. No disagreement from me. Funny you bring up Garden State. That was another one I didn't like. There's something inherently phony about it. I much preferred The Last Kiss, but that was written by Haggis, not Braff, so I guess that explains that.

comment #51

Dan Revill says ...

I saw Garden State earlier than all of my friends, so I can say with some pride that I liked it before EVERYONE I know who claims to love it. Still, some of my friend's female roommates deemed it the film of our age (mid 20s). I couldn't help but laugh at that. A good little film yes, but not that great.
And I was one of the few that liked The Last Kiss. I'd forgotten it was written by Haggis. It wasn't half bad at all.

comment #52

BurmaShave says ...

I seem to recall two young men in a film obsessed with old retro themes and culture, spouting improbably hip and cutting dialogue about 12 years ago. It was called SWINGERS, and it's a film I gladly return to often.

comment #53

Dan Revill says ...

That film is definitely money Burma.

comment #54

christian says ...

No-body talks like that.

comment #55

Nick J says ...

MiraJeff, I generally disagree with your opinions, but I am with you here. I had a weird, mildly psychotic reaction to Cody's screenwriting. Juno made me feel a little sick because I hated the characters so much. I wanted to gag them all and transfer them and ship them off to the world of Salo, or something. The "jello" excerpt you posted above made me want to... fuck, I think I need to see a therapist.

comment #56

Feathers McGraw says ...

Whenever I'm tempted to get annoyed by MiraJeff's obvious stupidity and bitterness toward his betters, I remember that he's the guy who got the crap beaten out of him by Uwe Boll. Uwe Boll.

comment #57

K. Bowen says ...

Cody, to me, is more promise at this point than accomplishment. For every catchy moment of dialogue, you still run into the cringe-inducing "All babies want to be born-ed" moment.
Like I've said in other threads, I think Juno is a mid-90s teenager in a modern-day setting.

Is the Juno script inventive, particularly with dialogue? Yes. but it's not a masterwork, so to me the praise has been a little baffling. But Page is one of the best things about it.

And I wish there films with as much heart as Garden State. Is it contrived? Sure. But there's real touch throughout it. I still love the scene where they show the videotape of Natalie Portman skating as an alligator. You expect Braff and Company to dogpile, to go acid-tongued, to make a snide comment. Instead they tell her how wonderful she was. There's something really human about that moment.

comment #58

christian says ...

GARDEN STATE was like indy quirk TV style. Characters dressed as knights and gators, deadpan expressions and KCRW muzak.

comment #59

Rob says ...

If there were any justice, the Best Actress race would be between Molly Shannon in Year of the Dog and Nicole Kidman in Margot at the Wedding, with Christie, Linney (for Jindabyne rather than The Savages) and Helena Bonham Carter rounding out the category.

Not a great year for lead female roles, though.

comment #60

George Prager says ...

FLOMAX commercials have more "heart" than GARDEN STATE.