If Juno Was 10 Times Shorter and 100 Times More Honest

I am not extremely familiar with indie music, but is it supposed to be an artistic outlet for bad singers? From my first impression, half of it is about weird lyrics which is OK, if they could actually carry a tune. The other half is crappy interpretations of hits. Am I in the ballpark?
PS. Jennifer Garner and acting are contradicting terms.

10/10/2009 12:16:03 PM

philroco

This article expressed my thoughts exactly. After I heard the indie music, I knew exactly what Juno's character would be like- all of her lines, desperate quirkiness, etc. where so predictable. Of course Michael Cera is always the same character. I also hated how Juno tried to sarcastically pick apart the phrase, "sexually active". It's a perfectly logical term. It means you've been actively having sex. "What, am I ever going to be sexually inactive?" Yes, it's called menopause, and hopefully you weren't sexually active at 14. I read the reviews to this movie, and thought it was going to be hilarious. I groaned at how retardedly desperate the whole movie was.

6/8/2009 10:49:49 AM

MarginWalker

Sometimes I wonder why Michael Cera is so good at playing an awkward, incredibly unlikeable teenager, but nothing else whatsoever.

Wait, no I don't, it's because he's awkward and incredibly unlikeable.

6/5/2009 1:43:49 PM

Fishyman

i saw this movie with my girlfriend when it was in theaters
it was boring so i finger banged her instead
WIN

3/25/2009 4:49:02 PM

BenO

also i was trying to remark that if you're reviewing a movie (which perhaps wasn't the aim of this thing that he wrote) you shouldn't use it as a platform to vent about how much you dislike a style of music or dress, like 'indie.' BLEH! hate when people do that.

3/2/2009 3:13:23 PM

catastrophegf

sorry if my comments (frickin 4 months ago) were preachy or too long winded. i guess i just took this article too seriously, thinking he was seriously asserting that the movie sucked as a whole, whereas (as someone nicely pointed out to me via email) he was just poking fun at little things that may have come off as obnoxious/gimicky; and blowing them out of proportion for humor. if that is the case, i guess that's ok. thanks to the people that sent me nice emails, agreeing or disagreeing with me. i appreciate a mature debate that doesn't involve lame name-calling! really appreciate it! i love discussing movies :)

3/2/2009 3:05:31 PM

catastrophegf

Brilliant, and while I completely agree with said sentiments, the movie kind of comes off like a cracked.com article (complete with penis joke, pork swords, the funniest thing uttered in the entire movie.)

1/23/2009 7:18:47 PM

Atlatl

The article was funny.
But it's a fine movie. The people are pretty, the subject isn't one of those overdone predictable pieces of tripe that I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole, and so it's bound to get hatred from the the fans of Bring It On or other really incredibly stupid high school movies. Plus Ellen Juno makes a noose out of candy.

1/20/2009 8:07:42 AM

greeen

This movie is should be called "juno and the case of the failed male." seriously michael cera is a f*****g p***y in this movie.

11/29/2008 9:10:27 PM

asskicker

For years society condemned teenage pregnancy; and now they're exploiting it. The movie would have been better this way for sure.

11/27/2008 12:53:17 AM

RacerE7773

I tried to watch this movie and couldn't even get through the first half hour.

What a boring piece of s**t




Oh yeah, the music was almost as boring as the movie itself, too

11/19/2008 3:52:22 PM

The_Prowler

i like that movie and the music was awesome

11/17/2008 8:58:02 PM

cousi666

i'm the furthest thing from an "indie kid." i'm just somebody that noticed the transparent desperation of this article. i'm not saying one needs to share my opinion i'm saying that if you're going to say a movie is awful at least provide some legitimate f*****g criticisms.

oh, you don't like the soundtrack? get over it, why don't you criticize the more important elements of the movie?

you have some bizarre beef with "indie" kids or that general theme you seem to get in the movie? well go vent about that somewhere else. no one gives a crap about whether you like the indie trend or not. Criticize the MOVIE.

oh and about the pseudo intellectual thing, i don't even want to argue about that, let me just point out that there's no greater selfish arrogance than in the a*****e who feels he so entitled to pass judgment on some stranger and have his opinion be respected. you don't know anything about me so don't go summing up my entire personhood into some snide remark about "indie" and whatever else. lastly, it's f*****g lame of you to categorize a ton of people who fit the "indie" description and decide they're all the same. why not be racist? it's the same general idea. i can't believe i'm even having this argument, but i'm not indie but frankly i don't get what the big freakin deal is if somebody IS. i feel the people who have a panic attack at the sight or thought of an "indie kid" are usually overweight almost-30-year-olds leading mediocre lives. it's like criticizing gays. why does it even concern you if someone choose to dress a certain way or claim themselves as fans of certain music? i know your personal world is being attacked when someone decides to dress like seth cohen and listen to clouddead but geeze, calm down.

11/4/2008 9:58:13 AM

catastrophegf

Is it just me, or are ALL indie kids/pseudo intellectuals the most f*****g butthurt people on the planet?

This article was funny as f**k, quit bawwwing.

10/11/2008 2:40:45 AM

viviie

This article really disappointed me. I don't know where one would get the idea that teenagers talk that way (i'm a junior in college) or that ANYONE on mtv speaks the way Ellen Paige does. I know it's already been said but I want to reiterate it in case the author didn't see the other comment. As for the comment that the acting (aside form Ellen Paige's) "leaves something to be desired," that isn't true at all! J.K. Simmons was convincing and charming as always and Allison Janney did a very good job as well. I can understand someone bitching about Michael Cera's performance, but the majority of the cast did notably well. The scene at the end where Jennifer Garner cradles Juno's baby in the nursery always makes me teary-eyed. So much of Juno is what good movies are all about! My boyfriends a huge movie buff whose favorites include Closer, Mysterious Skin, Being John Malkovich, There Will Be Blood etc., and he LOVED Juno. What I'm saying is I trust his opinion and we don't always agree but for Juno our opinions matched.

I'm in addition SO sick and tired of people complaining that this movie was unrealistic and was somehow endorsing teenage pregnancy. Are you f***ing kidding?! It does nothing but Demonstrate how a pregnancy is incredibly burdensome and loaded with consequences. If you aren't paying attention for the last hour of the movie, I'd understand how you'd think otherwise..

I can't help but notice how the criticisms from those who just want to be able to say they hated something that so many love (*cough* arrogant pricks) are what they're calling the movie: glib.

10/3/2008 8:57:16 AM

catastrophegf

clearly i can see you are an 'indie' fan, as my colleagues have already said. HARDLY ANY OF IT IS INDIE. and for your information. juno (ellen page) is HOT! .. aka .. i would!
also. it is hilarious.
actors = legends.
plot = legend.
film = legend.
wat more can i say?
AMIE AGREES! so it must be good. (and also murphy like it a bit too!)
xx

9/9/2008 2:18:42 PM

Graham_Amie

Actually, Jetstream91, Streetlight is technically an independent band that happens to play ska (and one of the best there ever was). RBF, though, is definitely not indie at all. Ska, but entirely too mainstream.

7/24/2008 3:22:58 PM

listerfiend

I have to say, I definitely got some laughs out of this. I did not care for Juno and before you spew out your half-baked arguments 1. Yes. I did actually see the movie. 2. Yes, I did understand it. 3. No, I don't just dislike it because I don't like anything original. 4. I do listen to some indie music, but a lot of the bands included in this movie give indie music a bad name. 5. Do you want to know why I didn't like this movie?
-->The dialogue was stupid and tried much too hard to appear clever and only came off as ostentatious
-->Juno herself drove me crazy.
-->Although Ellen Page did a good job portraying her character, all the other acting in the movie had something to be desired.
-->"Thundercats are go". Need I say more?
-->Honest to blog? WTF?
-->Apparently teen pregnancy really has no consequences and it's easy to give up a child. Yeah, no. It's called psychological research, Diablo.

7/24/2008 6:09:26 AM

thebookishtype

Stanfonz, as much as I agree with you, I just have to point out that 'Reel Big Fish' and 'Streetlight Manifesto' are ska, not indie. Just because they're not mainstream doesn't mean they're indie.

7/23/2008 12:28:56 PM

jetstream91

aedarin, you are probably the most retarded person I've ever seen. Indie music/film has absolutely no relation to lack of talent; the reason why it's indie is because it doesn't fit in with narrowminded bastards (like you) sense of taste. In fact, all of it is probably takes more talent than the mainstream music of today. Here's a list of indie bands that will prove you f*****g wrong.
Iron & Wine
Mogwai
Pelican
Explosions in the Sky
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
John Butler Trio
Reel Big Fish
Streetlight Manifesto
And as for "everyone with good taste" hating indie music, tell that to the millions of Radiohead fans. So just because you lack the musical depth to listen to anything beyond the Top 10 singles (which, for the most part, require no talent) doesn't mean that all indie bands are talentless.

7/20/2008 7:51:40 PM

stanfonz