FILM STUDY GUIDE : YEAR 11
directed by Jason Reitman
screenplay by Diablo Cody
Cast and Other Facts
Ellen Page Juno MacGuffJennifer Garner Vanessa Loring
Allison Janney Bren MacGuff
Olivia Thirlby Leah / Michael Cera Paulie Bleeker
Jason Bateman Mark Loring
J.K. Simmons Mac MacGuff
Shooting locations – all in and around Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Juno was the surprise hit of 2007, an independent movie, made on a tiny budget of $U7 million, that grossed $US227 million worldwide, with another $38 million in DVD sales in only the first few weeks after release. A critical as well as popular success, it had universally positive reviews, and went on to be nominated for Oscars for Best Picture, Director and Actress, and to win one for its screenplay. Which only goes to show that big budgets, big stars and special effects are not necessary to make a good movie, and that nothing beats a great script and great performances.
Study Record
By the time you have completed this unit, you should be able to
1. analyse film image and sequences in detail;
2. understand the way film language creates setting and character, and manipulates our responses;
3. describe how verbal and visual features are combined for different purposes;
4. understand the way a screenplay tells a story, builds character and explores themes;
5. respond to and interpret meaning, ideas and effects;
6. write an essay/ answer about an aspect of the text.
Fill in the boxes below with the appropriate date, and tick only when the task is satisfactorily completed. Your teacher will tell you which tasks are required. This will help you see your progress, and to catch up on any missed work.
Class work / Homework / Due date / CompletedPlot Summary
Narrative structure
Close Reading
Close reading test
Character study and activity
Themes
Discussion questions
From the critics
Useful quotations
Example essay
Ensure all notes and tasks are completed so you have good notes to learn for your exam at the end of the year.
Remember: Juno is the character, Juno (or Juno) the title of the film.
Plot Summary
When Juno MacGuff, a ____-year old ______at a ______high school, discovers she is ______by her good ______Paulie Bleeker, her first thought is to have an ______. But she finds she can't go through with it, and so she decides to have the baby and find ______for it. She and her best friend ______look in the ______where they see an ______from Vanessa and Mark ______. Supported by ______, Juno arranges with the Lorings that she will give them the baby for a traditional ______.
A few ______later, Juno takes the ______picture to show the Lorings. Vanessa is not at home, but Juno discovers she and Mark, a ______composer whose ______youth is now in ______in the basement, have similar tastes in music, and in ______movies. Vanessa is ______to discover Juno in her house but ______when she sees the ultrasound picture.
Juno's ______Bren suggests it is ______for Juno to be visiting Mark, but Juno ______her opinion. She visits Bleeker and is ______when he expresses his ______for her. She suggests an ______for him.
A few weeks later Juno sees Vanessa at the ______interacting with a ______and is ______; she encourages Vanessa to ______to the baby and feel him kicking.
Learning Bleeker is taking ______to the prom, Juno – now nearly _____ months pregnant – has a ______with him. Upset, she gets in the van and visits ______.
They ______together, and he tells her he is ______Vanessa. Juno is ______. When Vanessa arrives home, Mark tells her he is not ______and wants a ______. While he and Vanessa ______this, Juno leaves in tears.
After giving the matter considerable thought, Juno ______which she leaves on the Lorings' ______.
Back home, she seeks ______from her father, and thanks to his ______, realises that she ______Bleeker. The next day, she ______and they kiss.
When she goes into ______, she does not tell Bleeker because he is at an important ______. Seeing her not in the ______, he realises what has happened and runs to the ______where Juno has had a ______. While he lies on the bed with her and ______her, Vanessa meets her ______for the first time. On the wall in the baby's nursery, Vanessa has ______: "Vanessa. If you're still in, ______."
Juno is happy as Bleeker's ______and resumes her life as a ______.
Narrative Structure
Narrative surtrctue does not mean just the oerdr in which the story is told; the term refers to the whole structural freaomwrk that undeerlis the order and manner in which a story is prnteesed.
An important aspect of siellttoyrng is point of view: who tells the story, from whose ptivepecrse the events are shown and/or seen.
1. From whose point of view is the story told in this film? Is that consistent throughout or are other points of view shown? Give details.
Nativrares often involve a series of prolmebs to be met and slvoed, or osbtacles to be overcome, like taking two steps forward and one step back, until the reoslution is reached.
2. List the main obstacles and/or problems faced by Juno in the story, and explain how she deals with each.
Early scenes will set up etaxpections of the main caerachtr(s) that will affect the suurttrce of the story.
3. Can you identify examples of this?
Time is always an important consideration in a scenrelpay; a feature film may cover days, weeks, even years of real time, so ways of showing time passing are needed.
4. How much time is covered in this film? Can you work out a timeline?
Some of the ways the passing of time may be indicated include:
fades or dissolves / changing light / showing a clock or a calendarreferences in dialogue / dates or times on screen / seasonal differences – winter to summer
cuts to the same scene at a clearly later time, e.g. from full plates to empty, or the same people with different clothes or in different places. / a montage of brief symbolic or typical images.
5. What techniques are used in this film to show time passing?
Revision of techniques
Know these terms
\
Visual techniques / Verbal techniquesCamera Angles
Camera Shots
Camera movement
Mise en scene
Aspects of the set
Props
Costume
Editing
Cross cutting
Montage
Tableaux
Symbolism
Special in effects / Sound effects
Sound track – score
Dialogue
Close Reading the Text - Analysis of important scenes
Scene: opening credits Your brief descriptionAnimation
Suggests a child s drawing, colours not all filled in, simplistic urban landscape
- Juno walking along is drawn more realistic, moving along a path
- transition from animation to real world at the end / Refers to Juno’s and closeness to childhood, has not grown up yet but it is suggested that she is in a transition phase and about to develop, her life will become more “filled out” and complicated, she enters the ‘adult-world’
Music / Creates a cheerful ‘happy go lucky’ tone to the start of the film that mirrors Juno’s personality up until this point in life. The tune also indicates to the audience the tone of the film as being a ‘coming of age comedy’.
Song Lyrics - verbal feature / ‘If I were a bird you’d be a bee’ the lyrics talk about pairs of complimentary things in life. This links to the theme of companionship and marriage
Missing vocabulary
pairs
adult-world
transition
animation
drawn
mirrors
inexperience
filled out
child’s
tone
visual motifs
stripes associated with both Juno and with Bren – provides a link between them
tic tacs used to begin and end the film; each character is associated with a particular chair. A bit forced? The final chair – an antique rocker – is used to show the difference between Vanessa's book-inspired preparations and the reality of baby-care.
blue slushies Bren's motif
food scenes – it is an affectation that she drops
fingernails Count up the number of times the door is shown.
dogs a running gag – climaxing with Paulie's run to the hospital
the track team associated with Juno, who pours the remains into Bren's urn, which she is also sick into.
chairs Bleeker's "one vice"; Juno uses them to show him she cares
Juno's pipe is associated with Juno: the mall, cafeteria, the hospital tray. The MacGuffs are introduced over family dinner; Vanessa sits at a bare table [50] and though offered nothing is eaten or drunk at the first meeting.only in early
Lorings' front door associated with Juno – and became part of the publicity
verbal motifs
"Wizard" Bleeker's motif – it underlines his youthfulness, given the context of the first time he uses it
"sexually active" only used in the first part of the film: when Juno phones Women Now, by Leah, and by Bren; mostly for comic effect
visual motifs
stripes associated with Juno – and became part of the publicity
tic tacs Bleeker's "one vice"; Juno uses them to show him she cares
blue slushies associated with Juno, who pours the remains into Bren's urn, which she is also sick into.
food is associated with Juno: the mall, cafeteria, the hospital tray. The MacGuffs are introduced over family dinner; Vanessa sits at a bare table [50] and though offered nothing is eaten or drunk at the first meeting.
fingernails associated with both Juno and with Bren – provides a link between them
dogs Bren's motif
the track team a running gag – climaxing with Paulie's run to the hospital
chairs used to begin and end the film; each character is associated with a particular chair. A bit forced? The final chair – an antique rocker – is used to show the difference between Vanessa's book-inspired preparations and the reality of baby-care.
Juno's pipe only in early scenes – it is an affectation that she drops
Lorings' front door See below. Count up the number of times the door is shown.
verbal motifs
"Wizard" Bleeker's motif – it underlines his youthfulness, given the context of the first time he uses it
"sexually active" only used in the first part of the film: when Juno phones Women Now, by Leah, and by Bren; mostly for comic effect
Scene: Juno phones Leah______
______/ Juno’s Hamburger phone / Suggests childhood and her immature nature
Mise en scene / Contrast between Juno’s and Leah’s bedroom / Juno’s: messy, arty, musical, childish which reflects her unique, quirky but also immature, nature
Leah’s: ______
______/ Leah’s outfit of knee high socks, hot pants and tank top
Juno’s clothes of tomboyish, casual, non-sexy / Suggests awareness of sexuality, girly, sexy, ______
à ironic because Juno is the one that deals with consequences that resulted from sex
Scene: Intro to Paulie Bleeker
______/ lyrics / Reflect what kind of personality he has, but partly to work with the visuals to manipulate the viewer into stereotyping him
______/ Of his actions (dressing, eating, preparing for his run) / We are meant to judge him by his actions and form an opinion about him as an organised, nerdy, unusual, meticulous character, the running uniform (pants) direct the viewer’s gaze towards his crotch which hides the ‘instrument’ with which Juno’s life change begins
Scene: Abortion clinic
______/ “Baby’s have fingernails” and Juno’s surprised reaction / -
- also fingernails symbolise detail/developed body parts and hands which represent ______(esp. mother ßà child)
______and
______/ Increasing sound of fingernails drumming/scratching combined with the close up of people’s fingers / Links to Su Chin’s words and:
1.
2.
-final slam of the door emphasizes her decision to stop the abortion which is a pivotal moment in the film and in Juno’s life
Scene: The Loring’s house
______/ Of Vanessa’s meticulous tidying actions / Vanessa is defined by ______so the viewer gets to know her ______first, viewer is perhaps manipulated into thinking she is just a superficial woman with the perfect life, in order for us to adapt our view of her later on when we see that there is more underneath that perfect impression
- her action show that ______
______
______
Mise en scene and Lighting / Mark’s room: ______
______
______
______, is in contrast with the rest of the house: ______
______/ Shows imbalance of the relationship - Vanessa is in power and does not give Mark the chance to express himself fully (tp express HIS idea of HIS future, he feels dominated and goes with the flow à parallels to Juno’s approach to life)
- shows the contrast between the characters:
Mark –______
Vanessa - ______
Scene: Mark and Vanessa in baby room
______/ Vanessa and Mark in standing next to each other talking about the wall colours / The techniques make it clear that there is a conflict in interest
-
-
______/ “it’s called nesting”
“then we have to disagree”
“It’s too early to paint” / -Vanessa quotes from books which shows______
______
– shows her commitment but also her inability to look at the problem in the present (Mark), she does not want to compromise on her goal
- ______
______
Scene: Mall
Long shot
and high
angle / ______, we see her from Juno’s viewpoint who looks from a higher point / Important moment for Juno to see the potential
of Vanessa as the mother of her baby, reassures
her, shows a different side of Vanessa: ______
______
______
______
______
______/ Juno from low angle, Vanessa from high angle / After hesitation it looks like Vanessa overcomes her apprehension and her desire for the baby and to connect with it overrides everything else and she crouches down, it is a humble position and shows her vulnerable, committed and happy
Juno is put into a powerful position and she realises ______
______
______
______/ ______/ Works well together with the angle shot, showing both women’s feelings towards each other and Vanessa’s genuine joy when talking to the baby
Scene: School corridor à two parallel scenes in the film: 1. Juno early stages of pregnancy; 2.Juno 8 month pregnant
______/ ______
______/ 1. scene one (earlier in the film): Juno is a few weeks pregnant without an obvious baby bump yet. However, the film techn. Emphasizes that being pregnant at 16 is not usual and like going against the mainstream which is tough and not an easy walk, but people don’t know so you are not treated differently
2. scene two: Juno 8 month pregnant, still going against the mainstream but this time ______, looking at her with differing emotions (contempt, judgment, curiosity, respect?); making her feel stand out and isolated
Scene: Mark and Juno confrontation
______/ “I wanted this to be perfect” (Juno)
“I’m not sure I am ready to be a father” (Mark) / We see that Juno had this naïve/innocent ideal that her baby is going to grow up in a happy/perfect environment, she hoped this family would be ‘normal’ unlike hers (parents split up) à shows her ______her faith in true love is shaken
- Mark is stating directly for the first time his concerns and true feelings about the baby at this time
Scene: Juno home talking to her Dad
______
Dialogue / “I never realised how much I like being home unless I’ve been somewhere different for a while”
“
“loosing my faith in humanity”
“ / -
- admits her immaturity and lacking experience: there are things she is not equipped to mentally cope with/things that require a more adult maturity that she has not got yet
- she seeks advice from her Dad (unlike her conversation with Brenda where she did not want to take advice and was reactionary)
- her father restores her ‘faith’ and makes her realise what true love is and that she found it (Paulie)
Mise en scene / The mood and atmosphere of the kitchen in her house
(______,______, ______, ______) / - this is a stark contrast to ______à from a cold, seemingly perfect (but emotionally messed up) ‘show house’ to her comfortable slightly messy, warm lighting, genuine loved house
Scene: Hospital
______/ Paulie and Juno’s feet with stripy socks and his dirty running shoes / This emphasises and represents the idea that despite being forced to grow up a bit more quickly through difficult circumstances we can still remain who we are and take our childhood with us, Juno and Bleeker matured but______, suggesting ______
Close reading test