"Hey, what do Juno?"

I saw my first critically acclaimed movie of the season this past weekend, and I have to be honest and say that it's not all it's hyped up to be. Don't get me wrong, Juno, starring Ellen Page as the titular pregnant teenager, was a very good movie. Page did an excellent job of playing a modern teenager who gets pregnant out of boredom and deserves all of the attention that she is getting for this role. I'm extremely surprised that Jennifer Garner isn't receiving just as much praise for her understated turn as a frustrated housewife desperate for a baby. The art direction and overall tone of the movie was also well executed. I particularly liked the opening title sequence.

All of the good, however, is overshadowed for me by one unexpected bad - the writing! I had very high expectations after reading that screenwriter Diablo Cody has become the go-to writer to capture the voice of the modern woman. I felt like there were moments of dialog that were just so forced and so unnatural that it ruined the movie. Maybe it's because I'm no longer a teenager and am having trouble relating to that world now, but I found it hard to believe that anyone says "wizard" instead of awesome. And when a gas station attendant uttered, "That ain't no Etch-a-Sketch. This is one doodle that can't be undid, home skillet," I almost lost it, and not in a good way.

I also had a problem with the lack of a dissenting voice in the film. Everyone, including Juno's parents, were pretty cool with her being pregnant at 16. For the movie to feel real to me, it would have been nice to see one disapproving character, one who was genuinely concerned with how life-altering this pregnancy would be for such a young girl. Instead, everyone just thought it was cool.

Don't let my review deter your from seeing this film. It really was a good film. I think it's important that a small film like this has had such a mainstream following. It also really boosts the presence of indie music that, without a movie like this, would most likely go unheard. I guess what I am most disappointed with is the hype. Something so hyped rarely lives up to the expectations you create for it in your mind.