Juno ... the Movie

Was it ever explained why her parents named her Juno? I don't know, but I do remember her father calling her June Bug. That's cute.

It's a good thing we didn't rent this movie. There are rentals and then there are borrowed movies. We borrowed this movie from our son. I'm not saying I didn't like the movie, but I guess my expectations were very high. The actress played by Ellen Page got rave reviews and was nominated for an Academy Award. I expected Meryl Streep I guess.

Word of mouth is priceless and I heard nothing but great things about the movie. My daughter loved it. My friend loved it. Many people I know saw it on the big screen when the movie first came out and loved it.

The movie was different, unique in ways I can't describe, but it did remind me of the humor of The Office - another show that the critics and millions of people adore ... that I don't "get". I've tried. Oh, how I've tried. I want to fit in and say, "Yeah, I love The Office ... it's sooo funny." But I can't. I don't find it entertaining.




Getting back to Juno. I'll watch and enjoy a variety of movies because as a writer, I'm always learning. I study people. I study characters. To find their motivation. To see how they tick. So, in that regard I liked Juno. There were some funny moments. The writing was very good. I learned something from watching it and that's always a positive.




Juno was nominated as Best Picture along with 3 other Oscar noms and has been labeled, "A fresh, unusually intelligent comedy."

So there it is. I should have liked it more. I should have loved it!

But did I love Juno? No. Not even close. Like I said, it was engaging. I was mildly entertained. I observed and learned a little. But, I didn't "get" it. Aside from great acting on young Ellen Page's part, it was okay. Not my cup of tea, as they say. Maybe it was the mood I was in, but I don't really think so.

So, what about you? Have you ever expected to enjoy a movie or a book because your expectations were so high, only to be disappointed. What didn't you "get" that others did?