From Stacie Hougland: “My ease in teenspeak comes from being an exceptionally immature adult,” reveals Oscar-winning writer Diablo Cody in an extra on the Juno DVD, new today in single and two-disc versions. That’s pretty much the tone captured in its many bonus features.
If you somehow missed the hype, the raved-about Juno tells the story of a smart-mouthed high schooler who gets pregnant and decides to give the baby up for adoption to parents she finds in the want ads. Ellen Page earned a Best Actress nomination for her turn as Juno MacGuff, the teen in question. While sometimes a little too sassy and stylized for its own good, Juno was one of the most refreshingly original films to hit screens in—well, forever.
The commentary by director Jason Reitman and Cody deserves a listen—if you like Cody’s style, she speaks just like she writes and her chemistry with Reitman is unmistakable as they offer up revelations like, “it’s really hard to find underwear with a full butt,” (Cody). “Yeah, I hope we get a costume designer award for that underwear,” (Reitman). They tease and joke throughout the movie while describing stories about the production, and it feels like they’re talking with you rather than at you.
Absent is the usual “making-of,” but you won’t miss it. Instead, check out the deleted scenes (and keep that commentary on), some of which you might wish were in the movie. Definitely don’t overlook the screen tests. Filmed against a black background, the cast members (a younger and greener Page) go back and forth in unpolished and unforced rehearsals that are remarkably engrossing even without a backdrop.
Extras: Lots. Best are the ones I just mentioned. There are also two amusing gag features, a forgettable “music video” in which the cast and crew jam onstage to a bad rock song, and four more conventional (read: self-congratulatory) featurettes in which the cast and crew talk about how great it was working with one another. Of them, “Honest to Blog: Creating Juno” is the most interesting, although “Diablo Cody is Totally Boss” gives some intriguing detail about the writer and how producers discovered her.
Overview: If you missed it in theaters, take the chance to see one of the best films of last year. The special features should thrill fans who couldn't get enough Juno quirk.
