The Couch Critics
The Couch Critics is your laid-back guide to movies and TV shows that deserve your attention—or maybe don’t. Nathan, along with a rotating door of eclectic co-hosts, dives deep into storytelling, character development, and cinematic style with a sharp eye and a wry sense of humor. Whether it’s a blockbuster hit, a hidden gem, or a cult classic, Nathan’s relatable approach ensures every episode feels like a cozy chat with a friend who just happens to love film. Perfect for casual watchers and cinephiles alike, The Couch Critics bring thoughtful critique without the fluff. Grab your favorite snack, settle in, and let Nathan and friends guide you through the world of screen entertainment.
The Couch Critics
Between Masterpiece and Mediocrity: Finding Juno's Place in Cinema
What makes a film memorable? Why does a critically acclaimed movie resonate deeply with some viewers while leaving others feeling just...okay? This week on Cinema Sunday, I'm tackling the 2007 coming-of-age dramedy Juno, a film that my co-host Mitch considers one of his all-time favorites, but left me squarely in the middle ground.
Diving into this Jason Reitman-directed, Diablo Cody-penned indie darling, I explore what works and what doesn't in this story of a pregnant teenager who chooses adoption. The performances are undeniably strong - Ellen Page delivers a breakthrough role as the quirky, independent Juno, while Michael Cera brings his trademark awkward charm. JK Simmons particularly shines as Juno's supportive father, creating one of cinema's more positive paternal figures. The film's pro-family, pro-adoption stance feels refreshing and thoughtful, avoiding the darker directions it could have taken.
Yet something keeps Juno from achieving greatness in my eyes. The stylized dialogue that felt fresh in 2007 now seems contrived, and despite solid performances throughout, I found myself giving it a 3.5/5 - good, but not great. This episode explores the subjective nature of film appreciation and why certain movies simply don't resonate with everyone, no matter how acclaimed they might be. Is it just a matter of personal taste, or is there something more objective at work? Listen in, then share your thoughts - was Juno a transformative cinematic experience for you, or just another decent indie film from the 2000s?
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Get back press play. It's a brand new day, we're diving deep and the film's our way From classics to the ones you miss. Grab your snacks, you get the gist. It's Cinema Sunday. On the Couch Critics Show, where the stories shine and the opinions flow. Popcorn's hot, the takes are bold. We laugh, we cry, we break the mold. It's Cinema Sunday. Let the credits roll.
Speaker 2:Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new Cinema Sunday episode of the Couch Critics. I'm your host, nathan, and on today's episode, if you listened to Tuesday's episode when my good friend Mitch and I reviewed, catch Me If you Can, you can listen to that episode if you haven't listened to it already, but if you did, then you will know that Mitch actually chose this Cinema Sundays episode Because, like I stated, there's a lot of movies that aren't on my movie list. What I mean by that is I have a movie list that I go see for my Cinema Saturday and my Cinema Sunday episodes, but then there's also gaps in between those movies. So when there's a gap, I got to fill it with something. So I allowed Mitch to choose the movie I'm going to be talking about today, and that movie is Juno. It came out in 2007.
Speaker 2:Before I can talk about what I thought about this movie, I have to go over the synopsis. Faced with an unplanned pregnancy, an offbeat young woman makes a selfless decision regarding the unborn child. Juno stars the artist formerly known as Ellen Page, michael Cera, jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman. It also includes JK Simmons. I have to mention him because I thought he was fantastic in this movie as Juno's father. So let me get right started. Right started, I don't know. Let me get started by saying I appreciate that this movie is very pro-adoption. This movie could have gone in a very sad and dark direction if the character of Juno decided to have an abortion, which is the first thing that this character thinks of doing Is the first thing that this character thinks of doing. They go to the abortion clinic, and I guess they she just gets cold feet, and so she runs out of the abortion clinic and decides to give the child up for adoption.
Speaker 2:I thought the acting in this movie was very good. I thought Ellen Page did great. I thought Michael Cera was just very Michael Cera. He tends to play kind of the same character in everything that he does, but it works in this movie. That awkward charm that he usually has in movies he brings it in this film as well. I think the biggest highlight for me, though, was JK Sands. I thought he was very subtle. He's not in the movie a whole lot, but he's in it just enough to appreciate his performance. I think he plays a very good father figure. He gives a lot of good advice and he's there for his children when they need him.
Speaker 2:Then you also have Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman, who play the married couple who want to adopt Juno's child, until Jason Bateman's character becomes kind of a sleazeball and is just stuck in the past and doesn't feel like he's ready to be a father because he's still very immature and so, you're right, he probably isn't ready to be a father. I thought even Jason Bateman's performance was good. I thought Jennifer Garner's performance was good as the as the role of the person who just desperately wants to be a mother. I thought the performances were very seemed a bit off, and I know it's early 2000s, but I don't remember, you know, anyone talking the way they did in this movie. And I could be totally wrong. And I wanted Mitch to be able to come on this episode, but time just doesn't exist for me and so I prolonged watching this movie until I'm recording right now, which is literally the night before that this episode is going to drop. So, mitch, I'm sorry that you couldn't join me. I really did want to hear his point of view, because he said that this was like one of his favorite movies of all time, and I really, really want to know what it is about this movie that kind of puts it up there for him, because I just thought it was okay. I thought it was an okay movie.
Speaker 2:It's not a movie I'd be like, hey, you know what I feel like watching Juno? It's not. I mean, it's somewhat uplifting, I guess, and again, like I said, the performances are fine. It just doesn't stand out to me as quintessential, quote, unquote cinema. And yeah, maybe Mitch can talk about it on a future episode that he hops on, because I really do want to hear his opinions of what he again considers one of his favorite movies of all time. So there isn't really much else to say about this movie.
Speaker 2:Again, I thought it was great. It was very pro-adoption and pro-family and just had really supportive family members. Even the stepmom is very supportive. It's just a good. I mean, it's a good movie. It's okay. It's not everybody's cup of tea. I asked my wife to watch it with me and she said it doesn't really seem like a movie that she would watch. And I agree Watching it, I don't think she would have enjoyed it. Some of the language in it, some of the content, it's whatever. So that's my short and sweet Cinema Sunday review of Juno. If I was to give this a rating. I'd probably give Juno a 3.5 out of 5. And I know if Mitch is listening to this it probably seems a little low to him. But again, it's not a standout movie for me. I remember when I first watched it I think I felt the exact same way that I do now. So it hasn't elevated my like of this movie and it hasn't downgraded my like. It's just in the middle, right there 3.5 out of 5. So those are my thoughts on Juno.
Speaker 2:On the Cinema Sunday episode this Tuesday I'm talking about the Family Stone. I don't know who's going to join me on that episode. I'm going to stop trying to guess. Hopefully somebody joins me on the Family Stone episode. And then Cinema Saturday next Saturday I'm talking about Conjuring Last Rites. Apparently, this is the last movie in the Conjuring franchise. There's been a plethora of movies in this franchise and, yes, I have to admit I have seen every single one. So I'll be talking about Conjuring Last Rites. On next Saturday's Cinema Saturday episode. On the Couch Critics, where every movie gets its close-up it's Cinema.
Speaker 1:Sunday, where the good stuff begins Old school, new school, oscar wins. So stay a while and touch that dial. The couch critic who's got that style? Cinema Sunday let's rewind and smile, smile.
