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Jason Reitman's Juno nets Independent Spirit nomination

by Kaitlin | November 27, 2007 at 06:09 pm

985 views | 10 Recommendations | 4 comments

This week's Independent Spirit Awards nominations (for many, this writer included, the last real barometer of good filmmaking in North America) netted a number of significant nods for Canadian filmmakers and actors. Of these, Jason Reitman--son of comic superdirector Ivan and accomplished helmer in his own right (Thank You For Smoking)--and his nom for Juno probably brings the largest group of Canucks together for a single production. Juno, a film about a teen girl wittily coping with pregnancy, stars breakout actors Michael Cera (Superbad, Arrested Development) and Ellen Page (X-Men) in a script by Diablo Cody.

Juno, which was one of the buzz-worthy films at the Toronto International Film Festival and also won the top prize at the Rome Film Festival, netted four nominations, including a best director nod for Montreal-born Reitman, an acting nod for Page and another in the best first screenplay category for debut writer Diablo Cody.

Reitman was born in Montreal, Cera in Brampton, Ontario and Page in Halifax, where she still lives.

There's a great New York Magazine article about Page this week, detailing her staunch independence, and her unwillingness to become just another teen girl star in Hollywood:

The movie could very well make her a star, not just the next Molly
Ringwald but the next Johnny Depp: a transgressive teen idol whose
weirdo-hero crossover appeal might evolve into real staying power. But
perhaps it really is best that she avoid L.A. Because right now she’s
watching herself play one kind of girl yet still being pushed toward
another. “It’s just freaky. Like, are we really still stuck there?” she
asks, noting that a few photo shoots have already set off warning
bells. “Every shoot, I don’t want to be thrown some lacy pink
shirt—sometimes I would prefer to not wear a shirt at all. At least I’d
be owning that moment.

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infiniheart

at 20:20 on November 27th, 2007

I saw an early screening of Juno a few weeks ago... it was great! Thanks for the photo request.

Rob Walker

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 09:34 on November 28th, 2007

"At least I'd be owning that moment." I love that line.

tetrabert

at 17:50 on November 28th, 2007

I saw it at TIFF. So amazing! Ellen is hilarious! She was funny during the Q&A after the premiere.

Thanks for the photo request!

RLovinger

at 19:47 on November 28th, 2007

I definitely thought the film was award worthy. I saw several films at the Toronto Film Festival (including No Country For Old Men and The Assassination of Jesse James...) and I thought Juno was the best of them. It was hilarious!