16 year old, talking like a 30/40 year old.

I honestly find this just to be the way that Ellen Page speaks in most of her movies. It seems not a fault of the dialogue, but built into her personality. Other than her era piece movies (like American Crime) she spoke this way in Hard Candy, Whip It, Smart People, and many others.

I spoke a lot like her when I was a teen, as did more than a few of my friends. That was a few decades ago. Maybe it's just more common now for teens to talk like 9 year olds.


Me, I wasn't thrown off by her dialogue.





Please do not make negative comments about a film YOU NEVER SAW. It makes you look stupid.

I've never heard a 40 year old say their husband or wife is "totally boss".

Hands off the pie

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Juno's a fine fictional character for a fictional movie, but you'll have to watch something like "16 and Pregnant" to see how these sixteen year old pregnant bimbos really behave.

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I don't mean to toot my own horn but watching Juno brought back memories of me and my friends at 16 (I'm 31 now). We were all the nerdy honors students that couldn't wait to graduate and move out of our small town. I think because we weren't wrapped up in the usual high school flare (proms, sports, dances, etc) and, well, we were nerds, we occupied ourselves with reading, studying, renting old movies, spent many hours lamenting the boy-band resurgence of the late 90s and instead clung to grunge, classic rock, and jazz (I'll admit - it got pretentious at times). Regardless, I think anyone who challenges themselves intellectually is going to be more apt in witty banter and clever conversation.

I think why Juno seems so "unbelievable" is not because there aren't teenagers who think outside the box, but because movie/tv producers rarely show them. It's a safer bet to showcase young characters who embody more typical teenage tropes where their greatest concerns are fitting in and character arcs that involve the difficulties in doing so - all ending under some culmination involving a dance or sporting event. These teenage experiences probably resonate on a more populous level and therefore make it easier to garner a wider audience.

But just because something is the more "common" characterization does not mean it's end all be all for every member of that demographic. My nephew is on his way to 16. Whereas other boys his age are more concerned with being cool or making a sports team, he listens to Elvis and jazz; he loves to cook; he's constantly reading; he teaches himself foreign languages for fun; and has other random interests like a very involved fascination for celtic culture. This kid is hilarious to talk to but unfortunately these interests and his quirky personality make it hard for him to find friends his age. I think he's just ahead of his time. So yes, when I see kids like him it makes a character like Juno absolutely believable. And I think what made it a memorable movie is that it dared to showcase these types of teens who break the mold.

I thought it was cool, actually, how she talked. Had she TRULY talked like someone as old as you say, it would have been dumb, but she talked only old enough to be still believable.