Bonus Features on Juno DVD

Offbeat Comedy Includes Offbeat Extras on Reitman DVD Release

May 9, 2008

Director Jason Reitman delivers on the "Juno" DVD as well as the theatrical release: An unusual assortment of extra features makes the home version even more enjoyable.

The quirky comedy of the film Juno comes through in the commentary, deleted scenes, and gag features included on the DVD.

Perky and petite, Ellen Page portrays the title character of Juno, a 16-year-old high school student who faces an unplanned pregnancy by her mint-popping best friend Paulie (Michael Cera). As Juno explains it, she was bored, there was a big comfortable chair, and Paulie had “wanted it for a long time.” Thus begin her problems that set the story in motion.

When her shocked father (J.K. Simmons) and stepmother (Allison Janney) agree to help her arrange for an adoption, Juno takes matters into her own hands and finds a nice childless couple through the classified section of a local newspaper. She meets Mark and Vanessa Loring (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner), and knows they’ll be the perfect couple for raising her child. Sweetly compliant Paulie offers her as much or as little input, support, and companionship as she desires. Although Juno and the Lorings seem confident and firm in their convictions, the situation unravels somewhat as her pregnancy progresses.

The eclectic cast seems handpicked for their roles, especially Page and Cera, who exude their own brand of charm in interpreting their roles. The strange-sounding dialogue eventually stops sounding strange as it helps define the bizarre cast of characters living in this little world. Their quirky manner of speaking, style of dressing, and way of interacting with each other combine into a satisfying comedic mix.

Bonus features usually include commentary and a couple of deleted scenes, but Juno provides a variety of extras not often found on the DVD versions. In addition to commentary with Reitman and Academy Award-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody, the DVD includes plenty of wisely deleted scenes (with optional commentary by Reitman and Cody) that show a slightly darker side of Juno that make her even edgier and a little less likeable.

Other features include a gag reel with line flubs and profanity, and a phoney gag take in which cast and crew get carried away with their roles. There’s also a funny cast and crew jam session and a lengthy segment with screen tests (including some actors who were not chosen for the parts). By including the audio commentary with all these bonus features, viewers can enjoy hours of extra Juno entertainment.

The copyright of the article Bonus Features on Juno DVD in Romantic Comedy Films is owned by Leslie C. Halpern. Permission to republish Bonus Features on Juno DVD in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.