Juno, Film Script, for Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts

by Diablo Cody

The Production Script for JUNO sent to Members of the Academy.

Genres: Film, Plays, Fiction, Comedy, Media Tie In, Realistic Fiction, Romance

Paperback

First published January 2, 2008

About the author

Brook Busey, better known by the pen name Diablo Cody, is an American Academy Award-winning screenwriter, writer, author, journalist and blogger. First known for her candid chronicling of her year as a stripper in her Pussy Ranch blog and her 2006 memoir, Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper, Cody won wider fame as the writer of the 2007 film Juno, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.

A sitcom written by Cody, called The United States of Tara, based on an idea by Steven Spielberg, is currently in pilot stage at Showtime. She has several other scripts in the development stage at various studios.

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

The movie is one of the best I've seen. I was so impressed with it I had to read the script and I'm enjoying that almost as much as seeing the movie. I didn't think I would laugh when I read the script but I did.

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had forgotten how good this movie is. Am surprised I don't own it. Really want to watch it again after reading this screenplay. I like to read screenplays as it is probably the best way to gain skill in writing them. I haven't worked on any for a while but want to get back into it and thought the best way would be to get into reading them again. I picked a good one to start with too - great dialogue and a fast moving plot about everyday people. Looking forward to reading some more and maybe writing more soon! Will have to check out some other movies written by Diablo Cody as well.

[karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

ugh that was so cute i need to rewatch it soon

[Tom C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best scripts I've read. Quirky characters and situations. Really idiosyncratic dialogue. "It started with a chair." Juno is wise beyond her years, and Mark is immature despite his years, but I found myself rooting for both of them.

[Sheva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I watched the movie more than once because I think that the script is genius. So I really really need to grab it now.

[Darsana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sort of liked becoming furniture in your weird life.

This has to be one of my favorite movie dialogues in a long time. Juno By Jason Reitman and Diablo Cody is an all time favorite of mine. It stars some of the most underrated actors these days like Bateman, Simmons, Thirbly, Page and Cera.
When I got the chance to read this, I was a bit skeptical; It's not exactly a book, so I thought I wouldn't be really taking anything away from it that I didn't already absorb with the movie. I was pleasantly surprised. It's almost the same but there are small gestures and actions that Cody seems to have thought through, that I, as a viewer, neglected. The amount of thought and intricately crafted realism in the script is also very astonishing.

The script also made me appreciate Ellen Page a little bit more. In the hands of someone less capable, this would have seemed ill fit or pretentious, but Page manages to effortlessly imbibe Cody's intentions and yet sets apart her own individual manifestation of Juno.

All in all, If you LOVE the movie, you should check it out.

[Alee Hofman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this for my grandma for her birthday because she loved the movie so much. But before i gave it to her, I read it, and loved it :D

[Milla Rovere · Rating 5 out of 5]

full fetched brilliance oh my god I wish I had what Diablo Cody has

[Lydia Schultz]

I don't like... I'm not a screenplay person. because I'm not a film major or an asshole or a person with a vested interest in script-writing. I like prose and that's about it. but fuck g-ddamn holy balls I love Juno with all my heart. tried to read it like I'd never seen it but that's about impossible because I've seen it at least 5 times so I gave up and just had fun trying to pick out all the parts that were different from the movie. also the acting is just so perfect, everyone so well-cast; no way to picture Bleek without Michael Cera, or Mac without JK Simmons, Bren without Allison Janney... et cetera. gotta say I like the way the Mark/Juno relationship comes off a lot more in the movie than in the script—maybe it's just Elliot Page and whatshisname Michael Bluth's acting, maybe it's the fact that it feels more up to interpretation when it's ambiguous on the screen instead of spelled out on the page, but in the movie I like Juno's anger in that scene, I like fucking... Jason Bateman? him. I like his acting as Mark, the portrayal of him as the dickhead fucking creep he is. I'll always get a little spurt of satisfaction from Vanessa's rebuke of Mark, though—"Your shirt is stupid. Grow up." It's just a perfect... I'm trying, as an emotionally illiterate person, to piece together why this movie means so much to me... it's waves of emotions, I guess, is part of it. Juno's unflappability, her sense of humor, her way of dealing with life, but also the other sides we see of her. ugh! yeah.

[Mauvais__gout · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far my favourite dialogues of all time when it comes to scripts for movies (right with Pride and Prejudice and Scott Pilgrim vs The World). It’s just so quotable and after years of watching it I still remembered sooo much of it.

Juno
Plus, you’re the person who doesn’t stare at my stomach all the fucking time. You actually look at my face. And every time I look at you, the baby starts kicking me super hard.

Bleeker
It does?

Juno presses Bleeker’s hand against her belly.

Bleeker
Wizard!

Juno
I think it’s because my heart starts pounding when I look at you.
(...)
Leah
You know, you can go into early labor sucking face like that!

One of my favourite scenes in the movie when:
She revs a Matchbox car against the slope of her belly and lets it roll.

I always start crying at Bleeker going to the hospital & when Vanessa and Bren are watching the newborns! I love the soundtrack and the musical references in the script. Have always loved this little movie. I really loved Juno as a non pregnant 16 year old who liked post punk and gore movies and I’m so glad I got to read this script almost ten years later. Still feels fresh and adorably quirky and awkward without being cringe, and what a feat that is! Only thing I disagree with Juno is that The Wizard of Gore is better than Suspiria... but I understand she’s talking about the body horror...

[Lizzy w · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found the script online, had a quick read of it as I’ve already seen the film, they cut a little bit out in the film which would’ve been a lot more fun to add actually.
Still love the line “you should like talk to it even though it can’t hear you 🤣”
“Hi baby, do you have feet yet?”11
Juno is still my fave x

[Doxie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very sweet story. Diablo Cody was very ahead of her time, because although she could have made some of the female characters act bad in order to make Juno seem better, she didn't. I love Diablo Cody because she makes satisfying endings, characters, and dialogue. I think sometimes she goes a lil ham with stuff but she's very talented.

[Crispy Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this as much as I love the movie.
The script surprised me when reading because I was not able to imagine any of the actors playing these characters. To me Juno and Bleeker's dialogie were so unique to them that I could only associate unique faces to them in my imagination rather than well known ones. I hope this book will be turned into a comic one day mannn

[TAILA STONER · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this movie and this script was *chefs kiss*

Ppl saying “it spent too much time talking about how the characters should feel” have clearly never read a script or play write before. It’s there for a purpose and honestly elevates the experience.

[Jamiefiremaster · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know a script is good when just the pages make you cry

[Asher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m trying to read more scripts this year. God this one is good. Juno has always been one of my favourite movies and Diablo Cody is amazing.

[Tiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite movies as a kid.
Reading the script gave the film more context.

[Bridget · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the movie is very well done and addresses a lot of topics that aren't typically brought up. However, at times I thought the script focused too much on telling you how the characters were feeling exactly, and I think if it's well written enough you don't need to do that. The actors can make their own decisions based on how they understand the characters and how they were written and their emotions on that should be clear. This was just a personal opinion based on what I learned about screenwriting and could have just been with the edition of the script I had. I just thought at times it overexplained and was unnecessary. I think it's still very funny and a nice story overall.

[Mariko Miura · Rating 5 out of 5]

2014/01/14 60min

7words:
sixteen, girl, unexpected, test, suicide, Leah, found

DQ: If you have something that you cannot or afraid to tell to your parents, What would you do?
A: When I was small, I got not so good score on my test, I could not give that to my parents for a week. Finally my mom found it from my desk. lol Because I didn't give it to my mom by myself, She got mad. lol

I love this movie so I bought the script book for me as a late Christmas present! I could not stop reading (which is good!)!! I really enjoyed watching movie with this book!

[Elijah.Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this script. I liked the way Diablo cody portrayed each character and gave them each different intrests and personality traits so that it felt relateable towards teens which probably explains why I enjoyed this book so much. I gave the book four stars because I thought it was a good script and the plot was interesting so it kept me hooked. The reason I didnt give it five stars is because it felt really short towards the end and its ending was pretty cliche. But overall I loved this book and cant wait until I get home to watch the movie.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juno knew how to face her problem [being so irresponsable]. What disappointed me was that her father gave her "feedback" in the moment she told him that she was pregnant. I mean, I was waiting for a long discusion, and whys from the father, but did not happen that way :s
Anyway, I liked she had the courage to do the "right thing". I admired her.
I guess this is one of the teenager problem's "today", and they look/take the "easy way"... Juno did not...

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

This script isn't for everyone, but its genius still sticks with me. It's not only got fun, stylized dialogue, it's pacing and plot are very tight and understated. The protagonist's transformation is smooth, especially as she starts off hard and alienating in the first part of the film. And the casting for the film was superb.

[Alize Herrera]

I loved how the text in this book was short. It made it easier to finish it. The book is amazing just like the movie. I captured a lot of feelings that were not mentioned in the movie. It made me feel more connected with the actor because I really got to to know what was going through their mind. This book is a must read!

[Crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great movie doesn't always produce a great script book, but this one does. Diablo Cody has my favorite female voice in screenwriting since Amy Sherman-Palladino, and if you know me, that's a big compliment.

[Osahi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touched me as much on paper as on celluloid. Strong characters, funny, witty and sparkling dialogue and a couple of scenes that move you to the verge of tears or just crack you up. Diablo Cody is a great voice...

[Rachel Folk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the original script that she wrote for one of my favorite movies. Just goes to show you that life really can turn around if you give it time. She was a stripper and now she is an acclaimed screen writer. Just give it time my friends, just give it time.

[Colin Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the movie -- emphasis on like. I feel the same about the script. I think Diablo Cody is a gifted writer, but this all feels more like a showcase of talent than a cohesive, consistent piece of comedy.

[Rachel C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, that dialogue's tough even on the page. (Kudos to Jason Reitman, Ellen Page and the rest of the cast for making it work.) Character development on the level of "American Beauty" and a happy ending too! Almost a perfect movie. Loved it.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nominated for an Academy Award just this morning. I hope it wins. Diablo Cody is my new favorite writer.

[Heather Ford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The movie is one of the best I've seen. I was so impressed with it I had to read the script and I'm enjoying that almost as much as seeing the movie.