Juno, the backlash

I suppose it was inevitable -- when a relative newcomer like Diablo Cody writes a movie starring a relative newcomer like Ellen Page, and people go crazy over it, some people will get their hackles raised.

Of course, I'm referring to Juno, my favorite movie of 2007 (which isn't saying much, because I didn't get to see many movies in 2007, but still ...). The sweet coming-of-age story about a pregnant teen, her supportive-yet-flummoxed parents, and the confused yuppies who want to adopt her baby probably would have won me over if it had been set in Grand Rapids, Mich., though I'll admit that the Minnesota setting sealed the deal. Still, the sharp dialogue, complex characters and intriguing twists in both plot and characters made it a memorable night at the old cineplex for Mr. and Mrs. Gopher.

Yet when I was listening to a recent podcast from ESPN.com's Bill Simmons (a.k.a. The Sports Guy), I was saddened but not surprised to hear Simmons and one of his writer friends ripping Juno, expressing joy that it didn't haul in a truckload of Golden Globe awards. Simmons is a former TV writer who now lives in LA and likely is frustrated at the amount of time it's taken him to climb the Hollywood ladder, so it didn't shock me that he might be all too eager to look for any opportunity to burst the bubble of a first-time screenwriter like Cody. And there's been plenty of angst directed at Cody among the Twin Cities hipster community, because, after all, she's made it big and they haven't, and wasn't it Morrissey who sang how we hate it when our friends become successful?

But I was heartened to see that Juno received a number of Oscar nominations, including best picture, Page for best actress, Jason Reitman for best director, and Cody for best screenplay (should be a slam-dunk in my mind). And our girl Diablo was on Letterman tonight.

Haters beware -- you're merely exposing your own petty jealousies when you stand in the way of the Juno juggernaut.