“The real world . . . is far more complicated than simply having the right attitude. We are all, after all, human. We make mistakes. We handle those mistakes poorly and what happens in life is often far more ugly and messy than what you see printed on the silver screen . . . . We make mistakes. We get frustrated. We stop looking for that job after a few lousy interviews and sit at home feeling sorry for ourselves. We escape.”

I can’t think of a better representation of that sentiment than Jason Bateman’s crumbling relationship with Jennifer Garner seen through the eyes of Juno. Yes, the movie’s chock full of winky indie-isms, but beneath that veneer is a story of how the world is versus how we want it to be. That’s the lesson that Jennifer Garner already knows, Jason Bateman doesn’t want to know and Juno is forced to learn.