juno is one of my very favourite films. i can watch it over and over again, and always feel slightly heartwarmed at its unorthodox optimism. the title character herself reminds me of one of my dear friends, with her sharp wit, cool sarcasm, and ultimately affectionate edge.
the soundtrack manages to encompass these quirky, slightly offbeat characteristics while maintaining musical direction, integrity, and a delightfully unified sound. despite featuring a vast range of artists, it speaks with one voice: that mature-beyond-my-years-but-not-quite-ready-to-admit-it thing that juno does so well. it's totally and completely believable, and every time i listen to it, i feel an empathy with the character. one of the coolest things about this soundtrack is that the actress herself suggested that the soundtrack feature the moldy peaches (a band that the soundtrack inspired me to independently investigate, and who are great.) this basically makes me think ellen page is one rad girl.
my affection for belle and sebastian, and this album's influence thereon, has been catalogued previously. but this album is full of so many other little surprises, and has inspired my musical taste in a lot of ways. the opening track, barry louis polisar's "all i want is you" typifies that idiosyncratic but totally warm feel of the soundtrack - i adore the song, and the lyrics encapsulate something that just feels genuine.
i love the sonic youth cover of the carpenters, and i'm always going to enjoy anything that features buddy holly (who i swear is a musical genius). the album manages to span the well-known to the obscure; often chosing clightly eclectic songs from prominent artists, but also featuring some lesser-known musicians. it spans generations and musical tastes, but above all it adds a certain je ne sais quoi to the film - surely the ultimate objective of any soundtrack.
folksy, cutesy, and slightly edgy. beautiful.
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