The Works of Director Jason Reitman

Jason Reitman has an appealing flair for making films that touch upon serious issues, but with a comical twist. He has accomplished this in 2007’s Juno, 2009’s Up in the Air and most recently in Young Adult. These films allow viewers to share a few laughs while also putting some serious thought in the overall message of the story. Think of him as a provider of “the best of both worlds.”

Juno could be placed in either comedy or drama category. The film’s comedic factors derive from the titular character’s smart alec, teenage mannerisms and hip, snappy dialogue, brought to us by the always reliably clever and funny Diablo Cody. The script’s highly memorable lines also come at us from Juno’s inappropriate best friend Leah (Olivia Thirlby) and her strict but loving parents, played by Allison Janney and J.K. Simmons.

The dramatic side of the film has to do with Juno’s pregnancy. Throughout the film, we are thinking if she will decide to keep her baby for herself and raise it with her boyfriend (Michael Cera), or give it up to adoptive parents (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) so she could live a normal life. Juno desperately wants to fit in at school, but can’t when her life takes a left turn that could make her a social pariah.

Compared to dreadful MTV reality shows, such as 16 and Pregnant, the characters and situations in Juno come closer to real life, especially since the filmmaker doesn’t try to sensationalize Juno’s predicament like MTV does with its teen-pregnancy show. Diablo Cody’s story is simple in its telling of a difficult subject.

Up in the Air could be labeled as Reitman’s film that is a true drama. It was released about a year after the beginning of the recession. The script was co-written by the director and Sheldon Turner, which was based on the 2001 novel of the same name. The two still manage to put a humorous twist on the matter at large, but it still keeps the story in a serious perspective.

The film stars George Clooney as Ryan Bingham, a corporate downsizer from the Career Transitions Corporation who flies around to different companies to fire people because their bosses are apprehensive to do so. He is told to mentor a new college graduate named Natalie Keener (played by a spunky Anna Kendrick), and bring her along on his travels to show her the ropes. Clooney and Kendrick carry much of the film’s lightheartedness with their witty interplay of how each of them thinks the job should be done, with old views versus new views. He also gets involved in a relationship with a fellow traveler named Alex (Vera Farmiga). Their time together is spent with late-night trysts in their hotel rooms, followed by whipping out their laptops to see when their flight paths will cross again.

The film’s most heartrending moments come at the beginning as Ryan fires a succession of people, with a few more firings placed throughout the rest of the movie. Except for a couple of fired individuals played by well-known actors, such as J.K. Simmons and Zach Galifianakis, most of them were extras who were fired from their jobs fairly recently prior to the film’s release. Reitman asked them to either respond to their firing as they did when they were fired in real life, or as they wished they had responded. Judging by what you see in the film, many of the extras responded in the way that truly expressed their feelings. Despite Up in the Air’s humorous undertone, this opening sequence grounds the film in a setting that’s very real to what we’re going through now.

Reitman’s latest film, Young Adult, is much like Juno in its more prominent blend of dramatic and comedic elements. The story follows Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron), who is a washed-up writer of young-adult novels. She gets invited back to her hometown to attend a party for her high school boyfriend’s (Patrick Wilson) and his wife’s (Elizabeth Reaser) newborn baby. While on her visit, Mavis intends to win back her old flame at all costs.

During the film, Mavis is seen as a cold, amusing portrait of someone who refuses to grow up. Although we laugh at her one-liners, we can’t help but have an unsympathetic view of her as she goes through pathetic attempts to win back her past boyfriend. She’s almost impossible to like or feel sorry for, which is fine, because that’s how screenwriter Diablo Cody wanted us to view her. It isn’t until the party that Mavis makes the reasons behind her behavior known, and our feelings for her immediately get switched to the other side of the coin as she makes this devastating confession. Her tirade is prompted by spilt red wine on her shirt, resembling a splotch of blood as she opens up this emotional wound.

Jason Reitman has recently become one of my favorite directors for his skill in mixing the funny and the serious. His depiction of real life issues has done an admirable job with strengthening the comedy-drama genre of film. Reitman’s films have come close to resembling what life is about, with all of its ups and downs, laughs and tears.