ByGarin Pirnia|Dec 5, 2017, 5:00 AM EST
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Made for only $6.5 million, Juno defied expectations when it grossed $231 million worldwide and earned four Oscar nominations, including a nod for Best Picture. (It was the first Fox Searchlight film to surpass $100 million at the box office.) Jason Reitman directed Ellen Page as the titular teenager who gets impregnated by her friend, Paulie (Michael Cera). She decides to carry the baby to full term and then adopt it to married couple Mark and Vanessa Loring (Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner).
Diablo Cody, a one-time stripper who wrote the 2005 book Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper, wrote the screenplay (her first) and won the 2008 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. The film became a pop culture phenomenon, largely because of its strong cast, witty dialogue, catchy soundtrack, and how it depicted teen pregnancy as something positive instead of life-destroying. Here are 13 facts about the hit indie dramedy, which hit theaters 10 years ago today.
1. THE SCRIPT WAS “DEEPLY PERSONAL” FOR DIABLO CODY.
The scribe based the story on her own life and wanted to tell a story that was “different” from the rest of Hollywood movies. “Juno is like a personal, emotional scavenger hunt for me,” Cody told The Telegraph. “I dragged so many of my own experiences into it that I’m shocked the movie is so coherent. I managed to get every person, quirk, and object that has meaning in my life into the script. I wanted to make it deeply personal. I didn’t want it to be generic.”
2. MICHAEL CERA LIKED THE FORMAT OF THE SCRIPT.
In an interview with Collider, Michael Cera said that one reason he wanted to star in the movie was because the script was written like a book. “I remember certain paragraphs were just broken up oddly and that kind of … I was like, oh, it’s not like reading a script,” he said. “It’s more like a book. That kind of made me want to do the movie. I thought, well, if it’s written oddly, if it’s not written like a script, then it’s got to be a good movie.”
3. ELLEN PAGE DOESN’T CONSIDER IT A PRO-LIFE MOVIE.
The film takes an apolitical stance on teen pregnancy, but Page gets upset when “people call it a pro-life movie,” she told the Toronto Star. “In other words, that it’s anti-abortion,” she said. “That’s just not true. To me, it’s not a political film. I never thought about that when we were making it. Sometimes I even forget she’s pregnant. The most important thing is the choice is there and the film completely demonstrates that. It allows a scene in an abortion clinic, for goodness sake. A lot of films probably wouldn’t do that.”
At a live reading of the movie earlier this year, Cody told Vanity Fair that it “disturbed” her how people considered Juno to be “an anti-choice movie. In a way, I feel like I had a responsibility to maybe be more explicitly pro-choice, and I wasn’t … I think I took the right to choose for granted at the time.”
4. ALLISON JANNEY APPRECIATED THE NON-STEREOTYPICAL STEPMOTHER ROLE.
The actress plays Juno’s stepmother, Bren, who surprisingly supports her stepdaughter’s pregnancy and then forms a relationship with her. “I kept waiting for the Evil Stepmother to make it hard for Juno, and then she didn’t,” Janney said. “Diablo herself was a stepmother, too, and I think she wanted to debunk the Evil Stepmother myth and take that in a whole new direction.” Janney references Juno’s ultrasound scene, when Bren becomes protective of her daughter. “There’s something wonderful about Diablo; she does not seem to judge any of her characters. And then the one woman who crosses a line is the one I get to tear into, which is always fun to do as an actor.”
5. THE “JUNO EFFECT” MAY OR MAY NOT BE REAL.
Around the time the movie was released, Gloucester High School in Massachusetts noticed an increase in teen pregnancies. The school’s principal, Dr. Joseph Sullivan, told TIME several young women “made a pact to get pregnant and raise their babies together.” The media dubbed it “The Juno Effect.” In 2008, Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards told Entertainment Weekly the teen birthrate was increasing. However, since then, teen pregnancies have been on the decline.
6. JUNO IS SORT OF AN ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT REUNION.
Cera and Bateman played father-son on Arrested Development. In the movie they do not share any scenes together, but Bateman joked to MTV that it would’ve been strange “if I were adopting my son’s child … At one point we were joking that Michael would walk by in the background of a scene and I would do a double-take as if to be like, ‘I know that guy from somewhere!’ But we never ended up doing that.”
7. DIABLO CODY APOLOGIZED FOR THE DIANA ROSS LINE.
Juno says that her dad named her after Zeus’ wife. She tells him Juno “was supposed to be really beautiful but really mean, like Diana Ross.” At an April all-female cast live reading of the script, Cody told Vanity Fair she “felt bad” about the line, and when she wrote it she thought celebrities didn’t have feelings. “I want to apologize,” she said. To make things weirder, Ross’s daughter, Tracee Ellis Ross, also participated in the reading. “My God! You couldn’t cut it out for the reading? Seriously? That’s my mom for God’s sake,” Ellis Ross joked after Page read the line.
8. THE SOUNDTRACK SOLD MORE THAN 1 MILLION COPIES.
Kimya Dawson—along with Sonic Youth, The Kinks, Belle and Sebastian, Cat Power—had songs featured on the film’s two soundtracks (the second one being Juno B-Sides: Almost Adopted Songs). The first one was a big hit—it went platinum. Dawson, who plays in The Moldy Peaches, was discovered through her paintings. Three years before the movie came out, Dawson painted a picture for future Juno casting director Kara Lipson. Page was a big fan of The Moldy Peaches and recommended the band to Reitman. Lipson heard he was trying to track Dawson down. “So she just e-mailed me and was like, ‘Hey, remember me? I ordered a painting,’” Dawson told Entertainment Weekly. “She sent me a copy of [Reitman’s first feature] Thank You for Smoking and the [Juno] screenplay. And then, once I’d watched Thank You for Smoking and read the screenplay, I was like, ‘Okay, cool.’ I liked that movie, and this is a nice story about family and pregnancy and all that business that I like.”
9. NAPOLEON DYNAMITE INFLUENCED CODY, BUT NOT THE DIRECTOR.
Four years before Juno was released, Napoleon Dynamite, another micro-budgeted film that grossed a lot of money, inspired Cody. “Napoleon Dynamite was the successful indie movie. And I saw it, and I went, okay, I’ll write something like that. But I’ll make Napoleon a girl,” she told Vanity Fair.
But Reitman didn’t understand the Napoleon comparisons. “I actually see none of Napoleon Dynamite in this,” he told ComingSoon.net. “There’s a realness to this movie that Napoleon never had.” In fact, he’d compare it to Election. “I think there’s a lot of Mark stuff that’s drawn from Matthew Broderick’s character in Election—the humiliation.”
10. JENNIFER GARNER’S CHARACTER WASN’T THAT COLD.
Garner’s Vanessa wants to adopt Juno’s baby. At first she comes across as cold, but eventually softens. “There’s somebody I was basing it on who maybe came across as cold or controlling, but was really just trying so hard to do the right thing,” Garner told Entertainment Weekly. “What happens in this movie forces the character to open up bit by bit. I think she just wants this baby, and she thinks the way to go about it is to be as appealingly Leave It to Beaver as possible. And she just forgets to add the human being in there.”
11. THE MOVIE ISN’T REALLY ABOUT TEEN PREGNANCY.
“We didn’t intend to make a movie about teen pregnancy and the options available to people who find themselves in that situation,” Cody told NPR. “We just wanted to tell a personal story about maturity and relationships. And the pregnancy just kind of motivates the story.”
12. NEITHER PAGE NOR CODY WAS FAMILIAR WITH SOUPY SALES.
Juno references the famous comedian in the movie, even though Page—and possibly Cody—had no idea who he was. “I always wonder about that line because I think, ‘No way would any teenager reference Soupy Sales,’” Cody told PopMatters, “but it always gets a laugh. I’m always aware of my own failings as a writer. I’m not even quite sure who Soupy Sales is.” Page said, “I had no idea it was even someone.”
13. HAMBURGER PHONE SALES INCREASED.
Because Juno liked to talk on a hamburger phone, the studio thought it would be a fun marketing ploy to send out promotional hamburger phones. Australians sold the phones on eBay, and eBay in the U.S. said demand for the phone jumped 759 percent right after Juno was released in theaters. The phone currently sells on Amazon for $14.95.
Quiz: Can You Name the Halloween Costume From These Three Clues?
See how many classic costumes you can construct before the clock runs out.
ByNitya Rao|Oct 28, 2026, 7:00 PM EDT
Anyone can copy a Halloween costume with the right reference photo, but can you assemble one in reverse from just a handful of random accessories? From wand-wielding wizards to iconic movie monsters, someone, somewhere, has worn it all. Now it’s your turn to put your costume designer hat on and see how quickly you can build a costume from three key components and sheer creativity. Put your pop culture memory and Halloween fashion sense to the test below.https://www.sporcle.com/framed/?v=10&pm&gid=41faab33X4&fid=6ae23fc6d6f32
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How did your styling session go? Are you ready to open your Spirit Halloween franchise, or did some of those clues leave you (or at least your hypothetical Halloween Sim) naked and afraid? Whether you nailed every look on the first try or had to call it quits after the third ambiguous cape, challenge a fellow Halloween fanatic to see if they can beat your score!
The Most Popular Halloween Costumes Through the Decades
If piecing together costumes from random props made you realize just how deeply pop culture is embedded in our October traditions, take a look at how Halloween fashion has evolved over the last century (according to The Daily Meal):
1920s: Clowns, Witches & Farmers
As trick-or-treating started gaining traction, homemade costumes like witches, farmers, and the Pierrot clown—complete with iconic black-and-white face paint—became instant classics.
1930s: Mickey & Minnie Mouse
Mass-produced costumes hit the scene thanks to Ben Cooper after landing a major Disney license. Kids could easily transform into Mickey, Minnie, and Snow White in simple slip dresses and rubber masks right alongside traditional ghosts and goblins.
1940s: Witches & Cats
With the rise of pinup culture, classic costumes like witches and cats got a flirty makeover featuring things like fishnet stockings, dark makeup, and shorter hemlines.
1950s: Hula Dancers & Cowboys
Years before Hawaii officially became a U.S. state in 1959, a postwar hyperfixation on all things tiki and luau took over the country. Combined with the massive popularity of Western films, this inspired hibiscus prints, grass skirts, and cowboy hats to join the mix of spookier characters on Halloween night.
1960s: Superheroes
Comic book icons like Superman, Batman, and Catwoman surveyed the streets as rubber masks and capes made cosplaying your favorite crime-fighter easy.
1970s: Peanuts & Star Wars
TV, cartoons, and pop culture ruled the decade, with trick-or-treaters sporting plastic masks and ’70s staples to emulate the Peanuts gang, Star Wars characters, and Charlie’s Angels.
1980s: Elvira & Hulk Hogan
Higher-budget costumes let fans lean hard into pop culture on Halloween, whether channeling vampy Elvira hairdos, Hulk Hogan onesies, or slasher villains like Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers.
1990s: Power Rangers & The Simpsons
The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and The Simpsons were the easy answers to the group costume dilemma. Think colorful nylon onesies, yellow face paint, and many, many masks.
2000s: Y2K Stars & Harry Potter
Halloween costume inspiration shifted toward real-life Y2K icons like Britney Spears and Michael Jackson, with just as many fantasy favorites like Harry Potter and SpongeBob SquarePants down the block.
2010s: Frozen & Pop Culture
Elsa, Anna, and Marvel heroes reigned supreme amongst the new generation of trick-or-treaters. The digital era also saw the rise of meme costumes and political election outfits featuring even more uncanny valley face masks.
If you love testing your pop culture trivia and Halloween knowledge, check out the Mental Floss quiz page daily for more spooky challenges.
The countdown to Halloween is on, and we’re challenging our readers here at Mental Floss with our Trick or Trivia quiz giveaway. For 13 nights between October 19-31, we’re putting your knowledge of all things spooky to the test. Think you know Halloween? Take at least one quiz and enter to be in the running to win a $200 Barnes & Noble gift card.
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The Artist Who Taught Bob Ross His Famous Painting Technique
Before Bob Ross painted happy little trees, he learned his famous wet-on-wet technique from a German art master.
ByChris Wheatley|Oct 28, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT
One of the undeniably positive effects of the TikTok era is that, through the vague mysteries of the “algorithm,” fresh generations have been introduced to the soothing talents of painter Bob Ross. Born in 1942 in Daytona Beach, Florida, Ross served as a master sergeant in the United States Air Force, but it was later, when he began working as an art tutor, that his passion for painting propelled him to modest fame.
Becoming Bob Ross
It was one of his pupils, a lady named Annette Kowalski, who first saw possibilities for Ross beyond the classroom. Together with her husband, Walt, Ross, and Ross’ wife, a new company, Bob Ross Inc., was created with Bob as the star. In 1982, Ross taped a pilot for a simple show—just him in front of the camera, painting a landscape whilst offering advice. Broadcast on the tiny station, WNVC, in Falls Church, Virginia, dozens of PBS stations were soon eager to sign him up.
Ross eventually went with WIPB in Muncie, Indiana, where his show, The Joy of Painting, ran from 1983 to 1994. With his distinctive permed hairstyle and soft, welcoming voice, Ross was able to create a warm, comforting atmosphere that appealed even to non-artists.
The Original Master
What many people don’t know is that Ross’ techniques and style were not wholly original. Ross had been working as a bartender when he happened upon a television show titled The Magic of Oil Painting, which was hosted by the German painter, William “Bill'” Alexander. Born in Berlin in 1915, Alexander later emigrated to America, where he began hosting shows and writing books on art. He specialized in the alla prima or wet-on-wet technique. Dating back to the 15th century, this approach allowed for a single canvas to be finished in less than half an hour.
Following his retirement from the Air Force, Ross sought out Alexander and studied under him. He even joined Alexander’s company—Alexander Magic Art Supplies—and was acting as a travelling instructor and salesman for this establishment when he first met Annette Kowalski.
A Bitter Rift
Although in the very first episode of The Joy of Painting, Ross fully acknowledged Alexander’s teaching, his rising fame evidently caused friction between the two men. Alexander felt that Ross had leaped to success on the back of his own career. In a 1991 interview, he said of Ross: “He betrayed me.”
Whilst the truth is that neither man can fairly lay claim to have invented the wet-on-wet technique, it’s sad to think that they ended up in animosity. Ross sadly passed in 1995, a year after the final episode of The Joy of Painting was aired.
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Quiz: Can You Name the Winona Ryder Movie From One Character?
The two-time Oscar nominee turns 55 on October 28.
ByAlexandria Ingham|Oct 29, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT
Winona Ryder is one of the most famous actresses of her generation. She has starred in a variety of movies over the years, whether you remember her for her standout, heartfelt performance in Edward Scissorhands or when she was dancing away in the air in Beetlejuice. How many performances can you remember, though? We’re going to give you the name of her character, and we want you to match the movie.
Did you get all eight right? If you did, then you are a true Winona Ryder fan. Don’t worry if you missed a few. It’s the perfect time of year to go through her movie history and do a binge-watch.
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The Most Memorable Winona Ryder Performances
While many now know her as Joyce Byers in Stranger Things, she’s had a history with the wacky and weird when it comes to movies. Her breakthrough remains one of her most notable roles, when she played Lydia Deetz in Beetlejuice in 1988, and she reprised the role in the long-awaited sequel.
In the Tim Burton classic, she played a spiked-haired, camera-toting goth teenager who wasn’t afraid to call it like it was. She brought empathy when it came to the house’s spirits, wanting to help them move on rather than try to scare them away, and it made it clear that she was a star to watch out for.
So, it wasn’t surprising to see her team up with Burton again in 1990, when she played Kim Boggs in Edward Scissorhands. Within the innocence of her relationship with Edward is a warmth that all the adults could learn from.https://www.youtube.com/embed/9-K2wo6btqM?feature=oembed
However, before she reunited with Burton, there was another 1988 performance that stood out. Everyone remembers Heathers, in which Ryder played Veronica Sawyer. It was a career-defining role, as she took on the conflicts of a teenager who wants to get revenge against popular high school bullies, but she does so in a rather terrifying and permanent way.
Ryder isn’t just good at weird movies, though. In 1990, she also took on the role of Jo March in Little Women, bringing a maturity to the role that surprised many who had known her for the quirkier movies to start. In fact, Little Women would earn her a nomination for Best Actress at the Oscars, making it clear that she was growing into an actress to watch.
Since then, Ryder has brought rebels, outsiders, idealists, and doting moms to life throughout a career that spans almost 40 years.
If you love to test your movie knowledge, make sure you bookmark the Mental Floss quiz page for more challenges.
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What Dating Was Like 100 Years Ago
Decades before dating apps and DMs, romance followed courtship rules, and some dates required a chaperone … until the 1920s.
ByLogan DeLoye|Oct 29, 2026, 12:00 PM EDT
You’re transported back to 1926, and it’s the bee’s knees, but you want someone to share it with.
Feeling lonely, you reach into your sweatpants pocket for your phone to swipe through Hinge; only apps don’t exist yet, cell phones won’t be invented for decades, and you’re probably wearing nice trousers, or a long skirt or dress instead.
So, how are you meant to find a date?
Long before people downloaded dating apps and sent DMs, romance relied on courtship and chaperones to uphold reputation and virtue, at least, until the 1920s.
COURTSHIP BEFORE WORLD WAR I
Before World War I ended, dating as we know it today was nonexistent. Parents guided their children toward a possible match, and the courtship process was very strict. A suitor, approved by the woman’s parents, would leave a “calling card” at her doorstep to let her and her family know he intended to court her (spend time getting to know her).
If the parents were pleased with his efforts, they would invite him into their home for a “supervised” visit with their daughter. The actual “date” might’ve consisted of the woman entertaining the man with piano playing or a dance. The suitor would then “call” regularly, bring gifts to his intended match and her family, and eventually, the pair would go on public outings together… chaperoned, of course. This continued until the suitor asked the woman’s father for permission to propose and the family deemed him financially capable of taking care of her.
This was the typical process that led to marriage throughout the 1800s and into the early 1900s.
DATING IN THE 1920s
The war ended in 1918; women secured the right to vote in 1919, joined the workforce in droves, and everyone began putting on the Ritz as the Roaring ‘20s rolled in.
Possible suitors rang their dates on the telephone, and new, close-bodied automobiles kept young daters more concealed; a feature that concerned the older generation. Finding a partner became less of a marital strategy and more of a casual ordeal.
Movies and dance halls grew in popularity, providing the perfect setting for an informal date. According to The Mob Museum, upper- and middle-class citizens socialized on the train, with the Pullman Company offering “dining, lounge and ballroom cars with live bands.”
Sometimes, a date was simply driving around in the car and maybe stopping by the local ice cream parlor for a delicious cherry phosphate. As car ownership among young people accelerated, the need for a chaperone lessened, diminishing the courtship process.
Cities boomed as more people left rural communities for the excitement of urban oases, where meeting new people was more common.
While traditional expectations and standards still held true in rural areas, city dwellers thought unconventional dating was the cat’s pajamas in the 1920s. The 18th Amendment, which banned the sale and transportation of liquor, created speakeasies, secret bars that became popular spots for drinks, dancing, and jazz music, especially in metropolitan areas.
Urbanization, entertainment, updated transportation, and changing laws and lifestyles all contributed to the disappearance of traditional courtship and the rise of casual dating 100 years ago. This concept is still alive and well in 2026; only there are fewer chance encounters at dance halls and soda shops, and more online dating profiles and split-the-bill dinners.
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