Netflix's new holiday action thriller Carry-On, starring Taron Edgerton and Jason Bateman, is currently dominating the site’s movie charts, with critics and viewers alike praising Bateman’s turn as a methodical villain facilitating a terrorist attack. Though he’s known primarily for his comedic roles, Carry-On isn’t the first time Bateman has played an antagonistic role, earning a SAG Award in 2023 and four Emmy nominations for his performance as the money laundering anti-hero Marty Byrde in Ozark. But if you go back further, you'll find Bateman playing a unique — and much more realistic — kind of antagonist in the 2007 coming-of-age film, Juno.
In Jason Reitman's critically acclaimed dramedy, 16-year-old Juno (Elliot Page) gets pregnant and decides to give her baby up for adoption to Mark (Bateman) and Vanessa Loring (Jennifer Garner), a wealthy couple unable to have children. Mark soon develops a friendly rapport with Juno, but as the film progresses, his interest in Juno turns disturbing when it becomes clear he sees her as more than just the biological mother of his future child (and, you know, a teenage girl). In his performance as Mark, Bateman creates an insidious antagonist by using his signature sarcastic charm to disarm and distract Juno (and the viewer) from his predatory behavior.
What Is 'Juno' About?
Directed byReitman with an Academy Award-winning screenplay by Diablo Cody, Juno follows Minnesota teenager Juno MacGuff. Her life is turned upside down when she finds out she’s pregnant after having sex with her best friend Bleeker (Michael Cera). Although she considers getting an abortion, she ultimately decides against it. She chooses to go through with the pregnancy instead and give the baby up for adoption to Mark and Vanessa, a couple who placed an ad in the local paper. Unlike Juno and her family, Mark and Vanessa live in a big house in a wealthy neighborhood. While Vanessa could not be more excited about being a mother, Mark is a little less enthused about fatherhood.
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Upon Juno’s first meeting with the couple at their home, she discovers Mark’s music collection, and the two bond over their love of punk music and horror movies. Though she has no ill will towards Vanessa, Juno takes a liking to Mark and ends up spending time with him one-on-one at their house when Vanessa is at work, listening to records and watching splatter movies together. Bleeker and Juno’s stepmother Brenda (Allison Janney) both point out the fact that their dynamic is a bit strange, but Juno doesn't see anything wrong with their relationship. As Juno comes to terms with her feelings for Bleeker, Mark is under the impression that Juno has been flirting with him the whole time, revealing he’s attracted to Juno and even willing to leave his wife for her, which she patently rejects.
'Juno' Uses Jason Bateman to Subvert Our Expectations
From his child actor days in shows like Little House on the Prairieand The Hogan Family to his lead role in Arrested Development, to studio comedies like Horrible Bosses, Jason Bateman didn't start taking on darker roles until later in his career. In 2015, Bateman played a more sinister role in the psychological thriller, The Gift. As Juno came before this shift, Bateman's reputation as a comedic actor was used to subvert our expectations of Mark. In Juno, Vanessa is framed as the nagging, overbearing wife who forced Mark to keep all evidence of his past in his own designated room, contrasted by the quirky, free-spirited Juno who shares his interests despite being over a decade younger than him. While his wife is desperate to become a mother, as Juno's due date approaches, Mark grows more apprehensive about becoming a father.
Spending time with Juno and reminiscing about his past as a guitar player in a rock band kicks off Mark's identity crisis, pulling away from Vanessa as he realizes he's not ready for fatherhood. Juno finds Mark to be cool and interesting, and the way she puts him on a pedestal makes him feel special and yearn for the past. He enjoys spending time with Juno without Vanessa's knowledge and is attracted to Juno, offering to leave Vanessa and start a new life with her. Mark makes for a compelling antagonist because his actions may be interpreted differently depending on the age of the viewer, as girls Juno's age may not recognize the signs that Mark is a creep, while adults will likely feel a skin-crawling sensation every time Mark gets her alone. Bateman is perfectly cast for this role, not only because his comedic sensibilities complement Page's to a tee, but because the kind of humor we expect from him is used to mask Mark's insidiousness.
Mark isn't an entirely one-dimensional antagonist either, with real insecurities about aging and fatherhood, but after Vanessa confronts him, he shows his pathetic true colors, executed impeccably by Bateman. Juno showcases the very best of Bateman, who transforms his comedic abilities into something dark and layered, proving his ability to take on more morally gray and villainous roles in the future, like those in Ozark and, most recently, Carry-On.
Image Via Fox Searchlight Pictures
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