2007 was already a good year for comedies about pregnancies, with films like “Waitress” and “Knocked Up.”

Now comes “Juno,” which proves to be the best of them all – a smart and very funny indie comedy that features a razor-sharp screen play and an outstanding cast.

Ellen Page stars as Juno, a teenage girl who decides to have sex with her longtime friend Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera).

Her decision has consequences – an unplanned pregnancy that has Juno searching for answers to her problem.

She ultimately decides to give her unborn child up for adoption and chooses Vanessa (Jennifer Garner) and Mark (Jason Bateman) – a seemingly perfect couple who placed an ad in the local Pennysaver.

First-time screenwriter Diablo Cody really knows her characters and subject matter and delivers a story that is hip and edgy, with a sweet-natured center. The dialogue may well be the wittiest and smartest of any film released in 2007. Cody also isn’t afraid to take the story into different directions, managing to steer clear of obvious clich/s with some rather original touches.

The well-rounded cast proves to be more than capable of handling Cody’s magnificent script.

Cera builds on his success from “Superbad,” while Garner and Bateman are both very good as the potential adoptive parents.

Allison Janney and J.K. Simmons also have some nice moments as Juno’s dad and stepmom.

But the real star of “Juno” is Page, who knows just how to handle a character that walks a tightrope between pop culture icon and annoying smart aleck. Page really made an impression on me in the 2005 film “Hard Candy” and the 20-year-old actress manages to impress even more here.

It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing Juno, a testament to just how good Page is in this film. The actress – and the movie for that matter – deserve all the award hype that has been bestowed, because this is easily one of the most entertaining and best movies of the year.

DVD dandy of the week

This week’s dandy is “3:10 to Yuma” (B) – a remake of the 1957 Glenn Ford western that is a solid, gritty drama getting the most out of its Russell Crowe and Christian Bale starpower.

Crowe plays Ben Wade, a notorious outlaw responsible for more than 20 major robberies on the Southern Railroad in 19th-century Arizona, who is apprehended after his latest heist.

With Wade in custody, the railroad agents decide to send him to a prison train headed for Yuma, but they enlist the help of several residents of the local community to assist in the transport.

One of the men who agrees to help is Dan Evans (Bale), a down-on-his-luck rancher and Civil War veteran who sees the $200 reward that comes with the job as a way to keep his family from being evicted from their ranch.

A battle of wills ensues as the outlaw tries to psych out the rancher, with the stakes raised even further when Evans’ oldest son (Logan Lerman) complicates the picture.

The western is a dying genre that really hasn’t had a chance to shine much in recent memory (the Oscar-winning “Unforgiven” is the only film that immediately comes to mind), but “Yuma” does a good job of providing the genre with a much-needed spark.

Crowe has a lot of fun with his character, managing to balance the line between charming and sinister, while Bale gives an added depth to his role as the wounded (both mentally and physically) rancher.

It also helps to have Peter Fonda in a supporting role as one of the railroad law officers.

Director James Mangold has a keen eye for the material, effectively capturing the grittiness of the era. While it is a little bit different from his previous film, “Walk the Line,” the two films really aren’t that far apart – both are powered by strong performances.

I will concede that the ending is a little bit too easy, with certain characters doing things that I really question they would actually do, but for the most part this is a film that succeeds in giving fans of westerns something they have been starving for – an entertaining film that stays true to the genre.

“3:10 to Yuma” is rated R for violence and some language and will be available on DVD on Tuesday.

— Coming next week: Micheal’s 10 Worst of 2007! It’s pretty much wrapped up, but feel free to pass on your thoughts by e-mailing mcompton@bgdailynews.com.