Benny & Joon Reviews

I first saw 'Benny and Joon' when it was still sort of new, back in 1994 or so; and I didn't care for it at all the first time around. Mostly due to the presence of Johnny Depp, whom I found "ugly" and very irritating. (The movie also kind of bored me back in those days.)

I finally watched it again recently on Netflix, and my opinion improved -- but only by a little bit.

On a positive note -- more than 20 years after first seeing the movie, it now holds some nostalgic value that wouldn't/couldn't have applied back when it was new and I was still a teenager. However, watching as an adult, the movie (while not necessarily "dated") definitely looked and felt very "90's", in an appealing sort of way (especially the Proclaimers song that plays in the opening credits -- which was actually an 80's song, but it didn't become a hit until it was used in this film). So there's that.

Aside from the nostalgia, 'Benny and Joon' also (for the most part) has a pretty good cast. Stars Aidan Quinn and Mary Stuart Masterson (as the title characters) are both decent actors and gave solid performances; and it was fun to see CCH Pounder, William H. Macy, and Oliver Platt turn up in supporting roles.

(I'm "meh" on Julianne Moore; but for those who care, she makes an appearance here, too -- in the world's most thankless role as Benny's girlfriend).

Finally, I appreciate that the movie was both filmed and set in the state of Washington -- specifically in Spokane (a detail I'm not sure that I noticed the first time I watched; or if I did notice it, I'd forgotten). Granted, I live all the way over on the other side of Washington; but it's always nice to see my home state in the movies! (And the state of Washington looks very inviting in certain scenes of this film.)

Now, on to the less positive stuff -- I'm still not a Johnny Depp fan, nor have I ever been a fan of his (although now that I'm past the age of 14, at least I can say that my lack of interest in Mr. Depp has nothing to do with his appearance -- which I don't care about one way or the other). I know that for many viewers, Depp "makes" the movie; I also know that a lot of people think he's a wonderful actor in general.

However, while I don't necessarily think that he's a *terrible* actor (and, heck, he's possibly even my very distant cousin -- something I learned while researching my family history), there's *something* about Depp that just bugs me. I can't pinpoint what it is; but he especially annoys me in "quirky" roles such as this one.

On that note -- it didn't help that in 'Benny and Joon', Depp's character "Sam" wasn't exactly the most developed; Sam seemed to act "wacky" just for the sake of acting wacky (okay, so he wanted to be just like Bustor Keaton, but... why?). I suppose the character *did* come across as kind and gentle, and that was nice; but despite these traits, Sam wasn't especially believable (or compelling enough for me to really care about him at all -- whether as an individual or as the potential love interest of Joon).

Speaking of "Joon", Masterson's performance was fine; but her character's mental illness wasn't focused on enough (I'm not sure what illness she was supposed to have; I'm not even sure the the *filmmakers* knew). As a result, I didn't quite swallow that whole story line; Joon's illness seemed more like an attempt to make the character a "cute" and "quirky" match for wacky Sam than an authentic portrayal of mental illness.

(That said, the filmmakers made sure to include a *very* dramatic breakdown scene set on a bus; it's a little over-the-top, but not as cringe-worthy as it could have been.)

Anyhow, while I didn't wind up with cavities while watching -- the "aren't they just so cute and kooky?" relationship between Sam and Joon nevertheless made this movie just a bit too overly-sweet for my liking.

(And finally, on a nitpicky note: I hate the not-very-pretty spelling of Joon's name.)

Overall -- even though I enjoyed it a little more the second time, 'Benny and Joon' still earns just a 4/10 from me. (Hey, at least I raised it from a 3/10!)

Up until now, I knew Benny & Joon for 3 things: the fact that Johnny Depp is in it, the use of The Proclaimers' "500 Miles" as the intro and closer to the movie, and having a higher rating on Listal and IMDB than Little Shop of Horrors (you know how much I love that movie). This naturally piques my curiosity, so I decided to give it a chance.

With all honesty, the movie bounces between what I would expect and what I wouldn't. Joon (Mary Stuart-Masterson) 's schizophrenia is played on both ends of the comedy-drama spectrum, although it isn't like any schizophrenia I've ever witnessed, and I may actually have it myself. Benny (Aidan Quinn) has at least one or two moments that would put him in competition with Charlie Barkin, but much like that cartoon German shepherd, he has a heart of gold. And Sam (Johnny Depp) may be the glue that holds this movie together; this movie would have been a complete chore to watch without him because he is in the best parts of the film.

This movie will take a while to sink in for me, but I will give it an accurate rank that I can think of.

Rating: 7/10

I don’t usually like to watch little romantic comedies because they don’t exactly burst out a lot of intelligent or profound things. Benny & Joon is a great exception.

I liked the chemistry between Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson quite a lot, it was retarded and at the same time just so sweet and fun. He did a great Buster Keaton impression troughout the whole movie, and surprisingly, it suited him well. I don’t have any feelings movie/actor-wise towards Aidan Quinn, but I think the part suited him and he played it well and with quite a lot of feeling.

Benny & Joon is a sweet, funny, fun, romantic, heartbreakingly cute movie, and it’s just perfect to watch on a lazy sunday.

I know Johnny Depp is nowadays a huge super-star and probably the most popular mainstream actor at this moment but I honestly don’t care much about his recent work. Personally, I prefer what he did in the 90’s when he was still considered a box-office poison. This movie is a perfect example. It might be known among Depp aficionados but the mainstream audience seriously didn’t care for it when it was released. Back in those days, I thought it was pretty good so I thought it would be nice to re-watch it with my wife and, to my surprise, I thought it was just really awesome, much better than I remembered. Indeed, in my opinion, it is one of the few really good romantic-comedies out there. Even though it follows more or less the rules of this formula, they managed to create some genuinely interesting characters, especially the main character portrayed by Johnny Depp. Such a fascinating character, many actors would have ended up creating a pathetic parody of Chaplin and Buster Keaton, but not Depp. You really believe that someone like him could exist and might actually have a more inspiring life than many of us. Furthermore, the whole thing was just really whimsical, even though there was still some room for some drama. To conclude, I have a huge weak spot for this flick, I really love it and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

A Romance on the Brink of Reality.


Looking for an excellent stay-at-home date movie? You can't go wrong watching this quirky romantic comedy/drama that stars Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson as two incredibly odd people who fall in love. "Benny and Joon" is an outstanding story of love and understanding.

Benny needs someone to look after his mentally disturbed little sister, Juniper (Joon, for short). Benny's job running an automotive repair shop keeps him away from the house during the day, and Joon can't be trusted home alone - she has a tendency to set things on fire, along with some other strange traits. A friend's cousin, Sam, is looking for a place to stay, and ends up (after Benny loses a poker game that determines Sam's living arrangements) moving in with Benny and Joon, and becoming Joon's caretaker.

Joon is initially wary of Sam, but grows to enjoy and understand her new friend's bizarre personality. Sam loves Buster Keaton and does physical comedy routines, in public, much to the amazement of Joon and Benny. He also has an unusual method of cooking grilled cheese sandwiches that amuses Joon, and astounds Benny. Sam and Joon connect with one another in ways that are deeper than Benny can understand. Joon soon falls hard for Sam, and the feeling is reciprocal. Benny has a hard time dealing with Joon and Sam's relationship, and with Joon's newfound independence. Complicating matters is Benny's turmoil about having to possibly place his sister in a group home.

"Benny and Joon" features an outstanding cast, including an amazing performance by Johnny Depp as the strange - but lovable - Sam. Mary Stuart Masterson is wonderful as Joon, and Aidan Quinn does a fine job as her hard-working, responsible, big brother, Benny. "Benny and Joon" is one of those little films that received little notice upon its initial release, but has gone on to amass a huge number of fans over the years.

Its a sweet, romantic comedy which is made even better with Johnny Depp. At times it has its weird moments, but that's what makes it unique.
A cute yet quirky movie that is highly enjoyable, a film for everyone..