Benny & Joon (1993) 7.0
A mentally ill young woman finds her love in an eccentric man who models himself after Buster Keaton. Director:Jeremiah S. Chechik |
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Benny & Joon (1993) 7.0
A mentally ill young woman finds her love in an eccentric man who models himself after Buster Keaton. Director:Jeremiah S. Chechik |
|
| 0Share... |
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Johnny Depp | ... | ||
| Mary Stuart Masterson | ... | ||
| Aidan Quinn | ... | ||
| Julianne Moore | ... | ||
| Oliver Platt | ... |
Eric
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| CCH Pounder | ... |
Dr. Garvey
(as C.C.H. Pounder)
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| Dan Hedaya | ... |
Thomas
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| Joe Grifasi | ... |
Mike
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| William H. Macy | ... |
Randy Burch
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| Liane Curtis | ... |
Claudia
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| Eileen Ryan | ... |
Mrs. Smail
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Don Hamilton | ... |
UPS Man
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Waldo Larson | ... |
Waldo
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Irvin Johnson | ... |
Orderly
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Shane Nilsson | ... |
Orderly
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In a small town, an auto mechanic named Benny is devoted to taking care of his mentally ill sister, Joon, who can barely function alone in the real world despite being a talented artist. This relatively stable situation is shaken up when Benny is obliged in a poker game to welcome another player's relative, Sam, to his home for a few days. When Sam arrives, he quickly makes an impression with his quietly eccentric ways which emulate the antics of the great silent movie comedian, Buster Keaton. Without Benny's full knowledge, Sam and Joon find themselves drawn to each other to the fullest degree. However when Benny finds out, it creates a rift in the siblings as they struggle to accept their relationship is profoundly changing with the presence of this odd newcomer. Written by Kenneth Chisholm (kchishol@rogers.com)
I really identify with this movie, and with Joon. I myself am mentally ill (in fact, disabled by it). I don't think it matters that her mental illness is unspecified... so many mental illnesses overlap in real life, and often DO go unspecified even if the person is counselling.
I am mentally ill and (as birds of a feather flock together) know many people who are also mentally ill. As for it being representation of what it's really like to be or live with a mentally ill person, you can't really lump such an experience together. Mentally ill people vary just as much as "normal" people do.
Some of the details in this movie are great. They depicted Joon as a rounded character, a creative, sensitive, intelligent person. This is often the case with mentally ill people. I love the eccentricities of the characters. I think the details, writing, and everything about this movie are just wonderful. I've seen it many times.
Most people who I know who have seen this movie adore it. I think it's great.