Benny & Joon (1993)

A mentally ill young woman finds her love in an eccentric man who models himself after Buster Keaton.

Director:

Jeremiah S. Chechik

Writers:

Barry Berman (story), Lesley McNeil (story),

Stars:

Johnny Depp, Mary Stuart Masterson, Aidan Quinn

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Johnny Depp	...	Sam
Mary Stuart Masterson	...	Juniper 'Joon' Pearl
Aidan Quinn	...	Benjamin 'Benny' Pearl
Julianne Moore	...	Ruthie
Oliver Platt	...	Eric
CCH Pounder	...	Dr. Garvey (as C.C.H. Pounder)
Dan Hedaya	...	Thomas
Joe Grifasi	...	Mike
William H. Macy	...	Randy Burch
Liane Curtis	...	Claudia
Eileen Ryan	...	Mrs. Smail
Don Hamilton	...	UPS Man
Waldo Larson	...	Waldo
Irvin Johnson	...	Orderly
Shane Nilsson	...	Orderly

Storyline

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.

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Plot Keywords:

poker | love | mechanic | sibling | bus | 

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Taglines:

A romance on the brink of reality.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for theme, a scene of mild sensuality and one use of harsh language

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 April 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Benny i Joon

Filming Locations:

Pend Oreille River, Washington, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$23,202,734 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Roth-Arnold Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In addition to the ironed grilled cheese sandwiches and the tennis racket mashed potatoes, there was a scene where Sam made crab in the dishwasher. It was cut for time.

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Goofs

When Sam and Joon are on the bus, in one shot Sam has his arm on his cane, but the next shot his arm is around Joon.

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Quotes

Joon: She was given to fits of semi-precious metaphors.
Benny: The woman is a housekeeper, Joon, not an English professor.

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Connections

Referenced in Saturday Night Live: The Best of David Spade (2005)

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Soundtracks

"PINETOP'S BOOGIE WOOGIE"
Written and Performed by Pinetop Perkins (as Joe 'Pinetop' Perkins)
Courtesy of Antone's Records and Tapes

User Reviews

Original, Romantic, and Fun!

I have fallen in love with this film. It is a classic love story between two lovable, quirky characters Sam and Joon. Benny and Joon has serious elements in its portrayal of Joon's (Masterson) sickness and how it affects her relationship with her brother, Benny (Quinn). This melancholy feeling is soon overshadowed by the magical aura that Sam (Depp) brings to these troubled siblings giving the movie an overall light-hearted and fun feeling.

The characters in Benny and Joon make the film truly original. Johnny Depp's portrayal of Sam is amazing. He hits the mark with his off-the-wall performance that brings exceptional charm to the story. Mary Stuart Masterson's portrayal of the mentally ill Joon is also spectacular. Depp and Masterson have undeniable chemistry in this movie. The quirkiness of their characters complement each other while Aidan Quinn's portrayal of Benny keeps the story down to earth with his sensibility that contrasts Sam and Joon's eccentricity. In short, this is a romance you won't want to miss.