Junebug (2005)

A dealer in "outsider" art travels from Chicago to North Carolina to meet her new in-laws, challenging the equilibrium of this middle class Southern home.

Director:

Phil Morrison

Writer:

Angus MacLachlan

Stars:

Embeth Davidtz, Alessandro Nivola, David Kuhn

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 21 wins & 27 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Embeth Davidtz	...	Madeleine
David Kuhn	...	Auctioneer
Alessandro Nivola	...	George
Alicia Van Couvering	...	Bernadette
Jerry Minor	...	Scout who stays outside
Matt Besser	...	Scout who goes in
Will Oldham	...	Bill Mooney, scout
Frank Hoyt Taylor	...	David Wark
Scott Wilson	...	Eugene
Ben McKenzie	...	Johnny
Celia Weston	...	Peg
Amy Adams	...	Ashley
Bobby Tisdale	...	Norman Venable at Replacements, Ltd.
Beth Bostic	...	Lucille, the neighbor
Joanne Pankow	...	Sissy, David Wark's sister

Storyline

Successful Carolinian George Johnsten meets Chicago art gallery owner Madeleine at an electoral benefit art auction- love at first sight. Madeleine decides to meet a Southern original artist, so George seizes the opportunity to come along and present her to his North Carolina parents Eugene and Peg, drop-out brother Johny and his high-pregnant wife Ashley. Confronting the outsider soon opens a can of worms as emotions revive or emerge, like admiration and jealousy.

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Plot Keywords:

art | north carolina | artist | outsider art | marriage | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sexual content and language

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Classics [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 September 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Junebug

Filming Locations:

Wake Forest University - 1834 Wake Forest Road, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$74,739, 7 August 2005, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,678,691, 8 December 2005

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$3,399,228

Company Credits

Production Co:

Junebug Movie, Epoch Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Embeth Davidtz was chosen as a replacement at the last minute and arrived on-set the day before principal photography began.

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Goofs

When Madeline is trying to convince David Wark to sign with her company, he takes his painting off her to get closer and to talk to her, the scene cuts to a shot over her shoulder where she is seen to still be holding the painting.

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Quotes

Madeleine: I was born in Japan.
Ashley: You were not!

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Crazy Credits

No start credits.

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Connections

Referenced in Who Wants to Be a Millionaire: Episode #8.169 (2010)

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Soundtracks

String Quartet in G Major, Op. 54/1
Allegro moderato by Franz Joseph Haydn (as Franz Joseph Haydn)
Performed by the Kodaly Quartet
Courtesy of Naxos of America

User Reviews

Those dark woods beyond the deck

After viewing "Junebug" for the second time, I have concluded that the film contains a darker theme just beneath the surface of light-hearted humor and gentle parody. Throughout the film, there are occasional shots of empty rooms, silent streets and dark woods that are at odds with the message conveyed by the action. Generally, we are treated to contrasting images: a room filled with people is followed by a shot of the same room, empty and silent. A church parking lot devoid of people followed by the same scene filled with noise and celebration. The dark woods beyond the deck appear sinister. I got the distinct feeling that the filmmaker wished to suggest that the laughter and interaction of this family was a fragile veneer. Just beneath the surface was a terrible emptiness that could not be disguised by gaudy art, wood paneling and the celebration of family rituals. Although the majority of this wonderful film gave a warm and affectionate treatment of this Southern family, these brief images of silence and emptiness are like teasing glimpses of "the skull beneath the flesh." Did anyone else get the same reaction?