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:

Gundelj

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

Alessandro Nivola and Embeth Davidtz, play husband and wife George and Madeleine in this film, had previous played brother and sister Henry Crawford and Mary Crawford in Mansfield Park (1999).

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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: You like this one?
George Johnsten: Makes me happy... but I'm gonna buy the UFO.

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Crazy Credits

No start credits.

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Connections

Referenced in Be Kind Rewind (2008)

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Soundtracks

Piano Quintet in G minor Op. 57
Sherzo (Allegretto) by Dmitri Shostakovich
Performed by The Borodin Trio
Courtesy of Chandos Records Ltd.

User Reviews

An excellent study of characters with a strong sense of place.

A very intelligent script, with direction that does it justice. Rather than spelling out exactly what we're supposed to be thinking and feeling at every moment, the filmmakers respect the audience's ability to infer meaning from the mood and tone, from the light in a frame or the ambient noise of a scene (or, for that matter, from the complete silence in which we occasionally are allowed to contemplate the house and small town where the story is set). As for the actors, they must have been thrilled to have the chance to play such complex, well-rounded characters, each of them at times being fine and even something like noble, at other times frustrating and perhaps even cruel. Just like real people, in other words. Amy Adams deserves the praise she's received for a role that could have easily been a caricature, but I'd like to also mention Embeth Davidtz for her precise and empathetic work in another part that might have easily been done in a hackneyed way.

All through this film, there are moments where we fear that its makers are going to settle for the cliché, but they never do. By the end, we feel that we've learned a great deal about the characters and the community which produced them, and we also sense that we'll never fully grasp all of their mysteries and contradictions. Very fine work from everyone involved.