Benny is a car repairman who, aside from working, spends his life taking care of his younger, mentally ill sister, Joon. One night, after Joon scares another housekeeper away with her uncontrollable behaviour, Benny takes her along to a poker game with his mates. During a game where the stakes are unusual, Joon loses the game, but ends up winning Sam, the eccentric cousin of one of Benny’s friends. With Sam now under the same roof, life for Benny and Joon becomes a little more crowded, but somehow a lot less complicated as he opens their eyes and charms his way into the hearts.
A bit like Don Juan De Marco, Benny & Joon is sweet and very heart-warming little film that I don’t think many people have heard of. I first sat down and watched this on the recommendation from a friend from high school who was a devout Johnny fan (I had only just fallen in love with him after Pirates of the Caribbean, which I know is practically blasphemous, but that’s how it was). I was completely captivated by the story, the characters, the performances, and the familiar faces that make up this wonderful film.
Benny is a car repairman who, aside from working, spends his life taking care of his younger, mentally ill sister, Joon. One night, after Joon scares another housekeeper away with her uncontrollable behaviour, Benny takes her along to a poker game with his friends. During a game where the stakes are not only high but also unusual, Joon loses and ends up winning Sam, the eccentric and whimsical misfit cousin of one of Benny’s mates. With Sam under the same roof, life for Benny and Joon becomes a little more crowded, but somehow a lot less complicated as he opens their eyes and charms his way into their hearts.
The story is particularly lovely because it is one that quite a few people, I’m sure, can relate to. The film clearly portrays the struggles that both the characters of Benny and Joon go through, many of which centre around concern, frustration, repression, and thinking of what is best. Admittedly, these are a collection of rather sombre and serious themes, but add then the character of Sam and the film acquires a really nice bounce and comedy that really is like a breath of fresh air after being in a stuffy room for some time.
Mary Stuart Masterson was lovely as Joon and could go from sugar to spice in a second. Her reserved and cute shyness that is apparent at the beginning of the film is completely shed and gives way to open happiness and even love, which is really lovely to behold.
Without a doubt though, the real star of the show was Johnny Depp as Sam. Similar to Joon, the character of Sam does have a shyness and modesty about him which, when done by Johnny, is just irresistible and makes your heart melt. But it was the way in which Sam provided the film with comic relief that was the most engaging; Johnny regales audiences with iconic comedy sequences from Buster Keaton, the most famous of which being the bread roll scene, which Charlie Chaplin also did in The Gold Rush. Johnny’s performance was absolutely brilliant and, watching him in this film, you find yourself really admiring how versatile an actor he is and his body of work. I LOVE JOHNNY DEPP!
Starring Aidan Quinn, Julianne Moore, Oliver Platt, CCH Pounder, Dan Hedaya, Joe Grifasi, and William H. Macy, Benny & Joon is a wonderfully heart-warming film that’s filled with romance, struggles, drama, comedy, and intriguing characters and eccentricities. It’s light, balanced, and I would highly recommend it.
Some cultures are defined by their relationship to cheese.
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