Benny & Joon

Starring: Johnny Depp, Mary Stuart Masterson, Aidan Quinn, Julianne Moore, Oliver Platt, Dan Hedaya, William H. Macy
Directed by: Jeremiah S. Chechik
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
1993

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A strange but kind man (Johnny Depp) falls in love with a mentally ill woman (Mary Stuart Masterson) being taken care of by her brother (Aidan Quinn).

Review:

Tim: This is an absolutely sweet and endearing movie that really entertains and warms the heart quite a bit. These cute, feel good movies are occasionally cheesy, but when they work (like it does here), they are terrific fun.

Johnny Depp is amazing as a man strangely like Charlie Chaplin/Buster Keaton. He performs some truly showstopping moves that really need to be seen to be believed. He's fantastic to watch and makes the movie enjoyable.

I give Mary Stuart Masterson credit because I'm often not a fan of mentally ill characters on screen, but she is very tolerable. I am not a fan of Aidan Quinn, but he was incredibly likeable in the role. Julianne Moore also made a surprisingly strong impact in her small role.

One of the big reasons to enjoy this movie is because of the incredible characters. You have a nice guy making sacrifices to live with and take care of his mentally ill sister. You have a kind, zany man in Depp, and even the supporting staff of a pretty waitress and Quinn's autoshop buddies are enjoyable.

This is one of those rare movies that has a great deal of heart, and tells a beautiful story with vivid and interesting characters. As if you needed another reason, the film features the outstanding song, The Proclaimer's "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)." Its place in the movie is simply perfect.

Benny & Joon is not your typical film, and should surprise (pleasantly) on many levels. This film is definitely worth your time.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Edward Scissorhands, The Other Sister, I.Q.