Review of Benny & Joon (1993) by Scott L — 07 Jun 2010

A small sleeper hit in 1993, from the director of erm... National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989), but it's actually a very touch romantic comedy. It gives it's star the chance to show of some amazing physical comedy, this is the film that should have made him a megastar, but that would come 10 years later.

Set in a small town in Washington state, it has car mechanic Benny (Aidan Quinn) struggling to look after his schizophrenic sister, Joon (Mary Stuart Masterson), and is looking at the possibility of placing her in care, after she's scared away all of her caretakers.

All seems lost, until Joon wins a poker game, and ends up 'winning' the cousin of Benny's friend Mike (Joe Grifasi). The cousin in question is Sam (Johnny Depp) an oddball cinephile, who acts like Chaplin or Keaton.

Benny allows Sam to stay, and Joon falls for Sam, and Sam becomes the new housekeeper, using his silent movie star pratfalls as a way to clean up the house, but Benny doesn't know that Joon loves Sam.

It's a touching romance, but some of the comedy stunts Depp does are unbelievable, it has a good supporting cast with Julianne Moore, William H. Macy and Oliver Platt. This film also made I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) by The Proclaimers famous in America.

Director Jeremiah S. Chechik should have gone on to better things on the strength of this film, but he followed it up with Diabolique (1996) and The Avengers (1998). :P.