Review of Junebug (2005) by Thaddeus O — 01 Aug 2008

This movie begins with the jaunty "Harmour Love" and opening titles that almost telegraph Wes Anderson-style quirkiness. (And I like Wes Anderson, but I hated "Garden State.") The odd cast of characters begin to take the stage, and then something different happens--every one of them transcends the narrow outlines of their distinctive habits and oddities to become living characters, no one more so than Amy Adams' Ashley, who so easily could have been played as a joke.

Somehow an artist who sounds like the dude from Sling Blade and paints scenes from the civil war where everyone has a giant penis (often ejaculating), including Robert E. Lee, achieves dignity. At times things get painful, and anyone who's ever visited in laws or the family of a "significant other" and felt unwelcome will relate.

But I always felt rescued by moments of outright hilarity. A few great lines: "Where would I be if I was a screwdriver," "I have done some screwing in here I guess," and "God loves you just the way you are.

But He loves you too much to let you stay that way.".