Junebug (2005) User Reviews

Amy Adams stands out in a low-key, insightful character piece.

[PizzicatoFishCrouch · 8/10 · 17 April 2006]

When Art dealer Madeleine (Embeth Davidtz, never better) travels to the South meet an Artist about his weird drawings, she decides to visit her husband's family whilst she's at it. He hasn't been in correspondence with them for over three years, and why that is is left unrevealed. She meets them – her mother in law (Celia Weston), father in law (Scott Wilson), brother in law (Benjamin Mckenzie), and his perky, pregnant wife Ashley (Amy Adams). Only Ashley extends a warm welcome, as everyone else pronounces Madeleine too clever, too pretty and too successful to be considered family. Her visit brings some home truths that the family had been putting off. Or, waiting for someone to blame on.

There is something about Junebug that will surprise everyone. It's not the weird opening sequence, where some men randomly shout into space. It's not the surprise of seeing Schindler's List's Embeth Davitz finally get a film role that she deserves. No, it is that you are actually impressed by the acting from The O.C.'s Benjamin Mckenzie (shortened to "Ben" here). As Johnny, he is a definite sourpuss, rude, inattentive to his loving wife, but perhaps, as the film hints, just using his rude exterior to hide a feeling of failure inside. Ben Mackenzie makes his character surprisingly well layered, revelling in the quietly sad scenes – he tries to tape a show about meercats for his wife but can't, and ends up taking it out on her. As his very different brother, Alessandro Nivola is as good, in his unaffected, cheerfulness. Embeth Davidtz shines too, in a different role as Madeleine, a woman trying constantly to make a good impression, but always failing. Her character is given extra depth during her many scenes during Amy Adams, especially in their snug little session over her nails. But the film belongs to Amy Adams, the actress that brought the film out of obscurity with her Oscar nomination. In Ashley, we find liveliness, humour and a soul not to be put out easily. Her love for her under-achieving husband is touching and each time he knocks her back, she fights back playfully, covering up her own insecurities, which are all revealed in her tragic hospital scene. It was a performance that could have easily been annoying or repetitive, but Ashley's spirit is so free, Adams' performance perfectly heartfelt.

Not much happens plot-wise, but Junebug is one of those films that are all the better for it. Director Phil Morrison has expertly created a story, with real characters, out of the petty everyday things. Although scenes with the Artist feel a little underdone, though they also play a part in showing the importance of family. Madeleine's visit proves to be unsuccessful not only because she is disliked by her husband's family, but because her actions clumsily reveal things about them, things that they'd rather not admit to. That Junebug never properly reaches a conclusion merely adds to the film's sophistication, but on my part, I probably would have liked to see what happens if Madeline and George went back a year later. Because though Ashley had big dreams, the sad fact is that they probably all would have gone unfulfilled. Everyone has aspirations, and some people can stand in the way of others.

B+

A Prodigal Son Has More Baggage At Home Than He Brings With Him

[noralee · 7/10 · 13 August 2005]

"Junebug" is a ruefully sweet, clear-eyed take on the going home genre that usually takes the form of prodigal child returning due to a funeral or serious illness with guilt hanging in the air until it ignites an explosion.

Instead, debut writer Angus MacLachlan has brought "George" home to North Carolina as a coincidence of his new wife's job and life has gone on without him and will continue when he's gone again.

Debut director Phil Morrison does a lovely job of visually establishing how each person in the family has staked out their physical space and roles within the family, even as sounds and light uncomfortably carry through the walls and beyond the rooms. I haven't seen every inch of a normal house used as a movie setting so intensively since "The Brothers McMullen," complete with blowing up an air mattress in the nursery.

Those scenes contrast with how different the family members are outside that house, such as the sullen, angry brother (Benjamin McKenzie) perking up comfortably with his fellow warehouse workers and "George" easily fitting back into a church service.

While the usual is to have the spouse's estranged family be colorfully ethnic or straight-laced WASP as a comic contrast, a la the "Meet the Fockers" mode, here they are complicated rural folk and are not condescended to, even as no good deed goes unpunished. Both sides receive their share of mockery and sympathy from the story; everyone's hypocrisy and humanity are revealed and at least two scenes bring tears to the eyes, one touching and the other sad.

While everyone is speaking English, the miscommunications abound, though it is a bit heavy-handed to have the English-bred wife coach the brother on "Huckleberry Finn," let alone her bizarre negotiations with a probably crazy local artist. Each either takes a comment too literally or misinterprets passive aggressive silences; what people don't say comes to be more important than what they do say, as even Amy Adams' wonderfully chatty character is warm-heartedly mature and caring.

The big, annoying weakness of the film, and keeps it from being a satisfying film, is the vague character of the prodigal son. While it seems that his older, folk art collecting wife probably lusted after him at first sight because he was the first cute straight guy who walked into her gallery (and I assume there is some significance that he buys the painting that doesn't make him happy), their quickie marriage seem to be based only on newlywed randiness, as everything seems to turn them on. Taking after his father busy woodworking away in the basement, he pretty much sloths out in the house or car, so it is confusing hypocrisy when he suddenly steps up to the plate in an emergency, accuses his wife of not putting family first and then bails on the follow up.

Alessandro Nivola well portrays a literal golden boy who is, of course, his mother's heart's delight and in her eyes can do no wrong (even he acknowledges that his new wife is bound to discover his faults), though people who have different positions in their families may interpret the sibling behaviors in different ways. But the film only shows us how people react to him and very little about him other than his casual sense of entitlement, though the mostly silent guy to guy communication is realistic.

Other than one superbly beautiful hymn sung by Nivola (he also sang well as rock star in "Laurel Canyon"), the soundtrack does not take the T. Bone Burnett traditional songs approach, but instead has a score by Hoboken, NJ's own Yo La Tengo that doesn't take sides between the country or the big city.

There's a magic to Junebug that's nearly impossible to describe

[samseescinema · 8/10 · 7 September 2005]

Junebug Reviewed by Sam Osborn of www.samseescinema.com

Rating: 3.5 out of 4

There's a magic to Junebug that's nearly impossible to describe with words. To explain it literally would be to describe a slow, mundane, and worthless story. But, of course, there's much more to Junebug than a story that's slow, mundane and worthless. Iconic independent director Phil Morrison's film takes a patient and immersive look at small town life. There's a profound harmony at work between the characters that, from my experience with small town family in relatives' homes, seems to be true to reality. All at once each character is happy and unhappy with their situation and with everyone surrounding them. There's pain, but within the pain is deep-rooted happiness and content. And when a foreigner enters the home as new family, we the audience are meant to take the foreigner's perspective.

After meeting George (Alessandro Nivola) at her art gallery's auction, Madeleine (Embeth Davidtz) finds herself married to the man after little over a week. Months later she travels into a rural suburbia of South Carolina to meet with the peculiar and absurdly profound artist David Wark (Frank Hoyt Taylor), and also to meet for the first time her new family. Unfamiliar with the family's southern lifestyle, she enters the house with the open mind unique only to artists. Immediately embraced by the lonely Ashley (Amy Adams), whose relationship to Johnny (Benjamin McKenzie) has yielded a seemingly unhappy pregnancy and lonely marriage, Madeleine is equally repelled by the mother and leader of the household, Peg (Celia Weston). Each couple (the parents, Ashley and Johnny, and Madeleine and George) sleeps in a separate room, divided only by paper thin walls that do little to contain sound, making nights into festivals of eavesdropping. The unborn baby, Junebug, has a room all to herself, seeming to hold all hope that is left for happiness in the family.

In most films where a foreigner enters a deep-rooted household, the story usually loses itself with the dramatic changes the foreigner brings. But Phil Morrison thankfully avoids this cliché and instead lets our foreigner simply observe. There's actually a sequence dedicated entirely to the observation of each room in the home, where we, like the foreigner, are meant to find all the charming nuances of the house's decoration. Meticulous details are fully realized, with the placement of the cigarettes, the oddly shaped and colored lampshades, the material of the couches, and every tiny element of this lifestyle that may be new to all us "city folk." The foreigner actually has as little power over the family as the audience does. Instead of her acting as the catalyst for the family's change, the title character, Junebug, who's kicking and growing within Ashley's stomach holds this power. It's an affective storytelling method that allows us to connect with the foreigner, Madeleine, and consequently, find ourselves immersed further into Junebug's intimate tale.

In a story as quiet and intimate as Junebug, it's imperative that body language plays as much a role as dialogue. The cast must exude emotions past words and extend their skills to inhabit their characters completely. Each actor achieves this rare performance, particularly Amy Adams and Benjamin McKenzie, playing Ashley and Johnny. Their marriage has a unique understanding to it that's difficult for the audience to grasp until the end. But when we realize their situation, the nuances of their performances are blissfully revealed.

Conventional laws of cinema rarely allow small town life to be realistically portrayed. The calm, resonating harmony that resides in the lifestyle doesn't offer much in the way of excitement. I suppose it requires the confidence of an independent distributor and the eye and pen of a wonderful director and screenwriter. Phil Morrison and Angus MacLachlan's collaboration here with Junebug offers up this unique portrait with nothing but extreme and satisfying clarity.

-Sam Osborn of www.samseescinema.com

Those dark woods beyond the deck

[GCarden498 · 17 August 2006]

After viewing "Junebug" for the second time, I have concluded that the film contains a darker theme just beneath the surface of light-hearted humor and gentle parody. Throughout the film, there are occasional shots of empty rooms, silent streets and dark woods that are at odds with the message conveyed by the action. Generally, we are treated to contrasting images: a room filled with people is followed by a shot of the same room, empty and silent. A church parking lot devoid of people followed by the same scene filled with noise and celebration. The dark woods beyond the deck appear sinister. I got the distinct feeling that the filmmaker wished to suggest that the laughter and interaction of this family was a fragile veneer. Just beneath the surface was a terrible emptiness that could not be disguised by gaudy art, wood paneling and the celebration of family rituals. Although the majority of this wonderful film gave a warm and affectionate treatment of this Southern family, these brief images of silence and emptiness are like teasing glimpses of "the skull beneath the flesh." Did anyone else get the same reaction?

Know what to expect

[lancekoz · 7/10 · 6 April 2007]

I've enjoyed reading a few of the "loved it" ratings and a few of the 'hated it" ratings of movies I've seen recently...and find myself able to agree with aspects of both. The "haters" here complain this movie is slow, plot less and stereotypes Southerners. Some of that is true...this is definitely a character study, slice-of-life, indie film. Some viewers look forward to that, and are pleased when everything including the kitchen sink is not forced into a script.

The strength of this film is the interface between characters. I found them quirkily individual enough to be believable. Amy Adams positively inhabits the role of a strong, faithful, but childish, young mother, and her interactions with an intellectual, worldly, professional sister-in-law are touching, and funny. The interactions between the controlling Southern mother with her silent but wise husband and her redneck son are credible and well enough written. Also, there is a somewhat crazy, but highly inspired visionary artist....and that is a frightening and accurate portrayal.

Unfortunately, there are character inconsistencies, and the film does seem to linger in the sadder aspects of the story more than I would've liked, especially for a movie whose comic bits were so strongly done. It is not a broad comedy, but an investigation of goals and faith done through a brilliant cast who make you chuckle. Afterwards, the humor and heartache portrayed by Amy Adams' character is so wonderfully written and acted, I wished for a whole film just about her.

Amy Adams hilarious

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 24 August 2015]

Madeleine (Embeth Davidtz) is a successful Chicago dealer of outsider art. She has a trip to see an artist and takes the opportunity to meet her husband George (Alessandro Nivola)'s family 30 minutes away in North Carolina. His mother Peg (Celia Weston) is bossy and his father Eugene (Scott Wilson) is quiet. His younger brother Johnny (Benjamin McKenzie) is a resentful loser with flighty pregnant wife Ashley (Amy Adams). Ashley intends to name the baby Junebug.

It's very odd to realize that Amy Adams is not the lead actress because she's the main thing I remember about this film. She's a complete whirlwind overpowering everybody and everything. She's crazy hilarious with every facial expression and desperate neediness. The other takeaway for me back then was that Benjamin McKenzie can reasonably act. Watching again, Amy Adams is still hilarious and her energy really drives the movie. Director Phil Morrison's style is quiet indie. It probably could have helped to work more towards Amy Adams' quirky tone.

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

[williamwolfe · 9/10 · 9 August 2005]

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.

Amy Adams shines in a realistic, honest character piece

[jamie-carrick · 7/10 · 28 August 2016]

A lot of the time, I like to watch pieces that are driven by character, rather than plot. This was the reason why I watched "Junebug", a very overlooked film about small town life.

The script itself was well done, with a good pacing and a lot of nice moments of dialogue, particularly in the scene where Madeleine is helping Johnny with his paper. Having not read Huckleberry Finn, I probably missed out on a context which was reflective of the plot and message of the film.

Having only witnessed Embeth Davidtz in her arguably most popular role as "Miss Honey" in Matilda and a small guest starring role on Grey's Anatomy, I wasn't quite sure what to expect from her. I was pleasantly surprised by her performance as it was fairly nuanced with a lot of nice, authentic moments that help show who Madeleine is as a person.

I was also impressed with Ben McKenzie's performance as "Johnny", George's brother who is studying for his GED. He brought his dialogue to life in a way that wasn't so obviously highlighted but served as a refreshing, grounded undertone to Madeleine's slightly pretentious personality.

I saw a lot of reviews for this film from both critics and audiences and the one constant positive note was the standout performance from Amy Adams, even in a supporting role as "Ashley", a pregnant, whimsical woman. They were not wrong. I was blown away yet again by Adams' range and depth of performance. She took on the role with her own personal flair, while staying true to the character as written in the screenplay. She shows a lot of range in this piece with arguably not a lot of complexity to work with. The scene in which she talks with George in the hospital was my favourite scene of the movie, simply because Adams captured the screen and stole the show.

Overall, this movie has a lot of nice moments that were well acted, but I feel as though it is heavily carried by Amy Adams' flawless performance. A lot of my enjoyment came from watching Adams in what should have been her first Oscar-winning turn.

Poetic and charming little film about culture cross and family ties

[willden21 · 10/10 · 27 January 2005]

Some films do not need to tie in every little plot detail in order to make for a more true to life form. Not all families discuss their problems or their angst openly. Most of the time you have to decipher them through little nuanced non-verbal symbols. Junebug does it perfectly.

At the base the plot follows newlyweds on their trek to NC from Chicago as the wife, Madeline, goes to close a deal with an eccentric southern painter. While there they decide to stop in and see her husband, George's family, who comes form NC originally. He has tried to separate himself from that culture and his family altogether. He has been married for six months and his family were not invited to the wedding, and his brother holds strong feelings of jealousy against him. It seems ho-hum form the plot synopsis, but then comes Amy Adams as the brother, Johnathan's wife and very pregnant Ashley.

Amy Adams is absolutely amazing. She brings a charm and wit to this picture when it seems like it is a bit dreary. Her heartwarming turn as an optimistic and young mother to be with a heart of southern gold is achingly warm and sincere. She alone makes the film a must see as she can force the audience from laughter to tears with the flip of a dime.

The direction is poetic and the cinematography allows for an unbelievably laid back southern tone. Nothing about this film is rushed and that makes it so wonderful to behold. Seeing how a family can generally and truly love each other inside, and because of cultural and societal norms strive to find ways to show love and respect for each other is achingly sincere. Sometimes you as the audience scream for them to communicate, especially the brothers as their strife is never discussed or resolved just tolerated.

Overall this film is a great cultural study that goes beyond stereotype to show the love and respect the writer and director have for the material and the people of North Carolina. This is a truly warm and comforting piece of southern pleasure that shines in a pool of darkness that is Sundance 2005.

Y'all misst it cumpletlee

[lurch-17 · 7/10 · 14 October 2005]

This contains SPOILERS in more ways than one. It's really going to spoil things for those who commented in here about simple folks and culture clash. It's much deeper and nastier than that.

Okay, whut wur the yokels howling for in the opening? George was the father of brother Johnny's wife's Ashley's baby - and everyone in the family knew it except his new wife Madeleine. That's why he stayed behind at the hospital, why Ashley professed her love for him, why Johnny hit him with the wrench and he didn't respond, and why Johnny felt okay about grabbing Madeleine's rear.

Understand that Johnny is 'developmentally challenged' (Northern word for you-know-what) - confirmed by the misunderstood comment "he's still at the Replacement Factory?", not made in dismay that it was the best job he could get, but that he could hold any job. But Johnny was just aware enough to know that he was dumb and that those around him were using him as the dupe-father.1 I have to watch it again, because all this was not clear until the end - I bet I missed plenty more clues.

Another clue that Johnny is 'developmentally challenged' was mother's statement/question to George at his departure - "You're Okay - there's nothing wrong with you."

Initially, I thought this was a simple culture-clash flick, until it was made clear that one culture (big-city, left (J. Jackson Jr. benefit) is superior and the other (dumb-slow southerners) is inferior. Although the church dinner scene was honest and refreshing.

One tell-all was the neighbor waving at Madeleine with the innocent know-everything look near the end (what are you doing in that house?).

Were I from Carolina, I would be a little 'upset' about this one.

But by all means see it for the entertainment. "You got acid reflux?"

Amy Adams!!! (Painful film.)

[kathiklein · 5/10 · 17 April 2019]

It's April 2019 and this film came up on my list.. how did I miss this?

Amy did not disappoint- in fact all the acting was great, but it was Amy's movie hands down.

The film has been rated and analyzed very well by so many.. haters and lovers alike... but let me say this::: I was shocked that Madeleines character- big city art dealer, sophisticated etc. would jump thru hoops, and basically offer up her firstborn so to speak.. to want to sign an artist who paints such disgusting racist sexual images of black people -- and hates them, who has never even "seen one" and hates Jews too.. Shocked that she thought she'd actually sell these awful paintings in her Chicago gallery??? Every character has their problems and flaws in this film.. but this part was totally unbelievable. Not credible at all... As for the bigger picture this was Amy's breakout role and worth the watch just for that. But a painful study of family dynamics and hiddenness it is.. as people never say what they mean or show what they feel in this film - except for Amy's part.. heart on her sleeve. Great acting all around really, but if you like closure of any type, or a peek at backstory this is not your type of movie. Lots of plodding and angst without much reveal or payoff. But for many this is what a deep character study should look like though.. subtle and without a lot of answers, but lots to think about. Your call.

Brilliant

[acsntn · 10/10 · 2 May 2005]

Phil Morrison has created a film that is among the best I've seen so far in 2005. He has taken a simple country mouse-city mouse tale and given it cosmic implications. It is the story of everyone who grew up in the boonies and then gone on to make it big in the big city. It beautifully portrays the embarrassment you feel about taking a worldly spouse back to your small hometown and its pettiness; the small-mindedness and envy of the siblings who never left town or made good; the reinvention of one's self when one moves to a big metropolis like Chicago. I did NOT feel the Bible Belt North Carolinians were stereotyped, as some viewers have remarked; I felt they were all portrayed as real people who simply had a tough time articulating their feelings, and who were just SIMPLE people...church-goers, family people who have no complexity of emotions or doubts, like city people are wont to have. The actress who played the sister-in-law was brilliant, funny and totally believable; the mother was the next Gena Rowlands; Alessandro Nivola and the girlfriend were extremely appealing ciphers (which they were supposed to be); and the unrestrained horror of their having to return to this small Southern town was so palpable, that it made watching the film very uncomfortable at times (especially if a viewer's own life resembles that of the main characters'). Deliberately underwritten, beautifully paced, it is one to remember, savor, and wind up at the Festivals. Bravo!

Amy Adams and Embeth Davidtz shine in this mediocre film.

[christian123 · 6/10 · 5 August 2006]

After spending many years living in Chicago, George (Alessandro Nivola) has return home to North Carolina, giving him a chance to introduce his British art dealer wife Madeleine (Embeth Davitz) to his family. Although they all seem nice at first, especially his enthusiastic and quite pregnant sister-in-law Ashley (Amy Adams), the family is suspicious of trusting an outsider with their secrets, which all start to come out the longer they stay there.

I wanted to love Junebug and wound up just barely liking it. Besides for a couple performances, the film just left me cold. First, a few of the characters were not developed very well. It was hard for me to become emotionally engaged with these people because most of them were either two faced or bland. For example, George was portrayed as this nice guy that everyone loved but I found him to be kind of dull. He hardly ever spoke and I just couldn't understand his appeal to other people. I understood why his family liked him but why did the rest of the community like him? It didn't make a whole lot of sense. He also seemed to be a little two faced. For the majority of the film, it didn't seem like he was bothered by his family despite the usual negative stereotypes that accompany that location. However after his departure, he was glad to finally leave. The character seemed to go in a bunch of different directions without much thought.

George's father Eugene was even more quiet. I think he was supposed to be one of those "strong and silent" types but he came off looking kind of weak. He didn't really do anything in the film and he was kind of bland. George's brother Johnny was a bit more obvious. He was a bitter man despite the fact (or maybe because) his wife was going to give birth. He was stuck in a dead end job and he had to retake high school classes. He was also jealous of his brother since they were total opposites. However, I didn't understand why he threw a wrench at his brother. It seemed a little random but maybe he really didn't like him or maybe he was upset about the baby. I don't think the director handled that scene and character very well. Peg (the mom) was just a mean woman. She didn't want a "stranger" coming in and messing things up. She started to open up near the end but her conversations with Madeleine always felt cold and distant.

The only two characters I liked were Madeline and Ashley. You will either love Ashley or hate her. I found her enthusiastic personality to be contagious and she was very likable. It was very hard to watch when she was at the hospital and asking God out loud why he would let this terrible thing happen. That was probably the film's strongest and most memorable scene. I think the director was trying to make Madeleine look like the bad guy. For the first half of the film, she tried to get along with the family. She became friends with Ashley but Peg and Johnny were mean around her. Johnny just looked uncomfortable around her since they came from different backgrounds and Peg didn't want a stranger in the house. Before she left, Madeleine kind of made up with Peg but her relationship with Johnny was still weak. For the second half of the film, she cared more about work than family. She didn't want to go to the hospital with George because she had to sign a deal with this racist painter. I thought they were going to break up since they both wanted to go to different places but they didn't. They also never mentioned this again so George may not have been too bothered by this. Also, painter was really annoying and his work wasn't all that great. I guess Madeleine saw something different though.

The acting was decent with Amy Adams giving the best performance. She was terrific as Ashley and she deserved her Oscar nomination. Embeth Davitz was also pretty good as Madeleine though not Oscar worthy. Celia Weston was okay, nothing special. Benjamin McKenzie surprised me the most and he gave a good performance. Alessandro Nivola was average and Scott Wilson was just okay. Overall, I thought the screenplay was mediocre. They were a few good scenes but also a lot of poorly handled ones. The director and writer seemed to focus on just Ashley and Madeleine and some of the dramatic scenes weren't as good as they could have been. However, I have to give credit to Peter Donahue. The cinematography was excellent and the entire film was beautiful. In the end, Junebug is a decent film that should make for a good rental. Rating 6/10

JUNEBUG : Quirkiness Does Not A Movie Make...

[cwrdlylyn · 4/10 · 8 February 2006]

JUNEBUG

Despite a few delightful moments, the parts add up to a whole bunch of nothing. It's hard to give a negative review to a movie as well-intentioned and, for lack of a better word, polite as JUNEBUG, but in the end it just didn't come together as anything for me.

Though there were many engrossing scenes that gave us some insight into the lives of these characters, there was no spine to this story to give things a purpose. The film simply relies on it's quirkiness to coast through the running time, and honestly it does breeze by thanks to it. However, quirkiness does not a movie make.

The story revolves around Madleine (Embeth Davidtz) meeting her new husband George's (Alessandro Nivola) family in a small town. The family is incredibly dysfunctional, but in an unspoken, non-violent way. Not a single pair of people in this film seem to have a genuine connection to one another, despite all the niceties they share.

Madeleine, despite what seems to be a good heart, does not seem to have a real relationship with her husband beside an incredibly satisfying sex-life. Her in-laws seem to simply exist in the same household, never seeming to share genuine love. They don't speak, they don't emote, they just generally don't care.

That is, except for poor pregnant Ashley (played by Oscar Nominee Amy Adams). Here is a girl who so desperately tries in vein to connect to anyone she can around her. When Madeliene arrives, she jumps on like a hungry leech desperate for someone to offer her something interesting in life. Madeleine is polite and friendly without a doubt, but she never really connects with Ashley. No one notices Ashley's need for something more, and no one seems to care about anyone enough to help her better her situation.

All the characters in this film have an odd balance in that they are generally polite, good-natured people... but none of them care enough to make a connection with anyone or bother to help a family member desperately in need.

Nothing seems to happen in order to change this family's emotionally distant balance... until a twist at the end that shows George as a man who supposedly cares more about family then anything in the world. However, this comes from nowhere and goes nowhere. Everyone seems to spend there days sleeping the time away and nothing changes in the end.

Every character enters the film the same way they leave it. And despite an entertaining quirkiness, some funny moments, and some good performances, it is all pointless. And though I can't hate on a film that is so friendly as JUNEBUG, I also can't appreciate a film that essentially wastes nearly two hours of my life... no matter how easygoing and likable it is at times.

... C- ...

I didn't understand George

[linc-hunter · 10 August 2006]

We never learn the cause of enmity between the two brothers. Is it serious or is it trivial? Why is George so silent? When his brother throws a wrench at him, hitting him in the head, he leaves without a word. He remains behind at the hospital to be 'be with' and console the sister-in-law; she does all the talking but he doesn't say a word. Throughout the movie people ask George questions, but he doesn't reply. Someone has said that the movie allows the audience to make their own inferences rather than be directed toward a certain end. I can fill an empty space as well as the next man, but I needed a rest from this movie. Way too much empty space!

Over-hyped...

[ebhp1 · 6/10 · 1 January 2006]

The bad: The pacing in this film is ridiculously slow and the tension is non-existent. The plot is minimal at best, so be prepared for serious character introspective...about characters who aren't all that interesting to begin with. Each scene of a movie should propel the story toward the climax and force the characters to overcome obstacles and grow in their own arc. With rare exception, we see none of that in JUNEBUG.

The good: Amy Adams' performance as the nutcase pregnant sister.

This is the kind of art-house film that earns rave reviews by people who proclaim themselves to be smarter than everyone else. The reality is that it suffers on too many levels to qualify as a good movie let alone great.

Very disappointed.

ebhp

Kudzu instead of Honeysuckle.

[jemmytee · 7/10 · 1 September 2005]

I really wanted to like JUNEBUG. I'm from the South and have family that're a lot like the folk in this movie...but it's deeply obvious this thing was made by males who really didn't understand women while the men were held to a level of silence that was supposed to be...I dunno...something Gary Cooperish in depth? The fact is, in my view these characters would have been caricatures and the story trite were it not for some damn fine casting.

The story is simple -- a young man making it good in the big city comes home with his new city wife...where she finds he's got a lot of family behind him and all of them are 180 degrees her opposite in sense and sensibility. There's the angry younger brother, the mother who ain't happy her perfect older son's married, the father who can't speak more than four words at a time, the perky pregnant wife of said younger brother, the "Church-meetin'-folk" (who thankfully were not cynically treated as fools, for once), the crazy backwoods artist bein' discovered, Grandma Moses-like, and of course the usual family tragedy that shakes up everyone.

Now as I said, I have no nits to pick with the acting; the taut intelligence of Embeth Davidtz, the bubbly-nervous insistence of Amy Adams, the grumbling wariness of Celia Weston, the painful silence of Scott Wilson, the quiet avoidance of Alessandro Nivola...and especially the inarticulate anger and fear of Benjamin McKenzie -- they made this movie work despite the pedestrian writing and adequate directing. Period.

Truly, it was the interaction between the actors that carried this story to the point of having any depth or meaning. Their background information is minimal -- did Johnny have to quit high school to marry Ashley because he got her pregnant? No idea...just a maybe. Were George and Ashley interested in each other at one time? No idea...just sort of kind of...maybe. Does George not go to church on Sundays in Chicago? Looks like a "no" on that...but it's not commented upon by his new wife. She's older than him...I think...so why'd they get married? Love? Perfect match? Horniness? Dunno, they just did after a quickie in her gallery. Madeline's a woman who knows what she wants and goes after it -- witness how she goes after George and the artist (whose work is horribly racist and homophobic but probably the truest thing in the movie) -- but she lets this secretive, demanding, uncommunicative boy-man tell her what she can and cannot do as they're getting ready to leave...all but silently lets him. Why, when it's so opposite to how her character's behaved up to this point?

Y'know, sometimes silence is NOT golden. For it to work in a story...in a film...it has to have context and be indicative of something other than just an unwillingness on the part of the storytellers to write what needs to be said. That the six above mentioned actors were able to imbue something meaningful into nothing is a testament to their abilities. Which is too bad; imagine what they could have done if Phil Morrison and Angus MacLaclan had given them honeysuckle to work with instead of kudzu.

A Spirit Filled Union

[ferguson-6 · 8/10 · 30 August 2005]

Greetings again from the darkness. Director Phil Morrison and Writer Angus MacLachlan collaborated on "Tater Tomater", which was featured at 1990's Sundance Festival. Together again, they have created a nice home-spun tapestry of family relationships. Despite its seemingly bizarre group of characters, we find ourselves easily relating to the difficulties in understanding and communicating with those in our family - those who should be most like us.

The filmmakers have assembled a cast of mostly veteran actors, but no Hollywood "stars". The most recognizable is Benjamin McKenzie ("The O.C.") who plays the simmering quiet little brother whose wife, played brilliantly by Amy Adams, is with child. Others include Embeth Davidtz as the wife of prodigal son George (Alessandro Nivola, who played Pollux Troy in the underrated "Face/Off"); an electric Frank Hoyt Taylor as the off-center civil war artist David Wark; and veterans Celia Weston and Scott Wilson as the parents of the feuding boys. As a point of interest look for Saturday Night Live alum Victoria Jackson as one of the nurses.

Although the film's heart and soul is the theme of family and the stress it creates, while somehow producing the draw that cannot be ignored, it also does a really wonderful job of capturing the spirit of southern small time living. At the center of all of this is Amy Adams, who literally steals the film as the eternally optimistic and determined "firecracker" Ashley. Her performance is outstanding, multi-layered, thought-provoking and genuine. Kind of doubt that this film will receive the necessary attention to have her nominated for an Academy Award, but she deserves one.

This is a necessarily slow-moving film that can be uncomfortable to watch, while at the same time causing you to smile, laugh and even tear up.

A great movie ruined

[canton6 · 6/10 · 6 March 2006]

Most people either love or hate 'Junebug'; and what is more, this movie deserves both. In 'Junebug' we once again see a great film made and then ruined. Once again, I pay three dollars at my local video rental establishment to get drawn in- to get to know and love the characters- only to be robbed of a conclusion. But alas, this feeling is not new. Broken Flowers. I spent nearly two hours beholding that seemingly great work of cinema, only to watch it slaughtered at its finale. What is to blame? The vanity and ignorance of good directors. These directors possess great talent, yet they lack vision. They have great skill, yet they lack knowledge of the true purpose of Drama. "Purpose?" you say. Yes, purpose. Let us look to that great Grecian philosopher of old, who defined that purpose as Catharsis. "Catharsis?" you say. Yes, Catharsis, that cleansing of the soul, that purging of the human spirit, is the final destination of all great works of dramatic performance. In what way is this catharsis brought about? By conclusion. Yes, it is that simple. Only by rendering the proper ending of the trials and tribulations that ail our hero or heroine can we be satisfied. Either there should be death or victory. Who was our heroine? Clearly it was either Ashley or Madeline. One woman finds ultimate defeat in the death of her infant Junebug, yet the other finds victory in the contract with that atrocious painter of civil war battles. What is this movie? Comedy or Tragedy? Is the director trying to make some comment on the futility of success? It is unclear. What is clear is the uncertainty of the ending and the pure arrogant vanity of directors who believe that to incite unrest in their viewers is the greatest good. Damn you, Phil Morrison, you director of intentionally flawed movies! Do you truly believe that a movie should upset its audience? Do you truly think that robbing us of our catharsis is what makes you so delightfully avante garde? Why did he throw a wrench into his own brother's head? Whose baby was it? You thief, answer these questions!

Enough of this. We all know what happened: the first brother impregnated the second brother's red-headed girlfriend. The second brother always hated the first brother for this, and so, tries to sleep with Madeline, in order to exact revenge, by grabbing her buttocks, after attempting to learn from her the meaning of that book he was reading. This is all common sense and is easily understood to anyone, despite its ambiguity. We do not ask the director to fill in all the blanks. We do ask him to finish his job. Give us the ending, not some flimsy moratorium. Give us the dénoument, not some aborted thought. Finish your work of art, or do not even try. I want my three dollars back, you son of a b****!

Astoundingly free from clichés and types

[samsajk1 · 10/10 · 13 August 2005]

What struck me most about this (amazing)movie was the characters' well-roundedness. George's family and residents of NC are completely believable, fleshed-out, and never just types. Having lived in the piedmont of NC for 11 years (and now living in Chicago) I felt like I was transplanted back with George and Madeleine. The Southern characters' rural way of life was balanced with complexity and the capacity for reflection.

As for the urban characters, they were just as whole and did not fall into urban stereotypes of being hard or snooty. More importantly, Madeleine was not condescending, but as a very well-traveled person would, she understood that they were real people despite their differences.

The humanity of all the characters does not seem careful or imposed (which could have resulted in a bland, politically-correct love-fest); the characters have a great deal of energy between them as they encounter differences and deal with them.

Poignant, funny, with story and character flaws but worth seeing.

[ajcrane1 · 6/10 · 26 August 2005]

I found the film to be poignant, humorous, and the performances were excellent. The performance by Amy Adams? as "Ashley" was Academy Award work, absolutely amazing. I found the pacing excessively languorous and some of the scenes irrelevant to the story (which is not overly substantial to start with.) One problem is that we see powerful emotional undercurrents which deeply affect George's family but remain a mystery to the audience, which left me feeling dissatisfied. And George himself is so taciturn, so enigmatic, as to be a non-character. Indeed, it is a puzzle as to what Madeline sees in him, except lust, since we see almost nothing. The observations on the family and Southern culture were sometimes acute but also at times mean-spirited, in my view; most of the characters were presented as narrow, uneducated, or simple, and the family's limitless capacity to avoid the wrenching problems staring them in the face was not believable. In the end we understand that, yes, they love each other, but why in God's name doesn't anybody have a heart-to-heart talk with Johnny? This film does have charm, humor, and great acting, but the storyline is weak, too many questions are left unanswered, and some of the characters are one-dimensional.

An Unpleasant Visit to the South

[brenttraft · 3/10 · 28 August 2005]

I really did not like this film.

I usually like quirky independent films, but this was more like watching the cartoon "King of the Hill," than "The Station Agent," Me and You and Everyone We Know," or "Pieces of April."

The problem with "Junebug" is that there are no likable characters. I just saw a bunch of stereotyped dumb Southerners that really had no good qualities. I guess that was supposed to be funny, but I wasn't laughing. Madeleine, the Northener, was real nice and understanding, but there was not much depth to her character. Her Southern husband was hardly in the film and we are not given any reason why they got married other than physical attraction.

Sitting through this film for an hour and 40 minutes was an unpleasant experience. The photography was rather plain, the dialog was forgettable, and the ending did not resolve anything. The acting was good, but not good enough to save the film.

Apparently lots of people like this film because it has gotten pretty good reviews. Maybe those are the people who have kept "King of the Hill" on the air for so long.

Coming home

[jotix100 · 8/10 · 17 September 2005]

"Junebug" is one of the best independent movies that has been released recently. Phil Morrison, the director, is clearly a new voice in the cinema to be reckoned with. His immensely satisfying "Junebug" has the power to make the viewer gets absorbed into the drama he presents to his audience. Based on a screen play by Angus MacLachlan, the film is a pleasant surprise.

If you haven't seen the film, perhaps you should stop reading here.

At the start of the film, we are taken to Madeleine's gallery in Chicago where an art auction is taking place. The lovely Madeleine is seen behind the scenes, when she suddenly happens to catch sight of George, who happens to be at the event. We are aware of Madeleine's lust for the handsome George, and as fate would have it, they get married.

When Madeleine decides to go to visit one eccentric painter in North Carolina, a visit to George's family is in order. The contrast between the worldly Madeleine and her new in-laws is something we realize right away. The mother, Peg, is a controlling woman who presides over the big household. She is weary of strangers, as she perceives Madeleine to be. The father, Eugene, is a taciturn man who clearly wants to stay away from his wife, hiding in the basement, where he carves animal figures that we never get to see. Johnny, the other son, seems to be resentful of his brother for having left home. His wife Ashley, is the only person who seems to be happy, or at least, adjusted to her situation and surroundings.

The basic trouble with this family is that they don't communicate. Nothing is ever heard about what has made them grow apart. There is no warmth whatsoever from Peg toward anyone at all. In fact, for being this a Christian family, they exhibit no kindness toward Madeleine, who tries to connect with them, to no avail. Johnny misreads his new sister-in-law's kindness with sexuality, which is clearly not the case. It's only Ashley, the simple girl with a heart of gold who seems to be having some semblance being well adjusted in spite of the coldness of her new home.

Amy Adams and Embeth Davidtz, who play Amy and Madeleine, respectively, give amazing portrayals of these two opposite women. Ms. Adams is one of the best things in the film because she hasn't been touched by whatever is making the rest of the family so miserable. Embeth Davidtz, one of the best young actresses working in film and in the theater these days gives a graceful account of Madeleine, a woman of a different background who is accepting and wants to be accepted by her new family.

The rest of the cast is well balanced. Benjamin McKenzie is seen as the frustrated Johnny, who is clearly an unhappy man living with his family. Alessandro Nivola has a great moment when he is asked to sing a hymn at a church gathering. Celia Weston makes Peg, into a mystery, as we can't conceive her reaction toward the woman who married George and can't accept her. Scott Wilson is the father.

"Junebug" is a film that will stay with the viewer for quite a long time after it's finished. Mr. Morrison makes us get involved in the situation he is presenting for us. Clearly, not a film for the great masses, but it will gratify fans of this type of indie that shows a director who clearly has things under control and is not afraid to get the viewer involved in the story.

very powerful,moving,heart wrenching drama that is worth watching if you stick with it

[disdressed12 · 7/10 · 21 January 2007]

i really wanted to hate this movie.in fact,i considered shutting it off more than a few times.the first thought i had was "talk about some f****d up,moronic,dimwitted imbeciles.that seems to describe many of the characters in the movie.other than that we have a real a-hole,a woman who cares about nothing except money and her self.there is also, a bickering wife and the most sane person is the husband who barely says more than 2 words most of the movie.however,i stuck with the movie,and i'm glad i did. many of the characters changed for the better somewhat before the movie ended.the movie is billed as part comedy,but it isn't really funny.it is very dramatic,very dialogue driven.it is also heart wrenching at times.i'll admit,i bawled and blubbered heavily towards the later stages of the film.Amy Adams blew me away with her performance,starting off as a simple country girl,who seems a bit dull,at first,but becomes really endearing as the movie progresses.this movie is very bleak in its tone and deals worth some very heavy issues.i am glad that i saw the movie through,even though i didn't get it all.i know i'm being very vague about the movie,but trying to describe it in depth is too difficult,as there is so much going on.it is a very complex movie.it is truly a unique viewing experience do recommend it,but be prepared to experience some strong emotions and shed some tears.

Most Southern People Are Not This Boring and Stupid!

[Michael-70 · 1/10 · 29 September 2005]

I am a Northerner and a solid city dweller. I have always suspected that when movies especially try to make their simple countrified characters seem morally superior by making them monosyllabic and lacking in anything resembling complex thought, that it was just a sad attempt by inept writers. Junebug does nothing to change that.

In this Southern family, Dad just putters around in the basement workshop making wooden birds, Mom is a grump, Younger Brother is an idiot and a hothead and his ditsy, pregnant wife is an annoying motormouth. A little serious dysfunction would at least make this family interesting.

Why is the returning son so upset at his British wife for not going to the hospital when numb-skull sister in law goes into labor? He apparently ran away from this small town family to the big city as soon as he could. Also, they are meeting her for the first time, meaning he didn't even invite his family to his wedding! How close are they supposed to be?

There is nothing charming about monotonous morons. There is nothing inherently superior about country life as opposed to city life. They both have good and bad points.

I know too, too many charming, vocal, intelligent, interesting and vibrant Southerners to believe this doltish family is something to admire. I bet they voted for "Dubya" Bush.