Lisa from Boondock Ramblings and I are back to watching and sharing about comfy cozy (and sometimes, chilling) movies for the fall season. Feel free to join in with us!! Our link will be live for a whole week after we post about a movie. 

This week’s feature, and first of the season, is Benny & Joon!

I was a 90s teen/early adult and somehow I never saw this movie. Even though I had a huge thing for Johnny Depp back then. Somehow, I just never watched it. I am so glad that Lisa chose this one so I could rectify that wrong!

The quick synopsis from Netflix: “Benny is the overprotective caretaker of his mentally ill but artistically talented sister, Joon, who falls in love with an eccentric comedian.”

Benny has been the caregiver for Joon for twelve years, not all of them smooth judging by the sound of how quickly they go through housekeepers aka Joon minders, but it is working, at least on the surface. They are surviving, but not necessarily thriving. Benny spends his days at work and coming home and taking care of Joon, which basically means keeping her company and keeping her safe. Joon spends her days painting and reading for the most part, but she does have a tendency to wander unsafely and start fires.

Her mental illness in the movie is undefined, and unlabeled. I read online that that was something that was done on purpose, to represent and appeal to a broader audience, but her symptoms seem to indicate that she is schizophrenic. She has emotional outbursts that can be violent, throwing things, etc, hears voices, can possibly self-harm. After they lose their latest housekeeper, Benny has a conversation with Joon’s psychologist who indicates that Joon might be better off in a group home. Not because she is unmanageable, but because she might learn different ways to deal with some of her challenges that Benny is unaware of. Basically, the gist is that both Benny and Joon could use some changes in order to live their best lives.

When Sam (Johnny Depp) enters their lives in a very non-conventional way, things begin to change. He is also a quirky character, and serves as a bridge between Benny’s world and Joon’s. I actually spent a good deal of the movie trying to decide if he was also diagnosed neurodivergent, although it wasn’t ever said. Regardless, he was talented at slapstick, Buster Keaton style comedy, a great housekeeper, and he “got” Joon.

Of course there is a tension and drama and misunderstandings, but you will have to watch to see.

I really enjoyed this movie. I somehow missed how good looking Aidan Quinn was in the 90s. And Johnny Depp and Julianne Moore look like such babies in this movie! Really they all do, Aidan Quinn and Mary Stuart Masterson, Oliver Platt. Sigh. Weren’t the 90s just like the other day?

Johnny Depp did a great job with the physical comedy in this movie. His acting otherwise was sort of all about with his eyes. Like he was just trying to emote the whole movie with them. Staring and trying to communicate with a look. This was the beginning of his career, and I could see where he was testing out new waters. Lots of this face though. This was probably due to the Buster Keaton mien he was embodying, as Keaton was known for his blank, stoic, deadpan faces. I did like when Joon compared him to Boo Radley though. I think Johnny Depp just didn’t have quite the stone face quality, although he tried. He is just too pretty and he looked like a sad little puppy. (that I just want to hug)

I also really liked the hard working, midwestern feel to this movie. It just felt very familiar and homey. Oh that reminds me -their house! I could not get over that house. It was amazing. I am all about a good setting and it was so full of character and charm, with big windows open to the outside, and rooms full of color and plants and paint and art and odd bits.

Overall, I really enjoyed this whole movie. I think everyone did a wonderful job capturing these characters, breathing life into what could have been a story that was predictable and flat.

Have you seen this movie? Feel free to share your thoughts here or link up! And be sure to stop by Lisa’s post as well!

Our next movie is: A Knight’s Tale. Another Lisa pick and one of my favorite comedies.