Benny & Joon (1993)

I hadn't seen any Jeremiah S. Chechik's job before, but this one is more than good. I gave 9,because some movie's moments were a little bit too long. First seconds of the movie told me that movie will be very interesting and good. That soundtrack was used perfectly, it fixed my mood immediately, because it's very feel-good and fun. Johnny Depp performed excellent - as always. His character was super weird, but cute and lovely too. Sam and I have something in common. I envisaged a parallel between us. We both love old movies. Person (me too) is always satisfied when he see something in common between characters and himself. Sam I liked the most not even because I like Johnny Depp, but because he's the most dramatic personality in all movie and he acts very natural. Super. Actually, I have never seen something like this movie - I mean story and plot. A masterpiece which should be know all people who love watching very good movies. I recommend.

I should have wrote this review about a month ago when i first saw the movie however i kept just putting it off for no reason. So Johnny Depp is the " man " I'm serious and this film shows his acting skills through dialogue , feelings , emotions and movements. I know its not like his other more popular movies like Pirates of the Caribbean , Edward Scissorhands and others but this one has a special place. This movie is all about loving each other and taking care of another person like Benny was trying to do for joon - I was trying to figure were his mind was at for majority of the film and I'm glad of the outcome because you could tell what his feelings toward Sam were overtime of the film. Joon was very interesting herself - mentally ill yet so artistic seems only right her and a guy like BuStEr kEaToN ( Sam ) would have a connection. I also really liked the scene of them trusting each other and feeling comfortable enough to make real love with one another . In my opinion it was great not seeing private parts it was not needed for the movie , If they would have shown skin it would have seemed to romantic or to open or to pushy or trying to hard for that scene.Its so obvious that Depp did a great job as this quirky / silly / warm hearted / caring / unique character. Benny & Joon's actors also give a good performance I'm not sure how well Aiden and MsM ( Mary s masterson ) would / have done in other movies but in this one they do well and even better when in scenes with Depp. Also I loved the song " 500 miles" they used in the beginning and ending which matched perfectly and had the song in my head all night ! This movie has an amazing three characters and actors -1= some what plays the straight man Benny who changes - 2 = mentally ill yet creative Joon and 3 = wonderful and different one of a kind Sam a guy like buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin ,soundtrack great and overall a happy movie with tons of laughs till the last scene. My family ( even my mom who dislikes a lot of movies loved this one) - especially the ending of this quirky / cute / comedy movie. I recommend this movie go watch it !!

During my Johnny Depp film binge I discovered Benny and Joon, a charming little piece that left me tingling with optimism and warmth long after the credits rolled. Johnny Depp again transfigures himself into another quirky yet endearing character: a dyslexic young man who channels his shyness through his jaw-dropping imitations of Buster Keaton, and finds his soul mate in Joon, a girl who suffers from a mental illness, maybe schizophrenia. She cannot get along with anyone besides her protective brother Benny, as she is prone to panic attacks at the slightest provocation, which includes the former housekeeper having smelly hair. But throughout the film, we see, as Depp's Sam sees, that despite her mental illness she is a strong-willed, bright, and beautiful individual who may be more independent than her brother presumes. Not that Benny is an overbearing hover-copter; we see how concerned he is for her happiness and well-being, sacrificing his freedom and romantic pursuits to give her the best care possible. You can't help admiring him (his good looks and steadfast love for his sister) and wishing he were your older brother. All three characters are marvelously portrayed, and the plot, though somewhat predictable and cheesy, ends in such a hilarious and sweet note that it makes the whole movie experience delightful. Not too melodramatic, but not the typical Hollywood fluff either, this rom com will leave you contented, with just a tad squeeze in your heart.

The Food used in the diner sequences actually came from The Shack Restaurant, the production company could not afford the Shacks asking price (as this would interrupt the daily business and taking away $1000's of dollars from the business) for the use of the Restaurant so it opted for the Milk Bottle and Fergies, so the production people used food from the Shack and drove it to the other two diners. The other goof is the ambulance seen says Deer Park Ambulance which is about 30 miles away from downtown Spokane where the scene takes place. My husband was an extra on this film and also a stand-in for Oliver Platt and Waldo Larsen.