Synopsis
Oscar® Nominee Johnny Depp, Mary Stuart Masterson (TV’s Law & Order SVU ) and Aidan Quinn (Practical Magic) star in this hilarious, quirky comedy. Wildly eccentric Joon (Masterson) can be very charming — especially when she takes her medicine. Long under the thumb of her overprotective brother, Benny (Quinn), Joon craves her independence. During an unusual poker game, Joon loses her hand — but wins Sam (Depp), a whimsical misfit who soon charms his way into her heart. Now if they can only find a romantic interest for her brother, love just might stand a chance in this charming, delightful film that also features Oliver Platt (Frost /Nixon) and Academy Award® Nominee Julianne Moore.
Early Johnny Depp is a wonder to watch. Straight out of Edward Scissorhands and 21 Jump Street, Depp takes the role of a Buster Keaton wannabe in this 1993 film. His chemistry with Mary Stuart Masterson’s Joon is fun to watch, as they act like two school kids ready to play on a Saturday morning. This movie works because of these two actors and their ability to play their characters well. Outside of them, mainly the Aidan Quinn storyline, you simply won’t care for the rest. Quinn’s storyline simply gets in the way of the love story that you’ll want to continue on screen when Depp and Masterson get rolling. Is it bad to say that? Probably, but that’s how I felt when I was watching this movie for the first time.
With that said, I like the story here. I like that Benny has to take care of his sister Joon because she is mentality ill, and sort of lost/trapped. I like that her brother is over protective, especially when he finds out Depp loves his sister. I like all of it, but I don’t like how Aidan Quinn’s story is sort of forced fed into it all. Director Jeremiah Chechik certainly should have seen this coming. He should have reduced Quinn’s role and put more interaction between our main characters. Sometimes movies aren’t perfect and sometimes people try to make them perfect, which ends up causing more harm. This is one of those times were Chechik should have said, “Let’s include Benny (and his own need to find love), but make his needs an afterthought”. Instead, Benny’s story messes with Joon’s and the overall body gets affected.
I really enjoyed Benny & Joon, even when it takes a serious turn and makes Depp’s Sam and Masterson’s Joon very human. I like the emotional value that’s put into this movie, and the message that love/freedom is necessary for everyone to truly live a normal life, regardless of illness. I think it could have all gone smoother though, but I’ll take what I can get with this one.
It’s simply a fun movie to watch.
As for the Blu-ray transfer, it’s actually pretty solid. The transfer is mostly clean with some graininess here and there in some of the lower lit shots. I think the movie really shines when the sun is shining bright in a scene, and you’ve got plenty of those. The backdrop for the film (a small town) helps with the HD quite a bit. Regretfully, the audio is only 2.0 DTS-HD, which stinks because there is a good soundtrack with this film.
The special features on this Blu-ray include:
– Audio commentary by Jeremiah Chechik
– Deleted Scenes
– Costume, Make-Up Test and Stunt Reel
– Music Video (really nice)
– Theatrical Trailer
I think for a Blu-ray that is good quality and only $19.99 (again, cheaper on Amazon) you are getting some good features. The commentary from Chechik is really quite good. The deleted scenes are decent. The stunt reel and make-up test are interesting, as you get to see some fun stuff. For once I really appreciate the music video. I’m not sure why, but I enjoyed it. All in all, you have a decent set of features for a very cheap price.