Love can be found in the strangest of places. Benny & Joon is a story of love, acceptance and family with a quirky twist. Joon Pearl, played by Mary Stuart Masterson, isn’t your average girl. She’s an artist, a free spirit and a loyal sister. She’s also a young woman with mental illness, who has spent her entire life in her brother's care. She's been coddled and protected by her brother Benny Pearl (the ever-handsome Aidan Quinn), but when Sam comes along, the siblings' world is turned inside out. What was once a structured, organized, sheltered life becomes a frenzy of color, emotion and love.
The always-endearing Johnny Depp plays Sam, an "eccentric" man who comes into the Pearls' life through a bet. He’s a waif who dresses like Buster Keaton, cooks grilled cheese with an iron and dances to his own tune, just as the lovely Joon does. To Benny, Sam is bizarre, obnoxious and an imposition. But to Joon, Sam is the oddest, most wonderful person she has ever met. The two hit it off and become fast friends, and Sam doesn't seem to notice Joon's eccentricities.
Benny, the overbearing guardian of his sister, has spent his days caring for a woman who can’t quite take care of herself. For as long as he can remember, it’s been just the two of them, and when Sam enters the picture, he disrupts the comfortable world in which the Pearls reside. Benny disapproves of Joon spending time with Sam, and soon takes comfort in Ruthie (Julianne Moore), a waitress at the local diner. Quinn and Moore offer a nice contrast to the budding romance between the young lovebirds. Their logical, methodical lives are the complete opposite of the free-living Sam and Joon. Before long, the two begin to fall for one another, but Benny feels that his loyalties are to Joon, and he is unworthy of falling in love. Instead of letting Ruthie in, he begins to drive Sam and Joon apart in order to maintain the lifestyle he's known for so long.
While Benny's back is turned, Joon and Sam become closer than ever, and emotions arise that Joon never knew she could feel. She begins to question her way of life and long for freedom of her own, independent from the brother she has been tied to since childhood. For a woman like Joon, living alone would be incredibly difficult, but she is up for the challenge, with a little help from Sam.
Depp and Masterson make a likeable pair, and the joy their characters find in the menial is inspiring. Although you're rooting for love, however, this particular romance is slightly uncomfortable to watch. We know that Joon has a disability, but aren't quite sure whether or not Sam knows as well. In the end, it doesn't matter, for love conquers all, doesn't it?
The chemistry between characters in this film really draws you in, and makes an unconventional love story something special. Johnny Depp never fails to amaze, and his performance as a quirky yet confident young man falling in love is remarkable. Masterson is lovely as Joon, bringing heart and life to a woman who has been held back despite all she desires and deserves. The acting is the glue to Benny & Joon, for even the best actor can’t perfect an imperfect script. The tone of the film isn’t concrete throughout, and there are times we’re not sure whether to laugh or cry. There are a few too many “twists,” which makes 90 minutes feel like three hours. If the screenplay was a bit more focused and the plot tightened, Benny & Joon would be stellar, thanks to an all-star cast.
In the end, Sam helps both Joon and Benny understand that love isn't planned and that sometimes you have to open up and realize that everyone deserves love. What the story comes down to is that love might surprise you, might teach you things you’d never imagined, might bring you closer to understanding your loved ones, and yourself.
Bonus Features
You can play the film with audio commentary by director Jeremiah Chechik, Deleted Scenes, a Costume, Make-Up Test and Stunt Reel, a Theatrical Trailer and a music video for one of the greatest songs of all time, “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) by the Proclaimers.
"Benny & Joon" is on sale April 5, 2011 and is rated PG. Drama. Directed by Jeremiah Chechik. Written by Barry Berman, Lesley McNeil. Starring Aidan Quinn, Johnny Depp, Mary Stuart Masterson.
