Have you noticed there are some actors that are so gifted in their interpretation of a role that they just leave you wondering “how did they do that?” Johnny Depp as Sam does that in his “Buster Keatonish” type performance and his on-screen chemistry in this unexpected romantic comedy with the Mary Stuart Masterson character of Joon is wonderful to watch. Actually, to me this piece has more of a stage play feel to it than a movie, but a movie it is and one you should consider running out to rent at your local video store.
Quotes
Sam: You don't like raisins?
Joon: Not really.
Sam: Why?
Joon: They used to be fat and juicy and now they're twisted. They had their lives stolen. Well, they taste sweet, but really they're just humiliated grapes. I can't say I am a big supporter of the raisin council.
Sam: Did you see those, those raisins on TV? The ones that sing and dance and stuff?
Joon: They scare me.
Sam: Yeah me too
Joon: It's sick. The commercial people they make them sing and dance so people will eat them.
Sam: It's a shame about raisins.
Joon: Cannibals.
Sam: Yeah. Do you like avocados?
Joon: They're a fruit you know.
Sam: Ruthie, do you got any avocados?
Joon: Why do you hate me so much?
Benny: I don't hate you.
Joon: You need me to be sick.
Sam: How sick is she?
Benny: She's plenty sick. Now listen to me, I've been doin' some thinkin'...
Sam: Because, you know, it seems to me that, I mean, except for being a little mentally ill, she's pretty normal.
Joon: Having a Boo Radley moment, are we?
Plot Summary
You get the feeling in the opening scenes of Benny & Joon that you are about to embark on a journey and it is going to be an interesting one. While the opening song and credits are running you see Joon “Juniper” (Mary Stuart Masterson) in her studio creating a painting, Sam (Johnny Depp) on a train peeking over a book entitled “The Look of Buster Keaton, and the traditional and “harried” multi-tasker Benny (Aidan Quinn) at his automobile repair shop working on one of his clients cars. The phone rings; it’s Benny’s sister Joon calling him “again” concerning an emergency at home - they are running low on peanut butter.
Benny comes home that night from work with a sack of groceries to find Joon, who has functional mental health issues, and her latest adult caregiver/housekeeper having a fight. The housekeeper tells the overprotective Benny, Joon “has fits, sudden outbursts and she is unmanageable” so she quits. When Benny asks his sister what happened she answers “she (meaning the housekeeper) was given to fits of semi-precious metaphors” and “she moves things.”
It’s poker night at his friend Eric’s (Oliver Platt) home, but Benny tells him he can’t come because he doesn’t want to leave Joon home alone. Eric talks him into coming and tells him to bring Joon, who reluctantly climbs into her brother’s El Camino wearing a motorcycle helmet. As they approach the house, she looks out the window of the car and sees Sam (Johnny Depp) sitting in a tree and they exchange glances for a moment. In the middle of the poker game Benny’s friend Mike (Joe Grifasi) offers a solution to Benny's housekeeper problem by offering the services of his cousin Sam - who came into town on a train and has taken up residence at this house. Mike shares “he’s 26 years old and he can’t even read, he spends his days polishing my forks…and keeps me up at night watching old movies.”
In the next scene Benny is at his sister’s psychiatrist, Dr. Garvey ( C.C.H. Pounder) who asks Benny how he and his sister are getting along to which Benny answers “fine.” The doctor wants him to consider putting his sister in a group home where she can be with her peers, but the devoted Benny says “she already has a home.” It is an old conversation between these two people who want the best for Joon. Against the doctor’s recommendation and despite the fact Benny is putting his life on-hold; he decides to find another housekeeper. Enter Sam who Joon “wins” (sort of) in a poker game. And the fun begins….
Life Lessons
There are millions of cookie cutter human beings walking around this world, but thank goodness for the unique people. The ones who run with scissors, color outside the lines, courageously rip those “do not remove” tags off of pillows, and walk down escalators when they could ride. They are the eccentric souls - the walk to their own beat boys and girls – the different drummers, who make life interesting and view the world through a unique pair of eyeglasses.
Years ago they used to be called “characters” and every small town had their own individual version with descriptive nicknames to match their various personas. Johnny Pop Bottle and Trash Can Annie were gentle souls who practiced no prejudice or noticed any class distinction – they usually smiled, waved, and said hello to every one they met as they rode their bicycle through town with their collection of treasures in their bike basket or pulled their two-wheeled shopping cart filled with their latest finds around the town square until they found their favorite bench to rest their weary bones and feed the pigeons.
I don’t know if it was a different time or the Iowa community I spent my early youth in, but back then people didn’t hassle them. They were card carrying members of the small community they lived in, no better and no worse than the "pillars" of said community, and people spoke to them when they passed and let them be the harmless souls they were. The people in town knew there was not a mean bone in their body and they would give you the last thing in their cart or basket and go without, if they thought you needed it. In fact, everyone sort of looked out for them and when a stranger would come to town and comment to one of the coffee clubbing farmers at the diner, he or she would answer “you should have known Johnny before Vietnam or Annie was a local beauty before she lost her husband and kids in that fire.”
Everyone has a back story – all of which has contributed to making them the person they are today. Compassion is defined as deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish to relieve it. It sometimes goes by another name too, it is called being kind. Something that is hard to be when you go around angry inside and hold other people responsible for your woes or your happiness – instead of looking in the mirror and saying “this life is what I choose to make it.” Johnny and Annie know exactly what that means, do you and I?
Benny and Joon Movie Cast
Johnny Depp - Sam
Mary Stuart Masterson - Juniper 'Joon' Pearl
Aidan Quinn - Benjamin 'Benny' Pearl
William H. Macy - Randy Burch
Julianne Moore - Ruthie
Oliver Platt - Eric
C. C. H. Pounder - Dr. Garvey
Dan Hedaya - Thomas
Joe Grifasi – Mike
and others.
Frankly, having been around a lot of autistics, those two were undiagnosed autistics all the way down to Joon's flapping/stimming with her hands when she had her meltdown on the bus. The two actors who played Sam and Joon knew what they were doing.
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