Junebug
I finally got around to seeing Junebug.
I can’t even really remember in what context the film was mentioned to me since it came out last summer, but I’m very, very glad I saw it.
The premise for the screening was to give those in the San Francisco media who, like me, never got around to seeing it a chance, in light of next month’s Academy Awards. The film’s Amy Adams is nominated for Best Supporting Actress, and deservedly so.
Not knowing Adams from any previous work, I mistakenly assumed the film’s leading female character to be her. I thought early on Why would this slightly-better-than-average performance warrant an Oscar nod? Then, about a third of the way through, it dawned on me that the loud, inquisitive, talkative (that’s a understatement) Ashley was being played by Adams.
I do love it when a supporting actor’s performance eclipses others, but in Junebug, Adams’ co-stars did some amazing work as well.
The movie is about an art dealer from Chicago and her husband George Johnsten, originally from North Carolina. She, Madeline, is told to come to North Carolina to meet a prospective new artist, and the couple plan a trip. The idea is that while in North Carolina, on business, they can also see (and she can meet for the first time) his family.
Just before the couple arrives, we meet the rest of the family. Ashley is George’s brother Johnny’s wife, and she has been de facto adopted by the Johnstens. Her charm explodes off the screen the moment she enters the picture, nine months pregnant to boot.
It’s hard to put into words the magic of the character of Ashley. The rest of the story keeps pace with itself, but this one character shows a depth unlike any other. Sure, it’s innocence, naiveté even. But it’s a little bit of the simple goodness of her character, the curiosity and unending engagement with everyone around her, that make her so likable.
I won’t tell too much of the rest of the movie, except to say that it explores themes of family, home, relationship, and what gets us up in the morning.
Overall, a fabulous movie.
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February 9th, 2006 at 3:42 pm
I think the scene stealer was Ben McKenzie of the OC fame. Who would have thought the OC star was capable of playing someone who’s so angry, insecure, and depressed but also aching to express affection? After the film though, I wasn’t sure if anybody really truly loved or understood one another, and whether that mattered at all. I agree, fantastic film, although a bit of a downer for me.