Junebug (2005)

This is one of my favorites in my archive and thought you might enjoy reading it.  Originally written on July 29, 2006.

One of the best "new" films I have watched in a long time. I loved, loved this movie. It's about a British art dealer from Chicago who goes with her husband to North Carolina to knock out two birds with one stone to talk to a potential client (this is an overstatement) and meet his family for the first time.

I know you are immediately thinking of Fish Out of Water comedies, possibly like Monster-in-Law or Home for the Holidays (although I haven't see either of these), or Meet the Parents (which I have), but this does not fall into the usual cliches.

I guess I would categorize this film as a dramedy. More on the dramatic side, but the comedic scenes had me laughing more than I have laughed in a long time.

I'll touch on some of the few things I loved about this film:

#1: The setting. I haven't spent much time in North Carolina, but what little I have seen of it and what little time I have spent with the people from this state, it reminds me a lot of East Texas. This movie captures this southern atmosphere perfectly. It pokes fun a bit, but not in a mean manner. The guy who wrote this movie is from the Winston-Salem area, so he obviously knows what he is writing about. The scenery will have you going, "I know a place like that" and the characters will have you saying, "I definitely know somebody like that." If you are from the South, that is.

#2: The acting. Amazing all around. I hadn't really seen the other supporting female roles that got nominated in 2006, but after seeing this, Amy Adams could have definitely taken it with pride. She is amazing as a dumb-witted pregnant girl, but she adds so much more depth to this character than your average "air-head" that is usually portrayed in movies. She actually reminded a whole, whole lot of a good friend of mine. A big part of why I enjoyed the performance.

Also, Ben McKenzie's portrayal as the jealous, closed-off brother, Johnny is excellent as well. I haven't seen him in anything else before, although I recognized him from the O.C. I have never seen that show and never will, but his performance here not only surprised me, but made me change my mind about how I felt about his character multiple times throughout the movie. But the thing is, he stays constant throughout. You know that is good acting when your feelings change that much about a character.

I could go on and on, which I already have, so I will stop. This is definitely an independent film, so I wouldn't be surprised if some people "don't get it", but I would be completely taken back if somebody wasn't moved at least once while watching this.

Warning, there is quite a bit of sexual content in this movie. If you do see this because of my glowing review, I am warning you in advance.