Rating: 
Summary: Really good
Review: "Benny & Joon" ranks high on my list of favorite movies. The storyline is fairly unpretentious: Juniper "Joon" Pearl (Mary Stuart Masterson) is a slightly unbalanced young woman living with her overprotective brother Benny (Aidan Quinn). The two have been on their own since their parents were killed in a car accident years before. Joon requires constant supervision, as she has a tendency to light things on fire, but her sometimes volatile moods drive away one housekeeper after another. Juggling his life between work and looking after his sister, Benny has little time of his own. At last he must face a difficult choice - should he continue trying to find a housekeeper who can deal with Joon's eccentricities, or should he consider placing her in a group home, where perhaps others will do a better job of caring for her than he can?
Unable to find someone to look after Joon one night, Benny allows her to accompany him to his weekly poker game. And when Joon loses a hand, Benny suddenly finds himself saddled with an unexpected and not altogether welcome houseguest - Sam (Johnny Depp), the strange cousin one of Benny's friends can't wait to get rid of. Little do they realize how drastically this odd newcomer will affect their lives. Sam's quirky ways, particularly his unconventional method of making grilled cheese sandwiches, intrigue Joon as nothing ever has before. And having Sam around to look after Joon frees Benny up to pursue a romantic interest of his own with Ruthie (Julianne Moore), the pretty waitress at the corner restaurant. But as Joon's bond with Sam grows stronger, Benny finds himself torn at the idea that he may no longer be the central figure in his little sister's life.
It's a fun, cute, slightly off-beat romantic comedy, but it isn't all fluff. Unlike many others in the genre, this movie has some substance underneath. The emotions of the characters are genuine, and the brother / sister relationship between Benny and Joon is stressed just as much as the romantic one between Joon and Sam. Though the film contains quite an assortment of oddball characters, it manages to remain rooted in reality and stresses the important things in life. For all the funny, up-beat scenes, like Sam's hilarious physical comedy routines in the park, there are also some serious sequences. The scene on the bus where Sam gets his first real dose of the gravity of Joon's mental illness is probably the heaviest in the film.
We are never told exactly what is wrong with Joon. Seeing the movie for the first time, after hearing the terms "unbalanced" and "mentally ill" used to describe her, I had expected her illness to be more serious and overpowering than it actually appears to be. She's eccentric and moody, to be sure, but for most of the movie she seems to be quite sensible and sane, sometimes even more so than the other characters. However, she does sometimes hear voices, as we see in the aforementioned bus scene. My personal guess would be that Joon is mildly schizophrenic, and perhaps also somewhat manic depressive, to explain the volatile mood swings. But the important thing is that she does not see herself as "odd" or sick. It is the rest of the world, and Benny in particular, that must realize that perhaps Joon is capable of living a more normal, independent life than she has been allowed to so far.
The entire film is very well acted. I cannot think of a single cast member whose performance was not up to par. The stars of the show, of course, are Mary Stuart Masterson as Joon and the incomparable Johnny Depp as Sam. Masterson captures the nuances of Joon's character to perfection. One has no difficulty in believing her complex character to be genuine. And despite her oddities, she remains loveable throughout. Sam is just the kind of quirky character fans of Depp would expect him to play, and he carries it off beautifully as usual, here drawing heavily on the influences of Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin. His character is slightly more difficult to envision as an actual flesh-and-blood person than Joon's, but in the context of the movie it works. Aidan Quinn and Julianne Moore also turn in great performances, and smaller parts are contributed by Oliver Platt, C.C.H. Pounder, Dan Hedaya, Joe Grifasi, William H. Macy, and Liane Alexandra Curtis.
This is a film I imagine almost anyone could enjoy. It doesn't adhere rigidly to the typical romantic comedy formula, it's believable despite the occasionally far-fetched elements in its plot, and it is genuinely funny and moving by turns. It's also suitable for viewers of just about any age. Again unlike so many modern romantic movies, it does not depend on sex scenes to establish romance. In fact, the physical aspect of Sam and Joon's relationship is limited to just one fairly tame kiss. There's nothing here that parents need be concerned about having their little ones watch. The movie isn't overly long, either, clocking in at only 98 minutes.
The DVD special features are not overly impressive, though there is some worthwhile material. There are two deleted scenes. One is a sequence where Benny, impresed by Sam's physical comedy abilities, has arranged an audition for him with an agent. Unfortunately, there is no option to turn off the director commentary which is placed over the scene, so one can't actually hear the dialogue, which I would have liked. The other sequence is simply a full-size version of the horror movie scene that Benny, Joon, Sam, and Ruthie watch one night. Other special features include an audio commentary, a long series of costume and make-up tests, a stunt reel, the theatrical trailer, and a music video for the theme song "I'm Gonna Be" (a.k.a. "500 Miles") by The Proclaimers. In summary, this is a terrific, fun, feel-good movie with a decent DVD. Definitely worth adding to your collection.
Rating:
Summary: THE REVIEW
Review: This movie was hilarious. It's about a brother that wants to protect his mentally ill sister. Mary Stuart Masterson plays Joon, a very convincing mentally ill person. She is the perfect actress for the part. Aidan Quinn plays her brother, Benny. His show seems so natural and rock hard. Johnny depp plays Sam, a comic expert that is "won" by Joon in a poker game. After some time they fall in love to the disapointment of Benny. Johnny steals the movie with his funny proformance and facial expressions. It is the best movies of that year!
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully acted love story.
Review: This film features Johnny Depp as Sam a quirky off beat character who moves in with brother and sister, Benny and Joon (played by Aiden Quinn and Mary Stuart Masterson) after Benny loses at a card game.
Benny takes care of his ill, troubled sister and initially is grateful to have Sam there to help care for her, especially as Sam seems to understand Joon and brings laughter into their home. As Sam and Joon's relationship starts to deepen into love however Benny protective instincts kick in and he becomes hostile and angry.
Very strong acting from all the leads stop this film from becoming too schmaltzy. The result is a beautiful film, which has a perfect balance of humour and pathos. Highly recommended
Rating: 
Summary: Johnny Depp is excellent
Review: But what else is old? "Benny and Joon" tells the unlikely love story of a mentally ill woman, Joon (Mary Stuart Masterson) and an odd man who walks around doing Buster Keaton impressions, Sam (Johnny Depp). Sam comes to live with Joon and her brother, Benny (Aidan Quinn) after Joon loses a card game in which Sam was part of the stakes (he had previously been living with his cousin, who could not stand him). Sam and Joon fall in love, leaving Benny in the dark as he tries to sort out his own romantic life involving a waitress (Julianne Moore).The movie is charming, funny, and not as by-the-book as one might think. All of the actors give great performances, but the standout is Johnny Depp, as usual. He obviously put a great deal of time into preparing for this role, studying the old silent film stars. It pays off greatly. It's hard to rank Johnny Depp's performances, but I would put this one up towards the top. All in all, if you want to see an original romantic comedy, rent this movie. It's extremely entertaining. I just cannot recommend it enough -- see it as soon as possible. I give it four stars because it's by far not the best movie I've ever seen, but nonetheless it's very good.
Rating:
Summary: Benny
Review: This is a very good movie. It gives insights into what it is to be mentally challenged in a tough world. Johnny Depp's character is brilliant.
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