Junebug
A newlywed couple learns about love and sacrifice while staying in his Southern hometown.
Sometimes movies do not need a strong, gripping plot to carry it – the characters are enough to make it enjoyable. In “Junebug,” the family dynamics and internal conflicts are interesting and slowly evolving throughout, so what “happens” is irrelevant to how they grow.
A story line exists, of course – happily in love newlyweds journey from Chicago to George’s (Allessandro Nivola) hometown in North Carolina. The reason for the trip is not for Madeleine (Embeth Davidtz) to meet his family; an outside art dealer, Madeleine is anxious to close a deal with a prospective artist who happens to live nearby.
With a home video feel, the film exposes a nearly stereotypical family who seems to have been left empty since the prodigal son flew the nest. Peg (Celia Weston) is a typical hen-pecking mother; Johnny (Benjamin McKenzie) has his own problems and is resentful of his brother’s success; father Eugene (Scott Wilson), the silent observer; and pregnant sister-in-law Ashley (Amy Adams) a delightful chatterbox and the most desperate for love herself.
The impact that the couple has on this stagnant family’s life, and what is revealed about Madeleine and George to one another throughout their stay, is the real story. Sometimes true love can be heart breaking; sometimes, it can be infectious.
Written by: Jill McAree
Reviewers Rating: 7.5
Reader's Rating: 7.00
Reader's Votes: 2
Added: 23-Aug-2005
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