Junebug (2005)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Mark W

  
  Following on from this, screenwriter Angus MacLachlan wrote the Robert DeNiro/Edward Norton film "Stone". Unfortunately, it wasn't in the same league but we've yet to see what director Phil Morrison delivers after this heartfelt independant gem of a film, which… More
  Following on from this, screenwriter Angus MacLachlan wrote the Robert DeNiro/Edward Norton film "Stone". Unfortunately, it wasn't in the same league but we've yet to see what director Phil Morrison delivers after this heartfelt independant gem of a film, which remains his one and only feature so far. On the trail of an eccentric artist in North Carolina, a recently wed Chicago gallery owner (Embeth Davidtz) gets to meet her new family. But while her pregnant sister-in-law (Amy Adams) gushes with enthusiasm, the rest of the household afford a more muted and reserved welcome. This is a film that could easily have fallen prey to cliche but skillfully manages to avoid it and crafts a wonderfully nuanced character study and earnest portrait of family pressures. The level of uncomfortable communication between this dysfunctional family is astutely captured and subtly delivered with an array of different personalities on screen and a perfect ensemble of actors bringing them to life. Amy Adams is a particular standout, radiating positivity as the loquacious, heavily pregnant in-law and the only one who seems to have any joy in life. You can almost feel the discomfort and awkwardness from the characters and the situations but despite this, we are still shown glimpses of the bond between them in their fragile, yet solid family unit. A wise and emotionally powerful treat that's not short on humour or pathos, making it a near flawless piece of craftsmanship by all involved and a reminder that American cinema doesn't always need to be bang for your buck.

• Randy T

  
  I know it's set in North Carolina but this could just as easily be Oklahoma (with a few minor adjustments in dialect). I see so much of my own family in this film that it's downright spooky! Very nicely done.

• Manu G

  
  The movie is good but felt weird the whole time watching it, the main theme was boring and the main characters except Amy Adams didn't bring anything really good to the table, overall movie mediocre! A dealer in outsider art threatens the equilibrium of her middle-class… More
  The movie is good but felt weird the whole time watching it, the main theme was boring and the main characters except Amy Adams didn't bring anything really good to the table, overall movie mediocre! A dealer in outsider art threatens the equilibrium of her middle-class in-laws in North Carolina. Madeline is a go-getting art gallery owner from Chicago, recently married to George, a near-perfect Southern beau. When Madeline needs to close a deal with a reclusive North Carolina artist, George introduces her to his family: prickly mother Peg, taciturn father Eugene, cranky brother Johnny, and Johnny's pregnant, childlike wife Ashley, who is awe-struck by her glamorous sister-in-law. Madeline's presence exposes the fragile family dynamics as hidden resentments and anxieties surface.

• William D

  
  "Junebug" is an unusual, intelligent film that explores unhappy subject matter. A well-educated thirtysomething man from Chicago takes his new wife home to North Carolina to meet his uneducated and emotionally damaged family. Once you see their extraordinary damage,… More
  "Junebug" is an unusual, intelligent film that explores unhappy subject matter. A well-educated thirtysomething man from Chicago takes his new wife home to North Carolina to meet his uneducated and emotionally damaged family. Once you see their extraordinary damage, it's not surprising that he was not in too much of a hurry to introduce her to them. Dad is so shell-shocked that he walks around in a stupor. He still has a lot of love in his heart, but it's barely visible under the layers of disappointment. Mom, played very well by the always-underrated Celia Weston, is a walking scorpion, eager to sting everyone with whom she comes into contact. She takes an instant dislike to her new daughter-in-law. Then there's little Johnny, a twentysomething loser who is about to become a father. Johnny has an inexplicable hatred for his big-city brother. In one almost-preposterous scene, Johnny throws a wrench at his brother, hitting him in the head, in a completely unprovoked attack. Johnny's wife is played by Amy Adams, who rocketed to fame almost immediately after the film was released and received a supporting-actress Oscar nomination. Adams does do an exceptional job here. It's very hard for actors to play characters who have less education than they do, so Adams' achievement is all the more noteworthy. The downside of the film is that it often feels like a TV dramedy along the lines of "Brothers and Sisters." Sometimes it's impossibly cloying and obvious. But at other times director Phil Morrison, who is still a relative newcomer to film, stylizes his scenes with uncommon artistry. I was especially taken with his skills as an ethnographer, introducing his audience to the unique rhythms, textures, and sights of small-town Carolina life. Frequently he pauses the action and turns his camera to the town where the film was shot and beautifully drinks in the sights. But by the same token, these moves were a little distancing. At almost every moment Morrison seemed hyper-aware of himself as a refugee from towns such as this. Rather than identifying with his small-town characters, he seems to consider them odd specimens. I sensed a big-city arrogance to a number of his shots, which made my skin crawl. Has he really never met an uneducated person as interesting, smart, and unique as he? How sad -- and pathetic. He's got to get out of the city more often and drop his arrogant guard so he can actually encounter people. That's called being a true artist. But then again, at least Mr. Morrison is trying to venture out of big cities. Most artists never get even that far. He has a long way to go, but he might turn out to be one of the most exciting and unique directors of the early 21st century.

• Anthony L

  
  I?d wanted to see this for so long but unfortunately, It was not worth the wait. Amy Adams is great but she is let down by the rest of the cast and the lame story! See it just for her performance.

• Luke B

  
  Maybe there are people like this in the world, maybe I don't care. Junebug is such a banal film with such little ambition that it's hard to think of good or bad things to say about it. Nivola and his new wife Davidtz, go to see his parents. It's kind of like Meet the… More
  Maybe there are people like this in the world, maybe I don't care. Junebug is such a banal film with such little ambition that it's hard to think of good or bad things to say about it. Nivola and his new wife Davidtz, go to see his parents. It's kind of like Meet the Parents, but all the snide remarks are said under their breath. Bad things are said and people just accept it. Ben Mckenzie is the real standout of this film. He actually tries to create some conflict but he is simply ignored. Him and Amy Adams as his bizarrely jolly wife would have made a better focal point. We only see McKenzie happy at his place of work. He hits on his brother's wife, talks down to his own wife and shows disdain for his baby that's on the way. But one interesting character doesn't make a great film. How good would The Dark Knight have been if Batman had ignored all of The Joker's evil schemes? Good, but pointless.

• E.J. B

  
  A unique portrait of a lifestyle that might seem foreign to many audiences. I loved it! And Amy Adams gives one of the best performances I've ever seen.

• Stefanie C

  
  good depiction of life in a southern town. well acted in the release of family dynamics, although the motivations and psychology are never revealed through plot or character.

• Alice S

  
  Impressive performances all around, especially Amy Adams in the hospital scene. Some funny and touching moments (Johnny struggling to tape the meerkat program for Ashley) but the root of this family's dysfunction didn't entirely reveal itself, and so the ending ran out of… More
  Impressive performances all around, especially Amy Adams in the hospital scene. Some funny and touching moments (Johnny struggling to tape the meerkat program for Ashley) but the root of this family's dysfunction didn't entirely reveal itself, and so the ending ran out of steam.

• Jens S

  
  A fine little independent movie about a man introducing his new wife to his family back home. Said family turns out to be quite something, causing plenty of awkward, funny and thoughtful moments. The humor is a subtle one, living off the quirky characters and situations, being the… More
  A fine little independent movie about a man introducing his new wife to his family back home. Said family turns out to be quite something, causing plenty of awkward, funny and thoughtful moments. The humor is a subtle one, living off the quirky characters and situations, being the center piece of this movie. It's carried by all around great performances, especially by the wonderful Embeth Davidtz and Amy Adams. In the end the movie takes a somewhat tragic turn, which makes it lose some of its charm, sadly. Still, it's a very special little film and worth checking out for its portrayal of a dysfunctional family and rural American life.

• Curtis L

  
  Really great movie about how when you get married, you marry the family too.

• Gordon A

  
  Thoughtful study of family life with all its complications. Breakout performance by Amy Adams is charming.

• Michael S

  
  Amy Adams IS this movie.

• Fernando Rafael Q

  
  JUNEBUG, a 2005 dramedy with excellent writing and directing, by Angus MacLachlan & Phil Morrison (respectively), that explores the complicated process of accpeting an in-law into your family. Nice photography work and the blend of funny and sad make this film worth watching. The… More
  JUNEBUG, a 2005 dramedy with excellent writing and directing, by Angus MacLachlan & Phil Morrison (respectively), that explores the complicated process of accpeting an in-law into your family. Nice photography work and the blend of funny and sad make this film worth watching. The parents (played by Celia Weston and Scott Wilson) are alright. Ben McKenzie is somewhat good, if you compare it to his dry acting on "The OC", Alessandro Nivola is barely on screen, but i LOVED his singing scene. Embeth Davidtz is great, and Amy Adams is TOP NOTCH at playing the naive, curious and LOUD Ashley, who is the heart of the movie and lights up the screen everytime. She should've won that Oscar!

• Julie B

  
  It's weird to see two movies about knocked-up chicks called Juno and Junebug right in a row, right? It was still very good. Not as funny, though!

• jay n

  
  beyond annoying

• Jennifer X

  
  Amy Adams is such a sweet, sweet, sweetheart.

• Drew S

  
  Think of Junebug as an indie Meet the Parents. Quiet but purposeful (usually), it knows exactly what it wants out of each scene and each line of dialogue. The performances aid the movie's intent; they are strong and telling and the actors really seem to understand what their… More
  Think of Junebug as an indie Meet the Parents. Quiet but purposeful (usually), it knows exactly what it wants out of each scene and each line of dialogue. The performances aid the movie's intent; they are strong and telling and the actors really seem to understand what their characters mean. Though everyone else in the world has sung her praises, Amy Adams is Junebug's greatest boon. If anyone dislikes her character, they clearly have no soul. She is a person so good that it almost makes you feel ashamed for yourself - and of course, the performance is perfect, inevitably Oscar-worthy. I'm having a hard time picking between her and Rachel Weisz. Junebug is funny, sweet, sad and sentimental, and only seems to falter on a sporadic few interior shots that really don't present or mean anything. The momentum is not always consistent, but nearly every scene is pitch-perfect.

• Red L

  
  Movies about discord in families are my kind of movie. George and his new wife land up in his hometown - far away from NYC. George has not been home in years I enjoyed Ben McKenzie (from The OC) as George's goofy brother Johnny.

• Steve B

  
  So much potential is wasted here. Basically goes nowhere and does nothing for an hour and a half.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings