Product Details

• Actors: Johnny Depp, Mary Stuart Masterson, Aidan Quinn, Julianne Moore, Oliver Platt
• Directors: Jeremiah S. Chechik
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
• VHS Release Date: February 14, 1994
• Run Time: 98 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (174 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302804817
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #79,002 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

An oddball love story about a fey loner named Sam (Johnny Depp), who falls in love with the mentally unbalanced Joon (Mary Stuart Masterson), who lives in the care of her protective brother Benny (Aidan Quinn). This 1993 story is hard to swallow, with its message that love can conquer a brand of mental illness that manifests itself in pyromania: Joon has a bad habit of going a bit around the bend and setting fires, but Sam's tender care apparently has the cure for what ails her. Still, if you want proof that Depp has significant chops as a physical comedian, give this film a try: He does note-perfect renditions of slapstick routines made famous by Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. --Marshall Fine

From The New Yorker

This is billed as an offbeat love story, but that's too kind: it misses the beat altogether. Benny Pearl (Aidan Quinn) is an auto mechanic who spends most of his time looking after his sister Joon (Mary Stuart Masterson). She's a bit crazy, although any real madness is kept strictly within the cute limits set by the director, Jeremiah Chechik. There's nothing dangerous or even disquieting about her, just an excess of creative ability and the urge to wear a swimming mask and snorkel in public. But one eccentric isn't enough for this movie. Enter Sam (Johnny Depp), a hopeless case with a taste for clowning and magic who finds a kindred spirit in Joon. "He's sweeter than he is judgmental," she croons, which says it all. They fall in love, and stroll past a couple of upsets toward a happy ending. It's one long shower of whimsy, much of it borrowed from elsewhere; when Depp does a little dance with two bread rolls, everyone around him grins with delight, as if they never saw Chaplin doing the same thing. Quinn struggles to give it some dignity, but can't do anything about Barry Berman's script: "You're blessed," he tells Depp. "You could be the new Buster Keaton." If that kind of heresy doesn't make you weep, nothing will. -Anthony Lane
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

88 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good story, Depp is brilliant!, March 25, 2004

By	Graciela Sholander "Co-author of Dream It Do ... (Fort Collins, CO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Benny and Joon (DVD)

I love this feel-good movie! It's a special treat to watch Sam, Johnny Depp's quirky, sweet and child-like character, who makes grilled cheese sandwiches with an iron and entertains at a park with his impressive Buster Keaton-like routines. He looks and acts like someone who walked in from another era, maybe even another planet. Watch Depp's facial expressions -- intense and hilarious!

There are heavy moments, such as the bus scene: When the romance between Sam and Joon (Mary Stuart Masterson) is misunderstood, forcing the pair to run away, Sam comes face to face with the reality of mental illness as Joon becomes severely agitated with the voices in her head. But he never gives up on love, finding a way to get to Joon at the mental hospital by dangling acrobatically just outside her room from a window washer's perch (my favorite scene). And yes, there's a happy ending.

I watched this movie with my husband and our children (ages 10 and 12). If you plan to watch Benny & Joon with kids, be aware that bad words are used a couple of times, and there's a romantic scene between Sam and Joon that's slightly steamy but not distasteful. Overall, though, the touching story, dialogue, and humor make this a fine movie to watch with kids over 9 years of age (younger kids would probably find it boring).

Creative story with fun characters! Some of the almost surreal scenes will replay in your mind to make you smile and even laugh out loud.

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LOVE CONQUERS ALL..., September 14, 2003

By	Lawyeraau (Balmoral Castle) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)

This review is from: Benny & Joon [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is a quirky romantic comedy about two people who, deemed as misfits by society, fall in love with each other. Featuring outstanding performances by the entire cast, this is a film that lets the viewer know that there is, indeed, someone for everyone.

When eccentric Sam (Johnny Depp) enters the lives of a brother and sister, Benny (Aidan Quinn) and Joon (Mary Stuart Masterson), he changes their lives forever. Benny, it seems, is always worried about his sister who seems to be autistic. He treats her like a baby, making sure that she is never left alone. Highly intelligent, creative, and articulate, Joon, however, chafes a bit under the thumb of her protective older brother, but she does have some issues, as there are certain things that act as triggers for some odd behavior on her part.

When Sam begins living with Benny and Joon, acting as a housekeeper-babysitter, Sam treats Joon like a regular person, and before you know it they are falling in love, each accepting the quirks of the other with complete equanimity. Meanwhile, Benny is attracted to Ruthie (Julianne Moore), who owns the local diner. The only thing is that he cannot seem to concentrate on romance, as he is so worried about what the future holds for his sister.

There are some twists and turns in the romances between Sam and Joon, as well as in that of Benny and Ruthie. There are some very funny moments, as well as those filled with genuine pathos. There is also a certain amount of physical comedy reminiscent of that of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. In the hands of the adept Johnny Depp, it works.

This is a film that will be enjoyed by those who love off-beat, beautifully acted films. Bravo!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Family, and independence from family, July 6, 2006

By	Valerie A. Gearon (Albany, WA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Benny and Joon (DVD)

This is a story about stagnant sibling relationships. Benny (a mechanic) has structured his entire life around 'protecting' his mentally ill sister, Joon. Both are dissatisfied: she in particular has withdrawn from society and broader human interaction, and has an underdeveloped ability to care for herself. The ensuing frustration manifests itself in pyromania.

His need for control and her isolation are tearing their relationship apart, despite the very real and visible love they have for each other. Sam is a much-needed catalyst for change. I suspect that his appeal for Joon, who is immediately drawn to him, lies in the fact that he makes absolutely no assumptions about her on the basis of her condition.

It has been said that this movie is arguing that love conquers all, but I disagree. Romantic love is presented as a mechanism of change and renewal: but the real story lies in a brother's struggle to overcome his own need to protect his sister from society, and in his blindness when it comes to her own requirements as an adult woman. The viewers and Sam himself are made to confront the very real facts of Joon's illness when their attempt to abscond results in a highly traumatic episode.

Essentially, the movie is a humorous and emotional one. While not the most polished movie you'll ever see, 'Benny and Joon' comes across as very sincere, and it isn't afraid to tackle the tough issues. Johnny Depp is as lovely as always, and the film contains moments of incredible wit, warmth, and a quirky kind of humor in its portrait a mentally ill young woman who has absolutely normal needs when it comes to love, sex, and independence.

And it's nicely gritty, too, and highly effective.