Johnny depps character, sam, is a walking tribute to buster keaton. Apr 08, 2014 johnny depp and mary stuart masterson star in this quirky romantic drama about two misfits who come together as a result of an unusual poker game. At first it seems like joon s mental handicap will be played for wackiness, but the film also shows the full extent of what having a personal relationship with someone like her would entail. When writing coverage, you want to focus on 23 main issues, strengths or weaknesses of the script. When a mentally ill young woman falls in love with an eccentric vagabond, it threatens to tear her family apart. At first it seems like joons mental handicap will be played for wackiness, but the film also shows the full extent of what having a personal relationship with someone like her would entail.
I was relieved to discover it was about so much more than that. English and french soundtracks are rendered in dolby digital surround, while a spanish soundtrack has been recorded in. The film benny and joon portrays joons mental illness in a multifaceted way, highlighting the fact that the presentation of mental illness is highly individualized. Film analysis is, unsurprisingly, about analysing films. Last week i was reading a blog post about tropes for womens characters in film, particularly the sexy tragic muse. In the movie, a mechanic named, benny pearl is devoted to taking care of his younger, mentally ill sister, joon. This relatively stable situation is shaken up when benny is obliged in a poker game to welcome another players relative, sam, to his home for a few days.
Benny works fulltime as an auto mechanic and has hired a string of housekeepers, as he calls them, to keep an eye on joon during the day. It is easy to watch the film and pick apart the lackings of the script, the inconsistent performances, and, ultimately, the lack of cohesiveness. I think the conflict between benny and his sister is apparent through the entire film just in the manner that they speak to each other, whenever she tries to assert herself, he cuts her down as if she were still a child. Both camps can agree, however, that mary stuart masterson, aidan quinn and johnny depp are quite good. She is an adult women and can take care of herself all the same. Sam becomes benny and joons houseguest, and the film wastes no time turning its two nutball characters into bohemian huggy bears. Post traumatic stress disorder in the film benny and joon. The film is being sold as an offbeat romance between a couple of lovable kooks. Its likely that this will have a bigger draw amongst the pained. Johnny depp is not the titular benny, but this mistake is made often. First woody harrelson bailed out of the role of benny, the mechanic who overprotects his schizophrenic sister, joon. Benny and joon is a film that approaches its subjects so gingerly it almost seems afraid to touch them.
The 1993 movie benny and joon tells the story of adult siblings, benny and his sister. Apr 23, 1993 sam becomes benny and joons houseguest, and the film wastes no time turning its two nutball characters into bohemian huggy bears. The film benny and joon portrays joon s mental illness in a multifaceted way, highlighting the fact that the presentation of mental illness is highly individualized. This is the first time ive seen it since my aspergers diagnosis. The story wants to be about love, but is also about madness, and somehow it weaves the two together with a charm that would probably not be quite so easy in real life. Even though benny works a full time job, his sister is his number one priorit. Benny has been joons primary care taker ever since their parents had passed away in a car accident. Analysis of the film benny and joon 1593 words 7 pages. Apr 16, 1993 benny and joon is a dangerously fanciful story of cute eccentrics, characters whose quirks are the very essence of their appeal.
In a small town, an auto mechanic named benny is devoted to taking care of his mentally ill sister, joon, who can barely function alone in the real world despite being a talented artist. Sobel benny and joon benny and joon is a movie full of cute eccentrics, characters whose quirks are the very essence of their appeal. Analysis of the film benny and joon 1593 words 7 pages a few years ago, my sister introduced me to the film benny and joon, a story about a woman in her twenties with a disability that is more or less undefined throughout the film. A team of editors takes feedback from our visitors to keep trivia as up to date and as accurate as possible. As benny notices that opportunities in his life are slipping away, he begins to contemplate sending joon to a group home. A very long time, johnny depp is amazing as always, and mary stuart masterson, rocks her part. Benny s expression when he sees sam swinging by joon s window, several stories up is priceless. Benny aidan quinn is a mechanic whose adult life is anchored to his sister joon mary stuart masterson, a passionate, talented artist who happens to be mentally ill.
A mentally ill young woman finds her love in an eccentric man who models himself after buster keaton. When sam enters the title duos lives, they learn the meaning of love and togetherness. Benny and joon and a good look at schizophrenia history. Enter sam johnny depp, who comes into their lives via a card game, and shows the siblings that his.
The trouble arises when joon is no longer able to keep a housekeeper because she is too much for all of them. Aidan quinn also stars, and it was directed by jeremiah s. Benny throws one out to sam as he throws him out after sam and joon reveal their relationship. Schizophrenic analysis on benny and joon introduction to. Throughout the film, joons mental illness is referenced, but a specific diagnosis is never mentioned. In the beginning of the film, the current housekeeper quits due to joons. Benny has been given the role of joons caretaker and becomes overprotective which overwhelms joon as well begins to arouse questions by joons social worker. Although at one point benny tells joons psychiatrist that they have been managing living together for twelve years, it is still unclear as to when the onset of joons symptoms started. Highly probable psychological disorders of the character. Analysis of the film benny and joon 1593 words bartleby. Hey all, for my abnormal psych class i need to do a multiaxial diagnosis of joon from the 1993 movie benny and joon. Usually the illness develops slowly over months or even years. It is about looking at and analysing every single facet of a film, asking why it is a good or bad, then backing up your argument with evidence. Dec 06, 2015 this feature is not available right now.
The symptoms narrowed down to three main categories. As can be gathered by this synopsis, benny and joon may not strike responsive chord with everyone. Johnny depp and mary stuart masterson star in this quirky romantic drama about two misfits who come together as a result of an unusual poker game. Younger moviegoers these days seem to shy away from complexities, which is why the movie and its advertising all shy away from any implication of mental illness. English and french soundtracks are rendered in dolby digital surround, while a spanish soundtrack has been recorded in dolby digital mono. Joon is a smart, artistically talented schizophrenic who is bennys younger sister. This movie tells of a sweet, longsuffering mechanic named benny aidan quinn who struggles to take care of his erratic sister, joon mary stuart masterson who has a mental illness that is never explained. Other viewers will applaud the classic silent film humour and will emerge with a glow theyll want to show off to their friends. Benny and joon has serious elements in its portrayal of joon s masterson sickness and how it affects her relationship with her brother, benny quinn. This is slightly difficult because her disorder is not explicitly mentioned in the movie. As per the internet here is the description of the 1993 classic a mentally ill young woman finds her love in an eccentric man who models himself after buster keaton. Benny and joon is the musical version of the 1993 movie of the same name that starred johnny depp.
Sam entertains joon while he dreams of a job at the video store. Psychology and mental illness in the movie, benny and joon. Schizophrenia was such a controversial topic in that year that the word schizophrenia was never. Hes his sisters keeper, and what a job that is the.
Benny aidan quinn, who cares for his mentally disturbed sister, joon mary stuart masterson, also welcomes the eccentric sam johnny depp into his home at joon s request. A disability love story posted on november 23, 2015 by angietheantitheist last week i was reading a blog post about tropes for womens characters in film, particularly the sexy tragic muse. The result will be a wellwritten, indepth analysis of the theories of personality that we will cover in class and in the. The author listed a few examples i agreed with, like angelina jolie in gia.
Some of us experience a form of red alert at the very notion of. Post traumatic stress disorder in the film benny and joon cram. She is a fascinating character that suffers from indeterminable mental illness. View essay schizophrenic analysis on benny and joon from psyc 101 at ramapo college of new jersey. The film is perhaps best known for depps humorous physical. Highly probable psychological disorders of the character joon. With johnny depp, mary stuart masterson, aidan quinn, julianne moore. I had never seen this movie until just now having avoided it because of the issue of mary stuart mastersons characters mental illness. Once benny realizes joon and sam have started a relationship, he kicks sam out of the house. I was really surprised to find autism represented well, and particularly to find that the theme of the whole movie was that neurodiverse people arent stupid, and were capable of making our own choices. Bennys expression when he sees sam swinging by joons window, several stories up is priceless. This melancholy feeling is soon overshadowed by the magical aura that sam depp brings to these troubled siblings giving the movie an overall lighthearted and fun feeling. Chechik the film is perhaps best known for depps humorous physical comedy routines which are based on silent film comics.
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