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BENNY & JOON – The Blu Review – We Are Movie Geeks

Blu-ray

BENNY & JOON – The Blu Review

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Benny loves his sister Joon unconditionally, but she is becoming a bit too much to handle. He has taken care of her ever since their parents passed away, and her mental illness is taking its tole on Benny. To make matters worse, Joon lost a wager which left her responsible for Sam, one of the other players relatives. Benny is forced to open his home to the very eccentric Sam, who seems to have molded himself after Buster Keaton. What none of them expected to happen was for Joon to fall in love with Sam, and vice-versa. Theirs is definitely a love for the storybooks.

Is Benny & Joon a realistic story? Of course not. Is it an amazing story?  You bet it is! Mary Stuart Masterson plays Joon with such an innocence. Add Aidan Quinn as her brother, and the two are quite a pair on-screen. Quinn might be a bit cheesy while playing the love scenes (Not necessarily in a good way. You know, the way that makes us hopeless romantics swoon), but his characters interaction with Joon is well portrayed. Of course, the thief of every scene that he is in is Johnny Depp as Sam. It could be very easy to get lost in how creepy it could be for the character of Sam to fall for Joon, since her exact illness is never specified. Depp, however, plays the innocent and unconventional character of Sam in such a way that all the viewer sees is his good intentions and loving heart. Sam doesn’t see Joon for her mental illness, he sees her for her heart. Depp does an amazing job at conveying that message as Sam. Julianne Moore also makes a a fun appearance as Ruthie, ex-actress turned waitress, and the love interest of Benny. To be honest, I think she looks ten times better now than she does in this film. Kudos for aging well!

Since BENNY & JOON was not shot like films today, the blu-ray is not super sharp, but the 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 transfer in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio still looks great for what it is! I think people are just a little too finicky by expecting older films to look just as great as the films of today that are shot in high-def. I am more than happy with the quality. The film also comes with some fun extras such as:

  • Audio Commentary by Jeremiah Chechik
  • 2 Deleted Scenes: One is of Sam’s audition in front of William H. Macy’s character, and the other is the full “Mutilator” B-Movie staring Julianne Moore’s character Ruthie. The only drawback to both of these scenes is that the commentary cannot be turned off.
  • Costume, Make-up Test and Stunt Reel: Shows various lighting and make-up tests with the actors. This is aimed more at those that enjoy learning the technical side to making films.
  • The Proclaimers’ “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” Music Video (RAD!)
  • And of course, the Theatrical Trailer… I love watching older trailers!

OVERALL RATING: 5 out of 5 stars (For the film itself, 4 out of 5 stars for the blu-ray)

Nerdy, snarky horror lover with a campy undertone. Goonies never say die.