Phil Morrison paints a beautiful and sometimes heartbreaking portrait of the ways family bonds and roles change after years spent apart. After marrying an older more sophisticated woman by the name of Madeleine (Embeth Davidtz), George (Alessandro Nivola) takes a trip from Chicago to the bible belt of North Carolina to reunite with his family and introduce his newly wed wife. The clash of culture is evident right from the start and causes a level of constant tension between members of opposing parties. As Madeleine and George's stay becomes longer they begin to find out more and more things about each other that they never knew. At one point these secrets intrigue one another and others force them to reevaluate the person who they thought they knew. George and Madeleine's trip home turns into a learning experience not just for themselves, but also for everyone in the household.
This film's strongest points are easily its writing and acting. Some may argue that some of the characters may come off as a stereotype, but if they were a stereotype they wouldn't be able to articulate themselves in such a poetic manner. Characters have a simple way of communicating with each other but it is always poignant and understated. Phil Morrison keeps the pacing at a pitch perfect speed and the skillful cinematography of Peter Donahue is simple yet effective. The cast is all around superb and plays off each other in such an entertaining manner. There is not one actor that feels out of place as in their character in this film. Amy Adams steals the show as the one light of hope the family holds onto. Her overly bubbly personality might come off as irritating from any other actress but Adams always seems endearing and charming.
As far as recent American independent films go Junebug is a film that transcends certain boundaries that usually constrain independent films. This isn't a film that appeals only to the art house audience rather this is a film that if given a chance really has something for everyone. More than just a "coming home" film Junebug proves itself to be a multi layered film that never tries to hard and comes off as consistently charming no matter what subject matter they are dealing with.
This film's strongest points are easily its writing and acting. Some may argue that some of the characters may come off as a stereotype, but if they were a stereotype they wouldn't be able to articulate themselves in such a poetic manner. Characters have a simple way of communicating with each other but it is always poignant and understated. Phil Morrison keeps the pacing at a pitch perfect speed and the skillful cinematography of Peter Donahue is simple yet effective. The cast is all around superb and plays off each other in such an entertaining manner. There is not one actor that feels out of place as in their character in this film. Amy Adams steals the show as the one light of hope the family holds onto. Her overly bubbly personality might come off as irritating from any other actress but Adams always seems endearing and charming.
As far as recent American independent films go Junebug is a film that transcends certain boundaries that usually constrain independent films. This isn't a film that appeals only to the art house audience rather this is a film that if given a chance really has something for everyone. More than just a "coming home" film Junebug proves itself to be a multi layered film that never tries to hard and comes off as consistently charming no matter what subject matter they are dealing with.