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Amy Adams, Embeth Davidtz, Benjamin McKenzie, Alessandro Nivola, Frank Hoyt Taylor ... see more see more... , Celia Weston , Scott Wilson , Jill Wagner

Phil Morrison, who collaborated with screenwriter Angus MacLachlan for his acclaimed 1990 short, Tater Tomater, joins forces with MacLachlan again for his feature-film debut, Junebug. Junebug takes pl... read more read more...ace in rural North Carolina. Madeleine (Embeth Davidtz), a sophisticated Chicagoan who owns a gallery devoted to "outsider art," goes south in an effort to woo an eccentric painter (Frank Hoyt Taylor) to her gallery. She brings along her husband, George (Alessandro Nivola), a native of the area, and the couple stays with his family. Peg (Celia Weston), George's mother, gives Madeleine a rather chilly greeting, and seems to think she's a poor match for her eldest son, while his father, Eugene (Scott Wilson), is a bit more welcoming, in his quiet way. George's younger brother, Johnny (Ben McKenzie), is still living at home with his very pregnant wife, Ashley (Amy Adams), and seems to feel nothing but resentment for George. For her part, Ashley is a gregarious young woman, and she's immediately smitten with her "new sister." Junebug was selected by the Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center for inclusion in the 2005 edition of New Directors/New Films. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

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71% liked it

45,300 ratings

Critics

86% liked it

127 critics

R, 1 hr. 46 min.

Directed by: Phil Morrison

Release Date: August 3, 2005

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DVD Release Date: January 17, 2006

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Stats: 2,213 reviews

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Junebug Junebug Amy Adams at the premiere of Junbug Ben in His first movie Benjamin McKenzie Amy Adams in Junebug Amy Adams in Junebug Amy Adams in Junebug Embeth Davidtz and Alessandro Nivola in Junebug Amy Adams in Junebug Frank Hoyt Taylor in Junebug
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Flixster Reviews (2,213)

  • MrMarakai
    May 4, 2011
    MrMarakai
    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 an... read mored 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.
  • flixsterman
    August 16, 2010
    flixsterman
    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.
  • xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    February 5, 2010
    xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    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-law... read mores 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.
  • dunmyer
    October 16, 2009
    dunmyer
    "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 surp... read morerising 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.
  • SirPant
    September 14, 2009
    SirPant
    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.
  • kiriyamakazou
    May 28, 2009
    kiriyamakazou
    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... read more 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.
  • MovieGeek13
    March 19, 2009
    MovieGeek13
    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.
  • bookmunki
    November 30, 2008
    bookmunki
    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.
  • aliceinpunderland
    July 27, 2008
    aliceinpunderland
    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.
  • ironclad1609
    June 28, 2008
    ironclad1609
    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 th... read moree 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.

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Critic Reviews

Mark Bourne
November 30, 2007
Mark Bourne, Film.com

...one of many reasons to love Junebug is how often it offers us spaces to fill in ourselves, the faith it shows in handing us small puzzles -- Eugene's hand-carved bird, for instance -- to chuckle ov... Full Review

Susan Walker
September 23, 2005
Susan Walker, Toronto Star

A quiet journey into the heartland, and the heart. Full Review

Kathy Cano Murillo
September 22, 2005
Kathy Cano Murillo, Arizona Republic

Thanks to Adams' performance and strong story, it makes for a mildly entertaining Southern-fried experience. Full Review

Roger Moore
September 2, 2005
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

The adult tensions and the tone take us to a place remembered so vividly that even if we don't know this corner of the South, we've somehow lived there or at least passed through. Full Review

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
August 28, 2005
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Brimming with bright dialogue, complex characters and moments of sheer aching sweetness, it's Chekhov with a side of red-eye gravy. Full Review

Carrie Rickey
August 26, 2005
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer

This brilliantly detailed, richly painted portrait lingers long in the memory.

Michael O'Sullivan
August 26, 2005
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post

With its wise understanding of the magnetic pull (and invisible polarities) of family, Junebug is an auspicious debut for Morrison. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
August 26, 2005
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

It's a quiet, funny, moving triumph, the kind of movie that gives 'interesting' a good name. Full Review

Terry Lawson
August 26, 2005
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

As someone with Southern roots, I can tell you I personally know every character in this movie. I am especially knowledgeable of George, a man who knew he had to leave but knows part of him never can.

Tom Long
August 26, 2005
Tom Long, Detroit News

Features an astounding performance from comparative unknown Amy Adams that is all the more satisfying in that it doesn't overwhelm the film.

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    • Madeleine: I was born in Japan.
    • Ashley: You were not!
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Junebug Trivia

  • Before starring in Junebug, Embeth Davidtz played a sweet character in which 1996 family flick?  Answer »
  • "God loves you just the way you are, but too much to let you stay that way." Is a quote said by who in which 2005 film?  Answer »
  • What actor from "The O.C." starred in the 2005 comedy "Junebug" with Amy Adams?  Answer »
  • This actor from TV's The OC, had a role in the 2005 hit Junebug  Answer »
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