Junebug (film)

Junebug
theatrical film poster
Directed by Phil Morrison
Produced by Mindy Goldberg
Daniel Rappaport
Written by Angus MacLachlan
Starring Embeth Davidtz
Amy Adams
Benjamin McKenzie
Celia Weston
Alessandro Nivola
Scott Wilson
Music by Yo La Tengo
Cinematography Peter Donahue
Edited by Joe Klotz
Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics
Release date
  • August 5, 2005 (2005-08-05)
Running time
 106 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $1 million
Box office $3.4 million[1]

Junebug is a 2005 American comedy-drama film directed by Phil Morrison. It was released on August 3, 2005 and stars Embeth Davidtz, Amy Adams, Benjamin McKenzie, and Scott Wilson. It was filmed in the North Carolina towns of Pfafftown, McLeansville, and Winston-Salem.[2] Amy Adams received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role.

Plot

When art dealer Madeleine (Embeth Davidtz) travels from Chicago to North Carolina to pursue a local, self-taught painter (Frank Hoyt Taylor) for her outsider art gallery, she takes the opportunity to meet and stay with the family of her new husband George (Alessandro Nivola), who live close by.

There is his mother Peg (Celia Weston); his reserved, contemplative father Eugene (Scott Wilson); and his sullen, resentful, twenty-ish brother Johnny (Benjamin McKenzie) who, although married, lives at home. He is studying for his high school equivalency certificate while working at Replacements, Ltd. as an order processor. Johnny married his now pregnant wife Ashley (Amy Adams) before either of them finished high school. Relations between Johnny and Ashley are strained, with Ashley believing that a baby will solve their marital problems.

Madeleine and George stay in the expected baby's nursery, and Madeleine becomes friends with Ashley, who is very sweet and friendly, if somewhat naive and talkative. The family takes Madeleine to a church service, where George is asked to sing a hymn. Madeleine is not used to intense religious displays but makes no comment. She attends Ashley's baby shower and gives her sister-in-law an antique silver spoon, which stands out from the other gifts. Madeleine discovers that she does not know much about George, as they have been married only six months and knew each other only a week before they got married.

The artist Madeleine is pursuing wavers over signing with her gallery. Ashley goes into labor, and the family goes to the hospital with her. Madeleine chooses to go and convince the artist to sign with her gallery, which briefly makes George angry. Madeleine calls George to rave about the artist without asking about the baby. George interrupts her and informs her that Ashley's baby boy is stillborn, which causes Madeleine to double over with guilt. The artist and his sister drive Madeleine back to her in-laws' home, and she later sits with Eugene on the back porch and cries. George comes home and has a wordless encounter in the garage with his brother, Johnny, who throws a tool at him, injuring his forehead. George does nothing, understanding that his brother is expressing his feelings of being trapped where he is.

Johnny suggests to Ashley that they "try again," returning Ashley to her chipper self. George and Madeleine go back to Chicago. As they drive onto the highway and pick up speed, George remarks, "I'm so glad we're out of there" as they clasp hands.

Cast

Score and soundtrack

Though much of the movie is free of background music, its score is made up of original music by Yo La Tengo, as well as classical music by Haydn, Shostakovich, Schubert and Vivaldi.[3] The film begins and ends with the 1977 song "Harmour Love" performed by Syreeta Wright and written by Stevie Wonder. During a scene where most of the characters are at a church social, George and two young men are featured singing the hymn "Softly and Tenderly, Jesus Is Calling" by Will Lamartine Thompson.

No official soundtrack has been released of the film. As a result, Syreeta's album One to One (which contains the song "Harmour Love") has since experienced a resurgence of sales. Yo La Tengo have released some of the original music in a compilation of their work on soundtracks They Shoot, We Score.[4]

Home media

The DVD was released on January 17, 2006 by Sony Pictures Entertainment which includes:[5]

  1. 10 deleted scenes
  2. Cast audio commentary with Embeth Davidtz and Amy Adams
  3. Outsider Art Photo Gallery
  4. French subtitles
  5. Behind-the-scenes featurettes
  6. Casting sessions

Awards

Year Award ceremony Category Nominee Result
2006 Academy Awards Best Supporting Actress Amy Adams Nominated
Amanda Awards Best Film Nominated
Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards Breakthrough Film Artist Amy Adams Won
Best Supporting Actress Nominated
Critics' Choice Awards Best Supporting Actress Won
Gotham Awards Best Supporting Actress Won
Best Breakthrough Director Phil Morrison Nominated
Independent Spirit Awards Best Supporting Actress Amy Adams Won
Best First Screenplay Angus MacLachlan Nominated
Piaget Producer Award Mike S. Ryan Nominated
National Society of Film Critics Best Supporting Actress Amy Adams Won
Online Film Critics Society Best Supporting Actress Nominated
San Francisco Film Critics Circle Best Supporting Actress Won
Satellite Awards Best Supporting Actress Nominated
Screen Actors Guild Award Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated
Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards Best Supporting Actress Won
Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize for Acting Won
Directing Award Phil Morrison Nominated

References

  1. ↑ «Junebug» Box Office Mojo
  2. ↑ Junebug screenwriter Angus MacLachlan strikes again with stone Archived 2011-01-02 at the Wayback Machine.
  3. ↑ Junebug - Soundtracks
  4. ↑ Yo La Tengo Shop
  5. ↑ IMDb: DVD details
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