X
- 1993
- PG
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
- 1 h 38 m
- 1993
- PG
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
- 1 h 38 m
Summary A mentally ill young woman finds her love in an eccentric man who models himself after Buster Keaton.
Directed By: Jeremiah S. Chechik
Written By: Barry Berman, Lesley McNeil
- 1993
- PG
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
- 1 h 38 m
- 1993
- PG
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
- 1 h 38 m
Benny & Joon
57
8.2
Where to Watch
Summary A mentally ill young woman finds her love in an eccentric man who models himself after Buster Keaton.
Directed By: Jeremiah S. Chechik
Written By: Barry Berman, Lesley McNeil
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 21 Critic Reviews
57
38% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
57% Mixed
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
5% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Mixed or Average
Based on 21 Critic Reviews
57
38% Positive
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
57% Mixed
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
5% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Writers Barry Berman and Leslie McNeil and director Jeremiah Chechik tell the story with tenderness and humor. And - miracle of miracles, in this day of endless endings - when the story is over, the movie is over, too. [16 Apr 1993, p.3G]
Benny & Joon turns out to be a whimsical (and not very well paced) heart tugger in which two nice couples spend 98 ever-so-slightly flaky minutes figuring out that they’re perfect for each other.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 16 User Ratings
8.2
94% Positive
15 Ratings
15 Ratings
6% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 16 User Ratings
8.2
94% Positive
15 Ratings
15 Ratings
6% Mixed
1 Rating
1 Rating
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Although it too often succumbs to the kind of whimsical sentimentality about the mentally ill that has afflicted movies from King of Hearts to The Fisher King, this filmed-in-Spokane comedy-drama is almost salvaged by its excellent cast. [16 Apr 1993, p.3]
It would be easy to slam this flimsy romantic charmer for its cloying whimsicality, but at the core of its misfits-need-love-too storyline lies a warmhearted charm so captivating that only the most hardened cynic will fail to be enchanted.
Ultimately, Chechik can't pull off the fractured-fairy-tale aspect of Benny and Joon. His film never explains mental illness, but romanticizes it, making it seem like a state of enchantment. It's ultimately irresponsible, and not very funny. [16 Apr 1993, p.C1]
Chechik has crafted Benny & Joon not as a seamless whole but as a tumble of scenes. Unfortunately, too many of them are inspired by Charlie Chaplin, Harold Lloyd or Buster Keaton, and they seem to spill from the screen like Bozos from a kiddie car.
Whatever qualms you might have about romanticizing mental illness, the misguided Benny and Joon thinks it's just darling.
Production Company
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM),
Roth-Arnold Productions
Release Date Apr 23, 1993
Duration 1 h 38 m
Rating PG
Tagline A romance on the brink of reality.
Awards
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Nomination
MTV Movie + TV Awards
• 3 Nominations
