Junebug
Metascore
80 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 34 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 34
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 34
  3. Negative: 0 out of 34
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  1. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: David Sterritt
    100
    This low-key drama is a miracle of mood, atmosphere, and sensitivity.
  2. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    100
    Junebug is a great film because it is a true film. It humbles other films that claim to be about family secrets and eccentricities. It understands that families are complicated and their problems are not solved during a short visit, just in time for the film to end. Families and their problems go on and on, and they aren't solved, they're dealt with.
  3. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: Michael Sragow
    100
    One happy surprise after another, even when the content is bittersweet or sad.
  4. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    100
    Amy Adams in a performance as deep as it is delightful, is the film's heart and also its flaky, wonderstruck soul.
  5. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Scott Foundas
    100
    Ensemble casts like this are not easy to come by. Adams is something more than that -- a brilliant young comedian bursting into bloom.
  6. The New Republic
    Reviewed by: Stanley Kauffmann
    100
    The screenwriter Angus MacLachlan and the director Phil Morrison and an astonishingly perfect cast have quietly made a daring picture.
  7. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Carina Chocano
    90
    A deceptively simple, deeply resonant story about the inherent loneliness of family, the odds against assimilation and the enormous distances that can divide two people.
  8. Slate
    Reviewed by: David Edelstein
    90
    It's hugely entertaining, it's spectacularly acted, and it pricks you in all kinds of places. Maybe the best thing is to see it and let it bug you, too.
  9. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Ann Hornaday
    90
    Manages to be one of the genuinely fresh discoveries of the summer, a little gem that deserves to become a big sleeper hit.
  10. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Kimberley Jones
    89
    The sum is something deeply profound: about awkwardness, culture clash, failed connections, and – ultimately – the strength that comes from surviving a trial by fire.
  11. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    88
    Happily, Morrison's actors grasp his intentions perfectly, shading their roles so well that we never quite get a handle on anyone. Each player is outstanding, but the highest praise must go to Weston.
  12. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Carrie Rickey
    88
    Brilliantly detailed, richly painted portrait.
  13. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Claudia Puig
    88
    Junebug has the feel of a good short story or novella.
  14. Premiere
    Reviewed by: Peter Debruge
    88
    That rare kind of movie that contrasts "cultured" big-city characters with devout, "simple" folk without being condescending or judgmental of either camp.
  15. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Liam Lacey
    88
    A movie that gets wonderfully under your skin.
  16. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    83
    Wonderful performances and the director's continual inventiveness make Junebug a particularly promising first feature.
  17. Seattle Post-Intelligencer
    Reviewed by: Paula Nechak
    83
    The performances by Davidtz, Weston, Wilson and especially Adams stand out as Morrison paints his character study with raw, true bits continually tested by the absurdities of pain life dishes up.
  18. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Duane Byrge
    80
    Not merely a sitcom of cultural clash. Screenwriter Angus Maclachlan has delicately etched a compelling portrait of a way of life whose decencies and simplicities are often dismissed as being "unsophisticated."
  19. Empire
    Reviewed by: David Parkinson
    80
    The scenario may be overly familiar, but the low-key approach and engaging performances make this an unexpected delight.
  20. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Laura Sinagra
    80
    It's an exhilaratingly decentered tale, with the perspective shifting around so there's no character with whom we totally identify throughout.
  21. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Stephen Holden
    80
    Junebug envelops us in texture of a world the movies rarely visit.
  22. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Michael O'Sullivan
    80
    With its wise understanding of the magnetic pull (and invisible polarities) of family, Junebug is an auspicious debut for Morrison.
  23. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: J.R. Jones
    80
    Written by Angus MacLachlan, this indie drama explores the lingering tension between north and south with vinegar and precision.
  24. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: G. Allen Johnson
    75
    If there's any justice at all at next year's Academy Awards, we have our first can't-miss nominee for best supporting actress: Amy Adams.
  25. ReelViews
    Reviewed by: James Berardinelli
    75
    There is sadness and humor here, but all understated.
  26. Dallas Observer
    Reviewed by: Bill Gallo
    70
    Combining the tragic and the comic, this drama is amateurish in places, but it's a triumph of atmosphere (the makers are both North Carolinians) and the acting is first-rate.
  27. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Wilmington
    63
    Sometimes one performance makes a film worthwhile, and Junebug has one: an astonishing, moving portrayal of down-home innocence and optimism by Amy Adams.
  28. Miami Herald
    Reviewed by: Connie Ogle
    63
    Too slight to bear up under the weight of the final melodrama, and the film ends too abruptly, as if MacLachlan just ran out of things to write. Still, this visit to the old homestead is worthwhile, if only to meet its unflappable, charismatic women.
  29. New York Post
    Reviewed by: V.A. Musetto
    63
    Sensitive and sincere and has a talented ensemble cast.
  30. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    60
    Morrison brings an amazingly sure hand to MacLachlan's prickly screenplay.
  31. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Keith Phipps
    60
    The drama loses shape before it really develops, but the sense of place--all wood paneling and animal knick-knacks--and the memorable performances keep it worth watching.
  32. Variety
    Reviewed by: Joe Leydon
    60
    Has a washed-out look that may be off-putting to auds who might otherwise enjoy the pic's uncondescending view of Southern characters and customs.
  33. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    50
    A textbook case of filmmakers who can't make up their minds about their characters; it's a failure of nerve disguised as dramatic ambiguity.
  34. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Bob Westal
    50
    An admirable film, but its charms will be visible only to the most patient filmgoers.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.7 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 71 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 41
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 41
  3. Negative: 5 out of 41
  1. RonaldM.
    10
    This is a great film. In the tradition of Jean Renior and Robert Altman it captures the nuances of life. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad. It is as unpredictable as life.… Full Review »
  2. BKM
    5
    Junebug attempts to explore the enormous cultural and social gulf between red and blue state America by honing in on the disconnects between individuals, particularly family members and spouses. It's all handled with intelligence and care, but carries no dramatic weight. Much of the animosity amongst these characters is revealed by what isn't said, and in Junebug that's a lot. So much so that it's difficult to care what the reasons actually are.… Full Review »
  3. badger
    8
    A film that I found quite scary though it wasn't a scary film by any means. How an outsider affects the nearest and dearest of your own nearest and dearest and left me wondering how I would myself, a Britisher like Embeth Davidz's character, cope with a real American family. It felt so alien. I must see more of the Real America. New York it ain't!… Full Review »
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