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Jan 15, 2019LAURA WOLFE GARDENER rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
I primarily discovered this film while searching for movies with Ben Mckenzie, who I've been greatly enjoying as the lead in 'Gotham'. I was additionally interested when I saw that 'Junebug' is considered Amy Adams' "breakout" film, for which she was nominated for an Academy Award. The film depicts three strained relationships and the different styles of estrangement that exists within each couple. Though there are many humorous moments in the film, there is also a pervading sense of despair and quiet, even sullen, desperation. In this way, 'Junebug' reminds me of much Scandinavian film (Bergman) and theatre (Ibsen). While watching, I often gasped aloud, "Something bad is going to happen" and I was aware of tension in my limbs. Much is understated and at times I was on the crest of wondering, "What is going on here?". However, I'd hold back on the question when I'd realize that the characters don't know each other, or themselves, as well as they think they do. Once I could accept their 'not knowing', my own became much easier to bear. Amy Adams' character radiated optimistic co-dependence. She was so generously spirited. I wanted to cradle her in my arms during her tribulations and bask in her emotional sunshine when she was riding high. In contrast, I often wanted to slap the largely benign narcissism out of Embeth Davidson's character. She often acted unconsciously and unaware of other's needs and boundaries, thinking she was doing them good, while mostly serving her own needs. In further contrast, these women's mother-in-law was prickly, dismissive, and judgemental, though I judged her less when I saw evidence of the buried tenderness and yearning that she hides from others. The three male characters seem weak and less consequential compared to their dynamic female partners. The father-in-law constantly allows himself to be minimized by his harpy-esque wife, to whose behavior he is also co-dependent. His own inwardly-turned anger manifests primarily as taciturn depression. His oldest son is alternately brooding or compulsively sexual and the younger son's depression often explodes into rage in response to Adams' wide-eyed enthusiasm. Let me state clearly that I like this film very much and found that it was so much more than I originally expected. This ensemble cast wove a deeply textured tapestry of familial connection and disconnection. Fortunately, a few golden threads of hope and the possibility of redemption were stitched into the darker background fabric.