Junebug (2005)

There's been a definite trend in American independent cinema, post-'Royal Tenenbaums', to focus on the eccentricities of the family unit and the conflict and camaraderie that arises from such groups. 'Junebug' presents us with a simple family of simple folk, viewed through the eyes of outsider, Madeleine (Embeth Davidtz), an art dealer with a history far removed from the God-fearing family of her new husband, George (Alessandro Nivola). What unfolds is a humourous and touching tale of the problems faced by these people who can't always understand the situations they find themselves in, but who are never potrayed in a condescending or overly-comic way. They are not all entirely likeable, and can be frustrating, but in a short time we come to care for them all.

When Madeleine is required to visit a reclusive artist in order to sign him to her gallery, she and George take the opportunity to visit his family who live nearby. We meet his mother and father, Peg and Eugene (Celia Weston and Scott Wilson respectively), his resentful brother Johnny (Ben McKenzie) and Johnny's heavily pregnant young wife, Ashley (Amy Adams). Madeleine tries hard to ingratiate herself and become a part of the family but her best efforts are often misunderstood or unappreciated. Peg is resistant of this woman so different to herself and almost seems to want to protect her family from such an outsider, unwilling to give her a chance. Eugene, alternatively, is very quiet and hard to read, but always appears to have a profound situation of everyone's relationships with one another. Ashley is optimistic and upbeat about Madeleine and keen to befriend her, but this enthusiasm really hides the truth of her insecurities surrounding her pregnancy. Perhaps the most intriguing character is Johnny, hateful of his high achieving brother and frustrated with his life already mapped out for him with a baby at such a young age, but also displaying moments of thoughtfulness and love for Ashley and enjoyment with his co-workers. Often questions are raised about the relationships that are never answered, or characters behave in ways we don't understand - I believe this is because the characters don't always understand why they act the way they do, or how do deal with their relationships. Just as in reality, no one has all the answers.

In terms of plot, the film doesn't progress all that much until a powerful finale, but is instead more concerned with discovering the characters and the world in which they reside, as well as the contrasts between the two worlds that George (who, ironically, is probably the most insignificant character) inhabits. Director Phil Morrison displays a distinctive style which balances brilliantly between a human drama and a more distanced art film, allowing the audience to get a sense of the space that comprises the families whole world - their home. On several occasions, in the middle of a scene, the camera will wander off around the house, perhaps finding another character involved in their own activities, before returning to the scene again, with the sound of the dialogue in the background all along. This ensures we feel the closeness of the family and the lack of space and privacy from one another. Other times, this serves to remove us from the main action and focus instead on something that is important to one other character, such as at the end of the film when Madeleine and George leave, although we miss the departure because we're listening to Johnny on the phone. Even if we see mainly through Madeleine's eyes, we understand that each character has their own concerns and issues.

The performances are all great and often suprising. Although a lot of roles would appear not to be too demanding, they are handled by the actors in such a way as to increase their effectiveness. For example, Madeleine is a fairly straightforward, warm character trying to befriend these people who are important to her, but the physicality Davidtz brings to the role - always touching whoever she's talking to, often inappropriately embracing people - makes us feel her awkwardness and aware of the discomfort her presence causes. The greatest revelation for me was Ben McKenzie who I've only previously seen a few times in The OC and felt was fairly non-descript. Here, however, he brings a subtle broodiness that goes beyond just looking grumpy, and tackles possibly the most complex character with a mixture of animosity and tenderness. Amy Adams was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of the upbeat but unintelligent Ashley, which, although on the surface apears to be a fairly basic comic role, should be applauded for her ability to portray her without condescension and reveal the insecurities and feelings within. When the film reaches its most serious point and the emotion pours forth, Adams is astounding. Obviously, a lot of credit should also go to the great writing of Angus MacLachlan who, with his first script, really tapped into the inner workings and complexities of most families.

I was expecting something more lighthearted and potentially vacuous, like 'Garden State' but what I got was something much more layered and affecting, in the vein of 'The Squid and the Whale'. This is because ontemporary independent American cinema can be tricky to pull off and is also, inevitably, a matter of taste. I, for example, didn't think 'Little Miss Sunshine' offered much beyond clichés and jokes. But for me, 'Junebug' is one of the successes, along with 'The Station Agent' or 'You, Me and Everyone We Know'. I'm not sure I could give a convincing argument as to why some work when others don't but I definitely think 'Junebug' is worth investigation and will probably pleasantly surprise most.