Benny & Joon (1993)

(In French, On Cable TV, May 2019) By now, I’ve seen enough movies about mental illness that I’ve grown immune to most of the usual ways the topic can be approached. But not every film about mental illness has to be a tear-jerky emotionally disturbing drama, and that may explain my tepid liking for Benny & Joon: While there is something to be said about its occasionally twee take on two non-neurotypical people finding love, it does dare to try something else. Much of the film rests on the very different performances from its lead actors, from Aidan Quinn’s quiet Benny to Mary Stuart Masterson as the schizophrenic Joon, but especially Johnny Depp’s impressive performance going through silent film-inspired comedy routines. The rest of the cast features many known actors even in small roles, from Julianne Moore (playing an ex-exploitation film actress), to Oliver Platt, C. C. H. Pounder, Dan Hedaya and William H. Macy. It can also rely on a charming small-town atmosphere, even when things aren’t going so well for our characters. Soundtrack fans should be aware that Benny & Joon does a lot of mileage to the very familiar tune of “500 Miles.”  After a bit of a romantic fantasy, the film eventually confronts the reality of living with a schizophrenic person, but in a way that ensures it will end well. Which, which optimistic, is not a bad message on which to end those kinds of movies.