Benny & Joon (1993)

Director:

Jeremiah S. Chechik

Writers (WGA):

Barry Berman (story) &
Lesley McNeil (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

16 April 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A romance on the brink of reality.

Plot:

A mentally ill young woman finds her love in an eccentric man who models himself after Buster Keaton.

Plot Keywords:

Sibling | Mechanic | Poker | Love | Toast

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Johnny Depp	...	Sam
Mary Stuart Masterson	...	Juniper 'Joon' Pearl
Aidan Quinn	...	Benjamin 'Benny' Pearl
Julianne Moore	...	Ruthie
Oliver Platt	...	Eric
CCH Pounder	...	Dr. Garvey (as C.C.H. Pounder)
Dan Hedaya	...	Thomas
Joe Grifasi	...	Mike
William H. Macy	...	Randy Burch
Liane Alexandra Curtis	...	Claudia
Eileen Ryan	...	Mrs. Smail
Don Hamilton	...	UPS Man
Waldo Larson	...	Waldo
Irvin Johnson	...	Orderly
Shane Nilsson	...	Orderly
Leslie Laursen	...	Admitting Nurse, Emma Sherman Memorial Hospital
Faye Killebrew	...	Video Customer
Ramsin Amirkhas	...	Video Clerk at American Classic Video Store
Lynette Walden	...	Female Customer
Amy Alizabeth Sanford	...	Young Joon
Brian Keevy	...	Young Benny
John Grant Phillips	...	Policeman
Tony Lincoln	...	Local
Noon Orsatti	...	Patron
Dan Kamin	...	Patron
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Aaron Haedt	...	Bicyclist (uncredited)

Directed by
Jeremiah S. Chechik		(as Jeremiah Chechik)

Writing credits (WGA)
Barry Berman		(story) &
Lesley McNeil		(story) (as Leslie McNeil)
Barry Berman		(screenplay)

Produced by
Susan Arnold	....	producer
Bill Badalato	....	executive producer
Lesley McNeil	....	associate producer (as Leslie McNeil)
Donna Roth	....	producer

Original Music by
Rachel Portman

Cinematography by
John Schwartzman

Film Editing by
Carol Littleton

Casting by
Risa Bramon Garcia
Heidi Levitt

Production Design by
Neil Spisak

Art Direction by
Pat Tagliaferro

Set Decoration by
Barbara Munch

Costume Design by
Aggie Guerard Rodgers

Makeup Department
Fríða Aradóttir	....	key hair stylist (as Frida Aradottir)
Cindy J. Williams	....	assistant hair stylist (as Cindy Williams)
Cindy J. Williams	....	assistant makeup artist (as Cindy Williams)
Patty York	....	key makeup artist

Production Management
Bill Badalato	....	unit production manager
Billy Badalato	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bruce Carter	....	second assistant director
K.C. Colwell	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Ron Ashmore	....	scenic foreman (as Ronald Ashmore)
Paige Bassett	....	carpenter
Taylor Black	....	assistant property master
J. Michael Davis	....	set dresser
Ken Deubel III	....	assistant scenic artist
Terry Deubel	....	scenic painter
John Gavin	....	carpenter
Peter Hoobyar	....	set dresser
John L. Jensen	....	storyboard illustrator (as John Jensen)
Mervyn Johnson	....	construction coordinator
Martin Lasowitz	....	property master
Philip A. Margraff	....	construction foreman
William S. Maxwell III	....	lead man
Troy Sizemore	....	assistant art director
Dennis Sutton	....	construction foreman
Debi Shirk Tagliaferro	....	art department coordinator
Jim Comfort	....	art department assistant (uncredited)
Michael Ruby	....	painter (uncredited)
Michael Ruby	....	signwriter (uncredited)
Jana Treadwell	....	set dresser (uncredited)

Sound Department
Scott Austin	....	sound recordist
Gary C. Bourgeois	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Gary Bourgeois)
Michael J. Cerone	....	adr recordist
Lucy Coldsnow-Smith	....	foley editor (as Lucy Coldsnow)
Brian R. Crain	....	cable person
Carmen Flores De Tanis	....	assistant adr editor (as Carmen Flores)
Jessica Gallavan	....	adr editor
John Haeny	....	supervising sound editor
David Halbert	....	boom operator
Kimberly Harris	....	supervising adr editor
J. Paul Huntsman	....	supervising sound editor
Pat McCormick	....	dialogue editor (as Patrick McCormick)
Scott Millan	....	sound re-recording mixer
Myron Nettinga	....	sound effects editor
Ralph Osborn	....	dialogue editor
Elmo Ponsdomenech	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jeff Rosen	....	foley editor
Carolann Sanchez-Shapiro	....	assistant sound editor (as Carolann Sanchez Shapiro)
Adam Sawelson	....	dialogue editor
Matt Sawelson	....	dialogue editor (as Matthew Sawelson)
James Thornton	....	production sound mixer
Paul J. Zydel	....	adr mixer
Steve Bartkowicz	....	re-recording engineer (uncredited)
Tom Taylor	....	cable person (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Allen Hall	....	fire effects coordinator (as Alan Hall)
J.D. Streett	....	special effects coordinator (as J.D. Streett IV)

Stunts
Noon Orsatti	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Mitchell Amundsen	....	camera operator (as C. Mitchell Amundsen)
Bruce Birmelin	....	still photographer
Jason Butters	....	electrician
Jerry Cox	....	grip
Stuart E. Cropley	....	best boy electric
David Dubois	....	chief lighting technician (as David W. DuBois)
John Dumas	....	best boy grip
Christopher Duskin	....	first assistant camera (as Chris Duskin)
Jack Glenn	....	dolly grip
Kim Kono	....	electrician (as Kim K. Kono)
Thom Lairson	....	second assistant camera
Dickinson H. Luke	....	electrician (as Dickinson Luke)
Frank Peterson	....	grip
Mark Streapy	....	director of photography: second unit (as Mark R. Streapy)
Manny Vouniozos	....	key grip
Robert Colt	....	assistant camera: second unit (uncredited)

Casting Department
Jennifer Low Sauer	....	casting assistant (as Jennifer Sauer)
Rick Montgomery	....	additional casting: Montgomery, Parada Casting
Joseph Pisani	....	extras casting
Tricia Tomey	....	casting assistant
Mary Vernieu	....	casting associate

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marsha Barton	....	costumer
Wendy M. Craig	....	costumer
Linda Henrikson	....	costumer
Chuck Velasco	....	costume supervisor
Chrisi Karvonides-Dushenko	....	assistant costume designer (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Gary Burritt	....	negative cutter
Raúl Dávalos	....	associate editor
Dennis McNeill	....	color timer (as Denny McNeil)
Michelle Pazer	....	second assistant editor
Suzanne Spangler	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Bill Abbott	....	music editor
Colleen Byrnes	....	assistant music editor
Sharal Churchill	....	music consultant
Sandy DeCrescent	....	music contractor (as Sandy De Crescent)
Dan Higgins	....	musician: solo soprano saxophone
Jo Ann Kane	....	music service (as Joann Kane)
Jim Kanter	....	musician: solo clarinet
Jackie Krost	....	music consultant
Allan Mason	....	music supervisor
Rachel Portman	....	orchestrator
J.A.C. Redford	....	conductor
John Richards	....	score mixer
Katherine Quittner	....	music editor: temp score (uncredited)

Transportation Department
Ed Nassaney	....	transportation captain
Gary Shephard	....	transportation coordinator
Larry Shephard	....	transportation coordinator
Roger Bojarski Jr.	....	driver: honeywagon (uncredited)

Other crew
Jason Badalato	....	production assistant
T.C. Badalato	....	production assistant
Brian Brightly Jr.	....	production assistant
Keli Craig	....	production assistant
Stephen L. Craig	....	craft service
Wayne Fitzgerald	....	title designer
Casey Hale	....	production assistant
Barbara A. Hall	....	production coordinator
Chris Halverson	....	production assistant
John Harris	....	production assistant
Dawnna Hurst	....	first aid
Craig Ilg	....	production assistant
Dan Kamin	....	choreographer: physical comedy
Steven Kaye	....	stand-in
Lisa Krueger	....	script supervisor
Bruce Lawhead	....	location manager
David Linck	....	unit publicist
Rocco Marra	....	key set production assistant (as Rocco J. Marra III)
Nicki Miller	....	stand-in
Billy Pittard	....	title designer (as Pittard Sullivan Fitzgerald)
Edwin Rosario	....	projectionist
Peggy Rosson	....	production accountant
Jackie Rubin	....	assistant to producers
Nathan Segal	....	security officer
Jon Snyder	....	production assistant
Kelly Stauffer	....	assistant production coordinator
Trevor St. John	....	stand-in
Ed Sullivan	....	title designer
Steve Timinskas	....	assistant production accountant (as Steven Timinskas)
Angel Trujillo	....	caterer: Angel's Food Service
Kirsten Welles	....	assistant: Jeremiah Chechik (as Kirsten Whittier Welles)
Jim Jaffe	....	product placement (uncredited)
Emmanuel Vouniozos	....	on-set technician (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
• Roth-Arnold Productions

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1993) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (1993) (Finland) (VHS)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1995) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1996) (Finland) (TV) (2003) (2007)
• SubTV (2002) (Finland) (TV)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1993) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (DVD)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (Spain)

Other Companies

• Inter Video  24 frame video services
• Milan Records  soundtrack

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | South Korea:12 | Norway:11 (TV rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-10 | France:U | Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | UK:12 | USA:PG | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Pend Oreille River, Washington, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Mary Stuart Masterson asked that the song "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" (by the Proclaimers) be used in this film.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Joon plays poker, she asks for two cards--one can be seen as being a black card. When she shows her hand, she has five hearts.

Quotes:

Joon: Why do you hate me so much?
Benny: I don't hate you.
Joon: You need me to be sick.

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in My Baby's Daddy (2004)

Soundtrack:

PINETOP'S BOOGIE WOOGIE

Warm, engrossing film about real people

I doubt that I can add much to all the good things said about this film. Acting is superb, as is writing and direction, which keep the story from ever seeming "cute". It is never condescending about mentally ill; I love line where Joon corrects Benny's score keeping of a ping-pong game:" the mentally ill can count, you know". Both serious and comic, like life. Imagine, a good film without violence, drug life, car chases or sex. See it.