Benny and Joon is a Jeremiah S. Chechik directed romantic comedy with Johnny Depp, Aidan Quin and Mary Stuart Masterson, Johnny Depp inspired by Keaton and Chaplin http://inadepptrance.wordpress.com/feed












 

BENNY AND JOON 

1993

Sam 

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Director: Jeremiah S. Chechik

Writers:
  • Barry Berman and Lesley McNeil (story)
  • Barry Berman  (screenplay)





With : Johnny Depp, Mary Stuart Masterson, Aidan Quinn, Julianne Moore, Oliver Platt, Dan Hedaya, CCH Pounder, Joe Grifasi, William H. Macy


 Tagline: "A romance on the brink of reality"

Rating: PG

Awards and nominations:
  • 1994 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS:
    - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Comedy/Musical: Johnny Depp (Nominated)
  • 1994 MTV MOVIE AWARDS:
    - Best Comedic Performance: Johnny Depp (Nominated)
    - Best Movie Song: The Proclaimers, "I Would Walk 500 Miles" (Nominated)
    - Best On-Screen Duo: Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson (Nominated)






 



Source: IMDb








 





 

 

 


  

 













SYNOPSIS

 Johnny Depp, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Aidan Quinn star in this wonderfully unique and delightfully offbeat romantic comedy. Joon (Masterson) is a little unbalanced. Sometimes without warning her sweet nature gives way to odd behavior -- including a penchant for setting fires! She lives with her older brother Benny (Quinn) who has spent his life taking care of her since their parents died. One night while playing in a poker game with unusual stakes Joon loses her hand...and wins Sam (Depp) a whimsical misfit who soon charms his way into Joon's heart. Now if they can only find the perfect mate for her overprotective brother...



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QUOTES FROM JOHNNY DEPP

"When I saw the script for the first time, I was far from carried away. I thought that Sam, the character I play, seemed very unsympathetic. He imitates scenes from old movies only to attract attention. I changed it in a way so that he really needs the attention. I like the idea, that someone is alone and deserted - like a little dog."
Johnny Depp, Jonathan Ross Interview 1993

"Hearing it was to be Aidan Quinn in the part, not Woody [Harrelson], really made me happy; I didn't know how happy until I started hanging out with the guy, who's so strong, smart, centered. The movie's kind of a weird triangle, so I'm falling in love with her and, in a way, I'm also falling in love with him, because he's this guy I can never be like."
Johnny Depp, Movieline Magazine April 1993

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In order to make it seem as if he is an inexperienced writer, Johnny Depp used his left hand in the writing sequence. Being right handed himself, using his left hand gave off the squiggly impressions of a child's writing.

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"Jeremiah Chechik was] like a guy who jumps behind the wheel of a semi truck with bombs strapped to the sides, who says, 'I think I'll drive this thing cross-country 'cause it might be fun!'"
Johnny Depp, Movieline Magazine April 1993

“I liked the way Buster Keaton could communicate without using words. It's simple to say to someone that you love them, it's harder to express it without words. I'm fascinated with the idea of speaking without speaking, and I'm more fascinated with silence than with noise. A growling dog scares me more than a barking dog."
Johnny Depp, Smash Hits 1993

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In addition to the ironed grilled cheese sandwiches and the tennis racket mashed potatoes, there was a scene where Sam made crab in the dishwasher. It was cut for time.

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"I like Chaplin, but Keaton was something else, almost surrealistic in what he could say with his face -- the subtlest of looks, just tilting his head."
Johnny Depp, LA Times 1993

“For me, Keaton is the one. I mean, Keaton was never recognised fully for... his contribution, for the stuff that he did. The stunts that he did, the camera stuff that he did, the choices he made, and what he was able to do as an actor without saying anything. For me, he is beyond Chaplin.”
Johnny Depp, Jonathan Ross Interview 1993
"Well, that was really the most difficult scene for me... the scene with the dancing bread loaves. You see, I did not want to copy Charlie Chaplin, because no one can do this kind of thing as good as the master himself.
Johnny Depp, Hit Magazine 1993

"I saw the movie at the premiere. I did unfortunately see some faults that I made. They made me really start sometimes. But all in all I think it is a good movie. Unfortunately, it cures no diseases, but it makes you feel good and cheerful."
Johnny Depp, Jonathan Ross Interview 1993

"There is a scene where Sam is swinging in front of a window several stories up. The scene was filmed twice; once with a stuntman and once with me. They filmed it with the stuntman in case I should fall down, I think."
Johnny Depp, Jonathan Ross Interview 1993

 

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QUOTES FROM OTHERS:

"For Benny & Joon, I needed someone who could play a character who is, metaphorically, an angel. Someone who could achieve a real naive innocence that would not come off as foolish."
Jeremiah Chechik, Cosmopolitan (Aus) July 1993

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First choice for the leads were Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, followed by Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon. Eventually MGM had their dream casting in place: Johnny Depp, Woody Harrelson and Laura Dern. Harrelson's contract would have given him top billing. When Dern (a recent Oscar nominee) found out that she would be third billed, she quit the picture. Harrelson followed soon after, having landed the young male lead in "Indecent Proposal".

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"The first day on Benny, my husband and I had just split up, and I was in the hysterical funk you get in when you're trying to be pulled-together. But when Johnny walked in, the energy in the room changed. There's something really amazing about him, his generosity of spirit."
Mary Stuart Masterson, GQ October 1993

"The kind of attention Johnny's gotten, I'd feel like a freak, too. When you get a disproportionate amount of praise, there's nothing you can feel inside yourself that matches up. You want to say, 'Please, blow out that candle on your altar for me and just take care of yourself.' That's why he's rebellious."
Mary Stuart Masterson, Cosmopolitan 1993

"I think Johnny is about fourteen, but then he can be really old and wise."
Mary Stuart Masterson, Cosmopolitan 1993

“Tasting the paint is something Johnny just did during a take... so I loved it. Thought maybe eating paint was something he did when he was a kid before he turned out so dyslexic.”
Jeremiah Chechik, DVD Director's commentary

 

“It was actually Johnny that suggested they kiss but never actually touch lips.”
Jeremiah Chechik, DVD Director's commentary


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In the restaurant scene between Sam and Joon, as they are discussing raisins, Sam says, "It's a shame about raisins." This is a tongue-in-cheek reference to the video for the Lemonhead's hit, "It's a Shame about Ray," which was released the year before and in which Johnny Depp starred

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“The subtlety of the acting in order to kind of clue the audience in on Sam’s character with so little said, so much expressed -- a tribute to Johnny Depp’s work here."
Jeremiah Chechik, DVD Director's commentary

“We worked on a great many different routines, and again it was very hot and he’s dressed all in wool. It was very tough for him. He did all his own stunts. Some of these little things seem very simple but they’re actually not. Johnny and I watched hours and hours and hours of Keaton films at various speeds.”
Jeremiah Chechik, DVD Director's commentary

“The actors really loved each other on the set, they hung out together and Johnny found it very difficult to confront Aidan. He really loved Aidan and felt bad about saying that to him. I feel it really works.”
Jeremiah Chechik, DVD Director's commentary

“He was so talented and his movements were so believable and so fluid that we didn’t have to really go ahead and screw around with the camera speeds.”
John Schwartzman, Director of Photography, DVD special features




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