Benny and Joon

Benny and Joon is a movie I have adored since the first time I have ever seen it. And I love it most for a scene I can't find on YouTube, so you can't possibly get even 10% of the full effect.

Which is, of course, enhanced by seeing the whole movie, which I wholeheartedly endorse.

The first time Benny and Joon meet, Benny is up in a tree, in a row of trees, as Joon (dressed and seated unconventionally) goes past in a car.

Their gazes lock with mutual, wordless incomprehension.

And the first time they speak:

Joon: You're out of your tree.

Benny: It wasn't my tree.

(These may not be the actual words, please don't sue me.)

Now that I have shared what I love most about this movie, I can relax and share a few other things about this movie. By no means in order of importance, because while I do love a good 'top 10' list, actually ranking all my favorite things is a bit problematic.

It's a movie about a complicated issue. How much of competency is required for self-sufficiency? How much do we need to do for others to protect them from themselves?

And it totally explores these (and other) questions in the garb of a fairly wacky romantic comedy. LOVE!

Oliver Platt. This man has never disappointed me.

All the performances are stellar, and the actors and probably everybody involved in the making of this movie deserves a cupcake. I might even provide them, if you all have a party and invite me! 

Wow, now that I got the first eleventy-million things I love about this movie out of me, I am having a huge release of tension, and can't remember what else is so important about it.

I'm not sure everybody will love this film as much as I do. A lot of people are, unlike me, really uncomfortable around crazy behavior. I mostly get uncomfortable around angry behavior. The two probably derive from similar internal frustrations, I just find crazy less harmful to me than anger.

Hopefully my capacity to endure anger will swell to match my capacity to endure crazy. There's a whole lot more anger showing, that's for sure.

I can heartily recommend this movie to anyone who likes a little whimsicality, struggles with anger or sanity, or lives with people who are obviously struggling with one or the other. They probably ought to show it to you if you are getting a psychology degree.

Cheers!