Home / Benny & Joon

Benny & Joon

Year:

1993

Duration:

98 min

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

IMDB rate:

7.2

Director:

Jeremiah S. Chechik

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 nominations

Details

Country: USA

Release Date: 1993-04-23

Filming Locations: 301 North Cedar Street, Spokane, Washington, USA

Earnings

Opening Weekend: $3,285,063 (USA) (18 April 1993)

Gross: $23,202,734 (USA) Filming Dates 1 June 1992 - 29 July 1992 Related Links

Cast

Actor

Character

Julianne Moore

Benny & Joon

Dan Hedaya

Mary Stuart Masterson

Benny & Joon

Oliver Platt

Johnny Depp

Sam

Aidan Quinn

Benjamin 'Benny' Pearl

CCH Pounder

Dr. Garvey (as C.C.H. Pounder)

Joe Grifasi

Mike

William H. Macy

Randy Burch

Liane 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

Gregory Cook

Guy in the Park (uncredited)

Aaron Haedt

Bicyclist (uncredited)

Did you know?

Trivia

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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The train featured in the opening sequence is operated by the Northern Pend Oreille Lions Club. Train rides are available from July through October in Ione, Washington.

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Mary Stuart Masterson told director Jeremiah S. Chechik that she did not remember filming the bus scene.

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Goofs

While Sam is swinging back in forth in the hospital window, the window alters from open to closed in various shots.

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The wall that Sam climbs has little ledges for him to hold onto. The wall he swings from does not. We see the original wall when he falls.

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In the scene when they are leaving the park, Benny is supposed to thank Sam for his uplifting performance, but before he starts to say thank you, Sam starts saying "no, no, thank you", causing Benny to have to squeeze his comment in while Sam is still talking.

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Quotes

Joon: Did you have to go to school for that?

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Joon: Some cultures are defined by their relationship to cheese.

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Sam: [takes "Help Wanted" sign from window of video store and walks to manager] I wanna help...

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Faq

How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?

For detailed information about the amounts and types of (a) sex and nudity, (b) violence and gore, (c) profanity, (d) alcohol, drugs, and smoking, and (e) frightening and intense scenes in this movie, consult the IMDb Parents Guide for this movie. The Parents Guide for Benny & Joon can be found here.

Exactly what mental illness does Joon have?

Joon's (Mary Stuart Masterson) exhibited symptoms are suggestive of several disorders. She may be schizophrenic, since Benny (Aidan Quinn) tells Sam (Johnny Depp) that she often hears voices. Since Benny also says that she has very specific routines that should not be interfered with, she may have Asperger's disorder, similar to autism or an obsessive-compulsive disorder in which routines and behaviors are done to ward off anxiety. This would explain her need for rigid structure. Since Benny and Joon were at their parents' death scene from a car accident, she may have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She wore a helmet when she rode in Benny's car and is very sensitive to noise.

A Note Regarding Spoilers

A Note Regarding SpoilersThe following FAQ entries may contain spoilers. Only the biggest ones (if any) will be covered with spoiler tags. Spoiler tags have been used sparingly in order to make the page more readable.

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