Junebug (film)

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Junebug
Junebug poster.jpg
theatrical film poster
Directed by Phil Morrison
Produced by Mindy Goldberg
Written by Angus MacLachlan
Starring Embeth Davidtz
Amy Adams
Benjamin McKenzie
Celia Weston
Alessandro Nivola
Scott Wilson
Music by Yo La Tengo
Cinematography Peter Donahue
Edited by Joe Klotz
Distributed by Sony Pictures Classics
Release dates
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  • August 5, 2005 (2005-08-05)
Running time
106 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $1 million
Box office $3,399,228[1]

Junebug is a 2005 American comedy-drama film directed by Phil Morrison. It was released on August 3, 2005 and stars Embeth Davidtz, Amy Adams, Benjamin McKenzie, and Scott Wilson. It was filmed in the North Carolina towns of Pfafftown, McLeansville, and Winston-Salem.[2] The film is famous for being Amy Adams's breakthrough performance, earning her recognition and her first of four Academy Award Nominations for Best Supporting Actress.

Plot

When newlywed Madeleine (Embeth Davidtz), an art dealer, travels from Chicago to North Carolina to pursue a local, self-taught painter (Frank Hoyt Taylor) for her outsider art gallery, she takes the opportunity to meet the family of her husband George (Alessandro Nivola) who live close by.

There is his flinty, judgmental mother Peg (Celia Weston); his reserved, contemplative father Eugene (Scott Wilson); and his sullen, resentful, twenty-ish brother Johnny (Benjamin McKenzie) who, although married, still lives at home, and is studying for his high school equivalence certificate while working at Replacements, Ltd. as an order processor. Johnny married his now pregnant young wife Ashley (Amy Adams) before either of them finished high school. Relations between Johnny and Ashley are strained, with Ashley believing that a baby will solve their marital problems.

Madeleine and George stay in the expected baby's nursery, and Madeleine becomes friends with Ashley, who's a very sweet and friendly, if somewhat naive and talkative girl. The family take Madeline to a church service and she attends Ashley's baby shower. Madeleine discovers that she does not know much about George, as they have been married only six months, and knew each other only a week before they got married. George's strong Southern family values come through.

The artist Madeleine is pursuing wavers over signing with her gallery. Ashley goes into labor, and the family goes to the hospital with her, but Madeleine chooses to go and convince the artist to sign with her gallery, which makes George angry. Ashley's baby boy is stillborn. She had told Madeleine she was going to name the baby "Junebug". George and Madeleine leave to go back to Chicago.

Cast

Score and soundtrack

Though much of the movie is free of background music, its score is made up of original music by Yo La Tengo, as well as classical music by Haydn, Shostakovich, Schubert and Vivaldi.[3] The film begins and ends with the 1977 song "Harmour Love" performed by Syreeta Wright and written by Stevie Wonder. During a scene where most of the characters are at a church social, George and two young men are featured singing the hymn “Softly and Tenderly, Jesus Is Calling” by Will Lamartine Thompson.

No official soundtrack has been released of the film. As a result, Syreeta's album One to One (which contains the song "Harmour Love") has since experienced a resurgence of sales. Yo La Tengo have released some of the original music in a compilation of their work on soundtracks They Shoot, We Score.[4]

Home media

The DVD was released on January 17, 2006 by Sony Pictures Entertainment which includes:[5]

  1. 10 deleted scenes
  2. Cast audio commentary with Embeth Davidtz and Amy Adams
  3. Outsider Art Photo Gallery
  4. French subtitles
  5. Behind-the-scenes featurettes
  6. Casting sessions

Awards

Year Award ceremony Category Nominee Result
2006 Academy Awards Best Supporting Actress Amy Adams Nominated
Amanda Awards Best Film Nominated
Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards Breakthrough Film Artist Amy Adams Won
Best Supporting Actress Nominated
Critics' Choice Awards Best Supporting Actress Won
  • 15th Gotham Awards:
    • Best Supporting Actress (Amy Adams, won)
    • Breakthrough Director (Phil Morrison, nominated)
  • 21st Independent Spirit Awards:
    • Best Supporting Actress (Amy Adams, won)
    • Best First Screenplay (Angus MacLachlan, nominated)
    • Piaget Producers Award (Mike S. Ryan, nominated)
  • 14th Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards:
    • Best Supporting Actress (Amy Adams, won)

References

External links