Junebug (2005)

The sixth film I've chosen to feature is 2005's JUNEBUG directed by Phil Morrison. This film is known mostly for Amy Adams' acclaimed performance, but I think it is one of the best films ever made. It has many other admirable attributes that I'm going to highlight in this entry.

This film at it's very start is a boy meets girl story. Madeleine works for an art gallery and she meets George at an auction. They have a literal love at first sight moment and hit it off immediately. They marry soon after not knowing terribly much about each other, but feeling confident in their love or attraction for one another.
The inciting incident of the film is that Madeleine must visit an artist she's trying to book for her gallery. The artist lives very nearby to George's family. Madeleine is thrust into a world that is polite, but foreign. She is very sophisticated and stands out like a sore thumb. Even the artist she meets with has an almost primitive or childlike style of artwork.
The film is a quiet one and not overtly showy. Its quirkiness emerges from the very reality it creates. Certain moments of this film could very plausibly happen. It is full of glimpses of how people exist. Quietly. Even the way the interior of the house is filmed when no one is there gives the space a strong sense of life.
Of course, I have to devote at least a paragraph to the force that is Amy Adams in this film. Ashley is like Madeleine in a few ways. Technically she was an outsider to the family, but now she is very much a part of it. She has a strong vitality and enthusiasm for family. The baby she carries is essential to her. The child represents hope and the love that she and Johnny shared in the past. She treats Madeleine like a child, but not in a condescending sense. She sees Madeleine as family far before the others even accept the idea. She's protective of Madeleine, but fascinated with her in the way a young girl idolizes an older sister. It's a passionate characterization that is full of life and charm.
The relationship between Madeleine and Ashley is an interesting one because of the idolization. Ashley embodies a childlike naivete despite the fact that she's the one coasting toward motherhood. She's the main character that welcomes Madeleine and makes her feel less like an alien. It's an endearing friendship.
I liked this shot because I thought it emphasized Madeleine's isolation from the family.
It's amazing that Embeth Davidtz didn't get any attention from this film. Her Madeleine is the true masterwork of the piece in my opinion. She creates an intellectual woman who rushes into a marriage with extremely veiled motivation. It's unclear whether she wants children or not or if family is important to her at all. She is consistently surprised by George and vastly unprepared to impress his family. She woefully places her job before them while in the same breath proclaiming their importance. She's a sad, isolated woman who wouldn't know how to connect with her newfound family if it was the most important thing in the world. It's lovely work.
I love the voyeuristic feel of many of the shots. It gives the scenes a sense of privacy that makes them seem unaffected. The performances are strong in their grasp of realism. These people are lived in and not glossed over in a cheesy Hollywood manner.
And the inclusion of real looking character actors is something that adds authenticity to this little gem of a film.
When tragedy strikes it looks as if Madeleine might not be ready for life with this family. They accept her presence more than ever. The subtlety of this film is misleading. The stillness of the woods is also false in their serenity. The emotional turmoil these characters are feeling is deafening.
And, yet, when it's all said and done, there is a strong bond that brings them together. Despite their lack of past, Madeleine and George want to forge a future together. It's touching and real. I love this film and I enthusiastically recommend it.