Friday Flashback: Rec. #139: Junebug

I decided to start doing Friday Flashbacks in case you missed some early posts the first time around. You're busy; I understand.

What: A newly married couple, Madeleine and George, travel from Chicago to a small town in North Carolina with a dual purpose. Madeleine is meeting George's family for the first time, and she is also interested in signing a local, self-taught artist for her outsider art gallery. 

As the pregnant sister-in-law, Amy Adams has all the best lines, and she is so charming that she basically walks away with the entire movie stuffed in her prosthetic stomach.

Comparable to: Junebug shares The Station Agent's quietly encompassing character development.

Representative quote: "I wonder what she looks like. I bet she's skinny. She probably is. She's skinnier'n me and prettier too. Now I'll hate her. Oh, I can't wait!"

Bonus representative quote: "God loves you just the way you are. But he loves you too much to let you stay that way."

You might not like it if: You're expecting either a wacky fish-out-of-water comedy about dim country folk, or a preachy feel-good movie where the city slicker learns the true meaning of ... something. 

What makes this film great is that it neither condescends to the rural nor demonizes the urban.

How to get it: Widely available to rent or buy.

Connections to other Wreckage: Junebug was part of List #18: Ten Movies That Pass the Bechdel/Wallace Test.

I also mentioned it in Rec. #311: Young Adult.



[Originally posted 6/7/11.]