Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
A mentally ill young woman finds her love in an eccentric man who models himself after Buster Keaton.
Benny & Joon is a warmly eccentric romantic dramedy elevated chiefly by its performances. Johnny Depp's physical comedy homage to Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin is a genuine delight and a career highlight, while Mary Stuart Masterson and Aidan Quinn ground the film emotionally. The plot is familiar — quirky outsiders find connection and family resists — and doesn't transcend its conventions significantly. Cinematography is functional and pleasant but unremarkable for the era. The ending is satisfying if a little tidy. The film's novelty lies mainly in Depp's singular physical performance and the Keaton/Chaplin pastiche, which gives it a distinctive flavor without being wholly original in concept.