Junebug

Junebug (2005) is pleasant. Amy Adams carries every scene she is in and lights up the screen. She is amazing to watch as the perky, pregnant Ashley. Otherwise it is a pretty conventional uninspiring story. A sophisticated outsider upsetting the balance of a conservative Southern family is not terribly interesting. There is a focus on Embeth Davidtz' Madeleine as the out of place character, who has to decide between work and family.

Only she doesn't. What boggled my mind, was what lesson did she learn? At an important moment for the film, she is off securing a deal with an artist. A point of contention for her and her husband George (Alessandro Nivola). In point of fact, George is much more interesting. He left North Carolina and fell in love and married the city woman Madeleine in a short time. He is the one, who places emphasis on his family, but at the same time seems to have strain with them. I wanted to know why the brothers are on the outs. Why he connects so well with Ashley. Why at the end of the film does he express relief that they are returning to Chicago.

Although the movie was pleasant enough, it bothered me that the central theme seems to have gotten lost and the ending was so unrewarding. There is definitely an interesting story to tell in this family unit, but I'm not convinced it was told in this film.