Junebug Information

Junebug is a 2005 American comedy-drama film directed by Phil Morrison. It was released on August 3, 2005 and stars Amy Adams, Alessandro Nivola, Embeth Davidtz, and Benjamin McKenzie. It was filmed in the North Carolina towns of Pfafftown, McLeansville, and Winston-Salem.

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 wife, Ashley, 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 she becomes friends with Johnny's pregnant young wife Ashley (Amy Adams), 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 it "Junebug". George and Madeleine leave to go back to Chicago.

Cast

• Amy Adams as Ashley Johnsten
• Embeth Davidtz as Madeleine Johnsten
• Celia Weston as Peg Johnsten
• Benjamin McKenzie as Johnny Johnsten
• Alessandro Nivola as George Johnsten
• Scott Wilson as Eugene Johnsten
• R. Keith Harris as Bud, the young Pastor

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. 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.

Home media

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

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

• 78th Academy Awards:
  • Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Amy Adams, nominated)

• 2006 Amanda Awards:
  • Best Film — International (nominated)

• 4th Central Ohio Film Critics Association Awards:
  • Breakthrough Film Artist — for acting (Amy Adams, won)
  • Best Supporting Performance (Amy Adams, runner-up)

• 11th Critics' Choice Awards:
  • Best Supporting Actress (Amy Adams, won – tie)

• 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)

• 40th National Society of Film Critics Awards:
  • Best Supporting Actress (Amy Adams, won)

• 2005 Online Film Critics Society Awards:
  • Best Supporting Actress (Amy Adams, nominated)

• 4th San Francisco Film Critics Circle Awards:
  • Best Supporting Actress (Amy Adams, won)

• 10th Satellite Awards:
  • Best Supporting Actress — Drama (Amy Adams, nominated)

• 12th Screen Actors Guild Awards:
  • Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role (Amy Adams, nominated)

• 14th Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards:
  • Best Supporting Actress (Amy Adams, won)

• 2005 Sundance Film Festival:
  • Special Jury Prize for Acting (Amy Adams, won)
  • Directing Award — Dramatic (Phil Morrison, nominated)