from Film Forum, 09/22/05Writer Angus MacLachlan and director Phil Morrison are earning raves for an elegant drama called Junebug. The story follows the return of a long absent son (Alessandro Nivola) to his North Carolina family, and how his wife, an art dealer (Embeth Davidtz), finds herself suddenly caught up in a culture quite unfamiliar to her.
Andrew Coffin (World) narrates his viewing experience: "We're convinced that Junebug … will either be an opportunity for Northern sophisticates to patronize country bumpkins or, just as likely, have their harsh, materialistic veneer cracked by these genuine, down-home folks. Either way, we're yawningly prepared to watch yet another movie filled with types rather than people. Then something surprising—almost extraordinary—happens. In initially subtle ways, we begin to realize that these are multilayered, multidimensional characters who bear some resemblance to people we know."
Mainstream critics are giving the film a warm welcome, and this looks like it could become one of the year's slow-rising sleeper hits.