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Benny and Joon (June)

Living in a small town in Seattle, BENJAMIN (BENNY) PEARL 30s is the sole brother and acting parent to his mentally ill sister. A talented artist, JUNIPER (JUNE) PEARL mid 30s a schizophrenic, and can barley exist in the real world. A mechanic by trade Benny tries his best to protect his sister at the risk of having a life of his own.

The script begins with a sign, “Benny’s Auto Clinic-The Doctor Is In,” is a one-stop shop owned by Benny. Inside the garage, risqué posters, and a few original paintings show this typical mechanic’s office. ERIC (early 30’s) is a happy go-lucky guy who works at Benny’s garage and is Benny’s best friend. Handing over a low quote to a pretty female customer, the phone rings and Eric hands the phone to Benny. MRS. SMEAL their, Irish housekeeper who speaks in metaphors tells Benny she is quitting. The reason, June is out of control and driving Mrs. Smeal crazy with her antics. June’s explanation: she is a free spirit who has a knack for lighting fires.

Now without a housekeeper to watch over June, Benny takes June to a poker party. Benny’s cronies bet things like snorkel masks, coaxial cable, iron, salad shooters instead of money, (this is too funny). June makes fun of Mrs. Smeal’s name calling out, “Smeal’s and Roebuck, Montgomery Smeal’s, and Smeal’s Mart.” The next day June wears the snorkel mask, and stands in the middle of the street and holds up traffic, externally showing the extent of June’s illness.

At the doctor’s office, DR. MARSHALL GARVEY 50s, a crusty Texan likes June. He tries to explain why Schizophrenia is so hard to handle. He asks Benny why he keeps putting his life on hold for the sake of his older sister. In the background you hear a ticking clock suggesting time is running out. The Dr. asks Benny to consider a group home for June. Benny won’t hear of it. They have been together for twelve years. Benny shouts, “I’m her brother for Christ’s sake!” but takes a pamphlet anyway. Understanding she is mentally ill, June is not fazed by her actions. Playing pin-pong, brother and sister argue over who wins the game. June throws a tantrum by destroying a lamp, and killing STEVE (Benny’s pet goldfish). Benny explodes. Before bedtime, Benny prepares a syringe and gives June her medicine. Now worried for her safety, Benny reads the pamphlet finally admitting that a group home would be a good thing for his sister.

At another poker game, June and MIKE 30s, (a friend) who bets that if June looses that she take his cousin off his hands. June plays her heart flush against Mike’s full house. Leaving, Benny is told that Mike’s cousin, SAM SHANKMAN 30s is their new houseguest. The three of them drive home. Sam talks non-stop. Passing a Buster Keaton poster, Sam wants Benny to stop so he can idolize his hero. Sam does his famous ‘108’s as Benny and June watch. Eating at an all-night diner Sam stuffs olives into his nose and spits out food making the server, RUTHIE TRIVLEPIECE 30s upset. Now fuming Ruthie grabs Sam by the collar. Sam realizes he seen her before in, “The Coroner’s Holiday,” an MGM 1975 movie. Ruthie joins the three of them at their booth. Now, everyone is laughing at Sam as he improvises. Receiving applause for his performance, Benny cannot believe how Sam turned things around in such a positive tone.

The next morning June is up early drawing Sam, as he lies sleeping awkwardly on the couch. Later, Benny explains June’s peculiarities to Sam while they are both in the bathroom. In the kitchen, June fixes her usual liquid breakfast while Benny showers. Sam stares at June trying to understand the information Benny handed him. While Benny’s at work, June and Sam bond as friends. For dinner, Sam makes grill-cheese by ironing the cheese and bread together while June reads her book.

Sam sits along side Benny looking at old photos. Benny feels more comfortable with Sam and asks him if he wants to be their housekeeper. June’s room now becomes Sam’s bedroom as Buster Keaton posters on one wall, and another wall are June’s paintings. Sam has trouble writing a simple letter to his mother and seeing him struggle, June offers to help. Bonding they shape a moment and become closer. Running errands the next day they have the time of their lives. At dinner Benny and June spend time looking up at the stars while Sam pushes croutons in his ears, and Kiwi inside his nostrils. June is now enthralled with Sam.

The script cuts to Sam performing in the street near the Pike Place Market doing caricatures and voices. Hours later, Sam soaks up the applause especially from June and Ruthie. Benny however, sees potential, and uses an empty popcorn box for the audience to put dollars inside. Benny takes Ruthie home and finds out she doubles as the apartment manager. She wants Benny to stay but he is nervous and leaves. Back home, Benny is in bed staring at his two new goldfish both named Steve. Sam comes inside, eating Oreos needing Benny’s attention.

The next evening at Ruthie’s apartment, Sam is watching Ruthie’s one claim to fame while Benny is creating a new, “Donations Bucket.” June and Ruthie are in the kitchen exchanging makeup tips. All gather in front of the TV for Ruthie’s big part. Sam rushes to Ruthie’s feet to kiss them making Benny join. Cut to: Benny kissing Ruthie. June teases Benny. “Benjamin and Ruthjamin sitting in a tree...”

In a coat and tie, Benny takes Ruthie to an expensive restaurant. Both feeling awkward, they share polite conversation. One, Benny remembers his grandfather painting a huge United States map on the ceiling of a room. After each state was painted, both would lie on the floor and stare up at the ceiling. There are no buildings or cars, just roads, rivers and land. Benny’s grandfather said, “A man got to move among the wilderness.” Ruthie makes a move, and kisses Sam and wants him to come up, but he leaves. Upset and ego bruised, Ruthie leaves the car and goes to her apartment. Watching her, he slams his fist across the dashboard in frustration.

Back at home June and Sam share moments of childhood exposure dissolving to June and Sam both naked on the floor finger-painting each other with long, slow stokes. June uses her fingers and glides them rolls down his back, while Benny touches her thighs, they kiss and passion makes up for experience. Benny comes home and finds the both of them scrambling for their clothes. Later Benny pleads with Sam not to waist his, ‘God given talent’ because without Sam’s knowledge Benny books Sam at a comedy club. June finds out stopping their good vibes. Now nervous about what could happen, she tries to talk Sam out of performing, “Are you doing this for Benny or for yourself?”

Benny comes home with Ruthie. June starts to yell as her now perfect world starts to crumble. A poignant moment as everything changes forever: June threatens Benny. She releases a single tear and time stops. Later that night alone and without knowing it June sets fire to the house as she leaves with Sam. They travel by buss, but June mentally loses it and taken away in an ambulance. Finding out, Benny has a meltdown and goes after Sam. But, it is here when Sam really lets Benny know whom he feels by mimicking Benny. Benny stops unable to move realizing what a control freak he really is, even though he just wants the best for his sister. Benny’s meltdown, his house burning, June now sedated in a 72-hour lockdown, and a doctor who cannot help him makes him drive his car into frenzy and he almost crashes if it were not for a little voice inside his head hearing his sister’s voice. In this decisive moment, Benny’s reality is known.

Benny tries to force his way inside but has no luck. Sneaking his way in, he finds June’s room. Anxiety ridden, tired, and at an emotional brink, Benny speaks to June through the door to try to convince her that he cares. She doesn’t believe him. June yells, “You need me to be sick.” Benny counters, “I’ve signed over the conservative papers. There is an apartment for rent in Ruthie’s building and Sam is waiting for you outside.” Finally, realizing Benny is talking truth after seeing Sam do 108’s outside, she asks Dr. Garvey to release her.

As the script ends, we are inside June’s (Joon) new apartment, and are excited yet nervous with her newfound freedom. Benny and the Doctor arrive to look at where she will live, and they give their blessings. Benny and June embrace. Sam arrives carrying a bag of groceries but leaves brother and sister alone. He sits out on the stoop eating Peter Pan Crunch. June new life is now on her terms. Her life starts today.

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One Page

COMMENTS BENNY AND JOON (JUNE)

An original plot full, of character conflicts, highlighting the emotional highs and lows of Schizophrenia. A family of two adults, brother and sister, who never had the proper guidance of two parents, fend for themselves throughout the course of daily life.

This script is a potential, commercial box office hit. It is clear to me that the writer has personal knowledge of mental illness or has done research in this area. The script is well written, allowing each character to go through an “inner journey” creating an emotional attachment for the viewer. Benny, June, and Sam see their realities differently, and yet are somewhat stereotypical in how they deal with their unique lives.

Off beat dark vs. light humor about the seriousness of mental illness relays the sometimes-tragic realities families go through with an effective mixture. Joon (June) wearing the snorkel mask, Sam ironing of grill-cheese sandwiches then Benny and June chatting that Sam should have used the ‘wool,’ setting instead of the “Rayon,” were good bonding moments. Poker games where players bet things (snorkel masks, green troll doll, cable wire, salad shooter) instead of money shows light hearted comedy yet the ping-pong game and arguing over who won shows a typical, yet bohemian, quirky family ties without parental guidance since Benny was twelve years old. Yet, the script shows apparent compassion, tragic melodramatic situations revealing the sadness within families that have to deal with a family member with a mental illness.

The irony is Benny wants a life of his own, without constantly looking after his sister, but his family life has become like a pair of comfortable old shoes. Letting go for Benny, means letting go of a crutch or bad habit. The fact that June is having a relationship before he is upsets him and makes him jealous.  A moment of self-realization for him and everyone else is the scene in the hospital. All characters have the “aha” moment that leads us to the ending. Through great lengths to understand himself, Benny is finally able to let all of his control issues, and release years of pent up emotions dealing with needing to be the “parent figure.”  Giving Joon her freedom also releases Benny to have his.

Although Benny has a strong character arc, the other two leads could be further developed or explored. Each scene is easy to read, and structurally proficient. Moments in Act 2 and 3 reveal the true nature of each character by showing Benny’s character arc. Benny is strong-willed, even controlling, but at the end of the script, he realizes he is holding onto June as a way of not realizing his own potential growth in life-an excuse. Joon’s character arc starts with her as a free-willed, mentally ill woman and at the end realizes that she can be strong enough to be out on her own and have a semi-normal independent life. Sam’s character however stays the same but is a fundamental part of the script. He is the padding between Benny and Joon however, this secondary character sometimes overshadows Benny (lead character) story line. Sam although likable his mannerisms soon become redundant and wears thin. I would however, like the author to dig deeper into Joon’s soul character. I mean; what is she really churning in that brain of hers. Is it dark thoughts because of her mental illness or an artist woman in her thirties who takes her brother for granted? Her actions show us that she knew exactly what she is doing especially when she kills “Steve the fish” (Benny’s pet) knowing it will hurt her brother just to make a point. Background information in the (character parts) of the script are well defined helping the director with time, place and setting, i.e.: Seattle, Washington, Joon wears no makeup, light brown hair; toothpick skimmed the surface of fine white sand. Music of Howlin Wolf’s in background while she paints and reads Chekhov’s, Three Sisters.

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