How ‘Benny & Joon’ almost wasn’t made in Spokane, according to its director

If it weren’t for a faded photo that happened to fall into the hands of Jeremiah Chechik, “Benny & Joon” would have never been shot in Spokane. The quirky romantic comedy-drama, which starred Johnny Depp and Mary Stuart Masterson, was slated to be filmed in Los Angeles. But Chechik decided to direct the film in a much smaller town.

“I wanted to go with a more intimate environment because I thought it would be a better framing device for the eccentric characters,” Chechik explained while calling from Victoria, B.C. “But the choice of Spokane was extremely random. Someone showed us this snapshot of a house under a railway bridge. To me, that was the perfect house.”

Normally location scouts check out possible sites, but Chechik and line producer Bill Badalato flew to Spokane.

“It took a little detective work,” Chechik said. “We knew the house was in a little neighborhood under a bridge. As you know, Spokane is not that big of a city and so we found the house that was going to be perfect for what we envisioned.”

Chechik, 68, laughed when recalling driving over the Maple Street bridge and eventually walking up to the house caretaker, Kim Stout, who was working in the yard at 301 N. Cedar St. “I came up and said, ‘We’re from Hollywood,” Chechik said. “Would you consider us using your home?”

Shooting “Benny & Joon” is a highlight for Chechik, who also directed such films as 1989’s “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” 1996’s “Diabolique” and 1998’s “The Avengers.”

“We had a tremendous time shooting the movie in Spokane,” Chechik said. “We were embraced by the whole city. People would come out and watch us work while they sat down in lawn chairs. They would bake cookies for us. The actors loved it and were very generous and kind to the people of Spokane. I think we were only the second big film that was shot in Spokane.”

Like many movies, the cast could have been very different for “Benny & Joon.” The role of Benny, who was played by Aidan Quinn, almost went to Woody Harrelson and Joon, played by Masterson, was initially offered to Laura Dern.

“Woody and Laura are fantastic actors,” Chechik said. “It’s hard to know if the film would have been better. It would have been different. But Johnny Depp was always part of the film. Johnny was a constant. The three of them (Depp, Masterson and Quinn) bonded so significantly on screen and off. That power made it very special from behind the lens. We put this incredible family together.”

But it wasn’t easy since Chechik was directing a film about mental illness. “I didn’t take that lightly,” Chechik said. “I wanted to hit it right. I didn’t want to make an absurdity out of the affliction. There are some really tough scenes in “Benny & Joon.”

However, Chechik and screenwriter Barry Berman had a lighter touch with mental illness than “Dominick and Eugene,” a 1988 film, which is similar. “I somehow created rose-colored glasses, which was unusual since I’m the eternal pessimist,” Chechik said.

“Benny & Joon,” which has been honored with a 30th anniversary celebration this weekend at the Garland Theater, still holds up. “I hope that’s so another 30 years from now,” Chechik said.