Joe (1970)

Bill, a wealthy businessman, confronts his junkie daughter's drug-dealing boyfriend; in the ensuing argument, Bill kills him. Panic-stricken, he wanders the streets and eventually stops at ... See full summary »

Director:

John G. Avildsen

Writer:

Norman Wexler

Stars:

Peter Boyle, Dennis Patrick, Susan Sarandon

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Susan Sarandon	...	Melissa Compton
Patrick McDermott	...	Frank Russo
Tim Lewis	...	Kid in Soda Shop
Estelle Omens	...	Woman in Bargain Store
Bob O'Connell	...	Man in Bargain Store
Marlene Warfield	...	Bellevue Nurse
Dennis Patrick	...	Bill Compton
Audrey Caire	...	Joan Compton
Mary Case	...	Teeny Bopper
Jenny Paine	...	Teeny Bopper
Peter Boyle	...	Joe Curran
Reid Cruickshanks	...	American Bartender
Rudy Churney	...	Man in Bar
K Callan	...	May Lou Curran (as K. Callan)
Robert Emerick	...	TV Newscaster

Storyline

Bill, a wealthy businessman, confronts his junkie daughter's drug-dealing boyfriend; in the ensuing argument, Bill kills him. Panic-stricken, he wanders the streets and eventually stops at a bar. There he runs into a drunken factory worker named Joe, who hates hippies, blacks, and anyone who is "different", and would like to kill one himself. The two start talking, and Bill reveals his secret to Joe. Complications ensue.

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Plot Keywords:

drugs | death | commune | bar | rifle | 

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Taglines:

Keep America Beautiful

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

15 July 1970 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Gap

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$106,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$19,184,330 (USA)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Reaction to this film disturbed actor Peter Boyle for years. He refused the lead role in The French Connection (1971) and other roles that glamorized violence after people cheered his role in this project.

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Goofs

Microphone briefly visible over Joe's head in phone booth.

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Quotes

Joe: It's colder than a witch's tit.

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Connections

Featured in Electric Boogaloo - Die unglaublich wilde Geschichte der verrücktesten Filmfirma der Welt (2014)

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Soundtracks

You Don't Know What's Going On
Written & Sung by Exuma

User Reviews

Some people shouldn't try to cross paths; unfortunately, they do.

"Joe" is one of those movies where, although you think that it might go along smoothly, ends up hitting you like...I can't come up with an analogy. It showed not only that America's long-standing idea of unity was moot, but also the various aspects within our society. Melissa Compton (Susan Sarandon) is the ultimate flower child, while her father Bill (Dennis Patrick) is a clean-cut executive. One day, Bill accidentally kills Melissa's boyfriend. In the immediate aftermath, Bill gets acquainted with Joe Curran (Peter Boyle), an ultra-right-wing, rabidly racist working stiff. As a result, the two of them end up associating more and more with the hippies, whom Bill finds unpleasant and Joe outright hates. But in the end, everything has dead serious consequences.

True, some parts of the movie are a little bit dated, but it's a good juxtaposition of America's two sides during the Vietnam War. And rest assured, the residual effects of all that will probably never go away.