Jesus' Son (1999)

A young man turns from drug addiction and petty crime to a life redeemed by a discovery of compassion.

Director:

Alison Maclean

Writers:

Denis Johnson (book), Elizabeth Cuthrell (screenplay),

Stars:

Billy Crudup, Robert Michael Kelly, Torben Brooks

4 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Billy Crudup	...	FH
Robert Michael Kelly	...	Salesman
Torben Brooks	...	Car Crash Driver
Dierdre Lewis	...	Driver's Wife
Jimmy Moffit	...	Car Crash Doctor
Antoinette LaVecchia	...	Dead Man's Wife
Samantha Morton	...	Michelle
Steve Buck	...	Richard
Ben Shenkman	...	Tom
Scott Oster	...	Stan
Brooke Rachel Shive	...	Beatle (as Brooke Shive)
Mark Webber	...	Jack Hotel
John Ventimiglia	...	McInnes
Jesse Weaver Jr.	...	Carl
Michael Shannon	...	Dundun (as Mike Shannon)

Storyline

A gentle and usually mellow young man, who sometimes knows things before they happen and gets vibes of premonition, tell us his story: how he met Michelle in Iowa in 1971, how he got the name Fuckhead, how she introduced him to heroin and their falling in love, his thieving, his hospital work and their time in Chicago when she gets pregnant, detox, going to Phoenix to live, AA meetings and a dance, working at a care center where he learns to touch the residents, and modifying his daily schedule so that he passes a neighboring Mennonite household at the right time to hear the wife sing Gospel songs in the shower. Slowly, very slowly, FH lets his gifts emerge.

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Plot Keywords:

iowa | shower | drugs | hospital | song | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for graphic drug use, strong language, sexuality and some violent images

Details

Official Sites:

Lions Gate

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 July 2000 (UK)

Also Known As:

Az élet kalandja

Filming Locations:

Bellmawr, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$37,089 (USA) (16 June 2000)

Gross:

$1,282,084 (USA) (18 August 2000)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Evenstar Films, Jesus' Son Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Denis Johnson:  As a man who has been stabbed in the eye by his wife.

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Goofs

FH takes a "sip" of punch, but we can see that the liquid never even touched his lips.

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Quotes

Bill: Talk into my bullet hole, tell me I'm fine.

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Connections

References Follow That Dream (1962)

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Soundtracks

"Yes, I'm Ready"
Written by Barbara Mason
Performed by Barbara Mason
Courtesy of Jamie Record Co., d/b/a Arctic Record Co.

User Reviews

Solid little gem! Well worth a watch!

I was totally disarmed by this wonderful movie! Most movies about drug addiction hit you over the head with the misery and destruction of the users. Yet this movie was about so much more--a whole host of characters marching to a different beat. This movie told it's tale in short snippets...I almost felt like I was eavesdropping or spying on the characters at various moments in their lives. Nice balance of lightheartedness and seriousness. Some truly great lines. When a nurse tells FH his girlfriend is comfortable now. He asks with total naivete: "Is she dead?"

I see that others here have problems with the title and the reference to Jesus. Not me. Aren't all of us (and esecially the world's "losers") just Christ figures waiting for redemption. It made me think of the line, the meek shall inherit the earth. The mystical touches, whether drug induced or not, were wonderful.