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 & 7 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:

watching tv | song | shower | love | hospital | 

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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:

7 July 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Az élet kalandja

Filming Locations:

Gibbstown, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$37,089, 18 June 2000, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,282,084, 20 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

[FH starts up a mock interview]
FH: There are some people out there who would like to know a thing or two about you. Would you describe yourself for those people?
Bill: I don't know...I'm like a fat piece of shit, I guess.
FH: He's overweight.
Bill: I've been shot twice though.
FH: Twice?
Bill: Yeah, once by each wife. Total of 3 bullets, making 4 holes, 3 in, 1 out.
FH: And you're still alive?
Bill: Are you kidding?
FH: No.
[...]

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Connections

References Easy Come, Easy Go (1967)

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Soundtracks

Surf Buggy
Written by Dick Dale
Performed by Dick Dale (as Dick Dale and His Del Tones)
Courtesy of Dick Dale Enterprises

User Reviews

Strange film, but a good one

I enjoyed this, it's different. The plot is non-linear, but that doesn't really matter. It contains scenes that may disturb, but for one reason or another, I forgot to be disturbed. The acting is very good, I don't think I'd ever seen a Billy Crudup film before, and came away with a new name to search for. The soundtrack is excellent, the humour is odd, but it's the supporting cast which make the film; the cameo's are all spot on. I dislike Denis Leary, but he's good here, I wasn't a particularly big fan of JB Jack Black either, but he shines here and I saw him in a new light.

Low budget, sure, more films could do with the charm of this one, it tries to do something different, and I think it's a winner.