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IMDbPro

The Joy of Life

  • 20052005
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 5m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
114
YOUR RATING
The Joy of Life (2005)
DocumentaryHistory
Beautifully composed landscape shots of San Francisco juxtaposed with voiceover detailing the emotional intricacies of the love affairs of a butch lesbian and the history of Golden Gate Brid... Read allBeautifully composed landscape shots of San Francisco juxtaposed with voiceover detailing the emotional intricacies of the love affairs of a butch lesbian and the history of Golden Gate Bridge as the world's prime suicide location.Beautifully composed landscape shots of San Francisco juxtaposed with voiceover detailing the emotional intricacies of the love affairs of a butch lesbian and the history of Golden Gate Bridge as the world's prime suicide location.
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
114
YOUR RATING
    • Jenni Olson
    • Jenni Olson
    • Harry Dodge
    • Lawrence Ferlinghetti
    • Jenni Olson
    • Jenni Olson
    • Harry Dodge
    • Lawrence Ferlinghetti
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 3User reviews
    • 21Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards

    Photos7

    Jenni Olson and Katherine Leggett at an event for The Joy of Life (2005)
    Jenni Olson at an event for The Joy of Life (2005)
    Jenni Olson at an event for The Joy of Life (2005)
    Jenni Olson at an event for The Joy of Life (2005)
    Katherine Leggett at an event for The Joy of Life (2005)
    The Joy of Life (2005)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Harry Dodge
    • Voiceover
    • (as Harriet Dodge)
    Lawrence Ferlinghetti
    Lawrence Ferlinghetti
    • Voiceover
      • Jenni Olson
      • Jenni Olson
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

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    Did you know

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    • Quotes

      Voiceover: My therapist is getting on my nerves. She's always saying, "That must have been really hard for you."

    • Connections
      Referenced in The Royal Road (2015)
    • Soundtracks
      The Coastline Rag
      Composed by Weldon Kees

    User reviews3

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    9/10
    Very personal film, but very moving
    Filmmaker Jenni Olson muses about her personal relationships and her "butch" identity, wondering whether taking such a masculine-ish identity is anti-feminist or even internally misogynistic. Most of the film is Jenni's voice over scenes of various neighborhoods in San Francisco, some almost static, others full of activity. The film then dives into a seemingly unrelated topic, suicide, most especially suicide from the Golden Gate Bridge, where a close friend jumped ten years ago. The connection is in the title of the film: The Joy of Life. Each of us must find our own joy of life, including comfort in our own gender identity and relationships.
    helpful•8
    1
    • LincMad
    • Jun 18, 2005

    Details

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    • Release date
      • January 19, 2005 (United States)
      • United States
      • Official site
      • Streaming on The Criterion Channel
      • English
      • San Francisco, California, USA
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 5 minutes
      • Color

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