Old Joy (2006)

Two old pals reunite for a camping trip in Oregon's Cascade Mountains.

Director:

Kelly Reichardt

Writers:

Jonathan Raymond, Kelly Reichardt

Stars:

Daniel London, Will Oldham, Tanya Smith

5 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Daniel London	...	Mark
Will Oldham	...	Kurt
Tanya Smith	...	Tanya
Robin Rosenberg	...	Waitress
Keri Moran	...	Lawnmower
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Autumn Campbell	...	Diner Patron
Steve Doughton	...	Diner Patron
Lucy	...	Herself
Matt McCormick	...	Weed Salesman
P.C. Peri
Darren Prolsen	...	Homeless Man
Jillian Wieseneck	...	Diner Patron

Storyline

Two old pals reunite for a camping trip in Oregon's Cascade Mountains.

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Plot Keywords:

sexual ambiguity | oregon | title directed by female | male frontal nudity | cell phone | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Official Sites:

Epicentre Films [France] Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 January 2007 (UK)

Also Known As:

Antiga Alegria

Filming Locations:

Oregon, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$300,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,310, 27 August 2006, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$255,352, 6 May 2007

Company Credits

Production Co:

Film Science, Van Hoy/Knudsen Productions, Washington Square Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

76 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The third film written and directed by Kelly Reichardt.

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Goofs

When Mark and Kurt stop to get gas, Mark pumps his own gas. In Oregon, however, you are not allowed to pump your own gas.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Kurt: [on answering machine] Hey, it's Kurt. I'm calling you, I'm in town, and I'm just hoping you're around. I don't know if you're there or what. Pick it up, man. You will not regret it.
Mark: Hey, Kurt... So you're here?... Where you staying?... Yeah, thanks, the rumors are true... Nah, we didn't what to know... Oh yeah, whatcha got, lay it on me... Sure, I can be in to that... I could use some time in the woods, absolutely...

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Crazy Credits

A disclaimer says that the Bagby Hot Springs does not allow nudity or the consumption of alcoholic beverages.

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Connections

References Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)

User Reviews

Overtly spacious but quite underdeveloped

An intentionally tiny but lackluster film suffers many familiar trappings harbored by independent cinema despite the gentle pacing and authentic feel throughout. It is a film I dislike disliking, having so many of the lingering qualities that let each scene breathe on it's own time, something I highly respect and usually don't witness, especially coming from American filmmakers. But here, Old Joy unwisely fills much of the silence and sacredness with nothing but scenery and vague suggestion, which unfortunately totals up to little more then the glorified road trip it seems to be. You get the feeling throughout that director Kelly Reichardt wished to plunge viewers headfirst into experiencing this brief trek into the woods. At first, this technique flourishes with completely immersed realism, effortlessly making viewers the third participant on this little expedition with finely calculated, low budget camera integrity that feels as one with the actors. However, it eventually becomes apparent that this enticingly voyeuristic direction remains a simple distraction in working around a script of very little worth.

Though there may be more implied in the work then what is outwardly manifested, Old Joy still leaves entirely too much up to viewers with it's slightly offensive approach at telling less, meaning more, but hardly putting in the effort to bridge that gap. By the movie's ending, clocking in at a strikingly short 76 minutes, it seems hardly anything was accomplished short of beginning to articulate the meaning of it's title. With a little more character development and an outcome that actually had something to say, Old Joy could have been the lazy westerners Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter..and Spring with all of it's meditative and reverential odes to nature, but here we are left only with a skeleton script and an overindulgence of quiet contemplation to make up for it.

The only two characters really in the film, Will Oldham and Daniel London, are decent enough as the two old friends who reunite for a weekend in the woods. Alt-country sensation Oldham may not have the timing of a professionally trained actor, but it ends up working out fine for this project, only bringing a more realistic credibility in the rare instances he is actually explaining himself. The constant feeling of something more being implied then what we have been given to work with is inescapable though, and ends up sinking this potentially effecting film into a mediocre, if slightly hypnotic, insignificant vacation piece.