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"When I'm rushing on my run, and I feel just like Jesus' Son...
At what point does innocence and wonder become hapless ineptitude? Is it when you know the names of all the rain drops? Is it when you hear cotton balls singing to you while you're on a gurney, answering questions about your overdose? Is it when you mistake the speaker stands in an abandoned drive-in theater for crosses in a cemetary? Is it when you tell your girlfriend, who's just had an abortion, "Don't worry, we can try again"? Sharing some elements with other junkie movies, "Jesus' Son" veers from the genre by focusing intently on the nameless, a-historical "FH," played by Billy Crudup ("Almost Famous"). Endearing, charming, and simple, FH is THE consumate f*ck-up. Captivated by wonders around him he stumbles from scene to scene and back again in a unexpectedly cohesive random access narrative. While many followers of Jesus bask in the confidence of the Father's justification, one could imagine a true son fumbling through miracles and failing at the simplest tasks of love and grace. FH ultimately strikes a tenuous balance for himself and his awkward talents, offering only the meagerest hope for the audience - at least for those interested in redemption. When FH later becomes clean and sober, his daily life is both haunted and centered by the voice of a Mennonite woman he overhears singing "Farther Away" in the shower. In the end FH finds solace in a simple sense of Place, where he moves among those like him, touching them much as Jesus moved among, and touched, the crowds in Galilee. Jack Black ("High Fidelity") turns in a superb performance as a drug-addled orderly working night shifts in an emergency room. His physical humor is heightened by flawless timing. His circumstantial empathy and frenetic energy is the perfect foil to FH's pathetic blunders. Yvette Mercedes ("The Sopranos") plays the surley unimpressed night nurse, the steady anchor of this unholy trio. Mercedes's reactions speak volumes and add depth to the hopital's flourescent nightmare. Watch for Michael Shannon ("Cecil B. Demented") who plays the violent Dundun. His big voice and broad features rival those of Ted Levine's ("Silence of the Lambs") in their unnerving creepiness. Samantha Morton ("Jane Eyre") turns in a brilliant performance as Michelle, FH's bright, addicted girlfriend. And yes, she does have a great ass. If you have no other reason to see "Jesus' Son," see it for the music. The Louvin Brothers are featured twice - "Satan Is Real," and "The Family Who Prays." Christine Mourad sings "Farther Along," which hasn't been released; I have linked to a good clip of the song by the "Bad Livers" instead. Unfortunately the soundtrack does not feature "Satan Is Real," or "Farther Along."
I really enjoyed "Jesus' Son." Like "American Psycho," or "Thin Red Line," it's a movie you can see again and again, entering or exiting any scene. Some of my friends were disturbed by the drug references, whether the story was too close to home or their reaction is a 90s neo-puritanism, I do not know. Neither violence nor drugs are glorified in this movie - they just happen to be part of a really well-told story. FARTHER ALONG  |
LINKS Jesus' Son Jesus' Son imdb.com
Jesus' Son (1999) |
