Jesus' Son

Starring: Billy Crudup; Samantha Morton; Denis Leary; Holly Hunter; Dennis Hopper & Jack Black Director: Alison Maclean  Rated:

DVD Features:

Audio:

• Dolby Surround - English

Additional Release Material:

• Trailers

Product Description:

Alison Maclean's (CRUSH) exhilarating adaptation of Denis Johnson's acclaimed short story collection is a deeply compassionate portrait of one man's descent into drug addiction, filled with a potent blend of surreal imagery and gritty realism. Remaining true to Johnson's original text, and in keeping with the film's substance-soaked subject matter, the film is structured in a blurry, fractured fashion. Billy Crudup stars as FH, a Midwestern twenty-something in the 1970s who has decent intentions, but only seems to make things worse for everyone, including himself. When he meets Michelle (played with ferocious intensity by Samantha Morton), he finds himself falling deeper into the dangerous, desperate world of drug abuse. A tragic event forces FH to confront his destructive lifestyle head on, even when it appears it might be too late. Landing in Arizona, he gets a job writing the newsletter for an assisted living facility, and finds redemption when he's least expecting it. Crudup and Morton, both incredibly engaging screen presences, make JESUS' SON a powerful, darkly comic, and ultimately uplifting motion picture. Holly Hunter, Jack Black, and Denis Leary all make brief appearances as quirky characters FH meets along his journey.

Plot Synopsis:

Based on Denis Johnson's 1992 short story collection, JESUS' SON is a darkly comic depiction of an individual whose descent into drug addiction threatens to ruin him. Billy Crudup is FH, a well-intentioned loser who falls under the spell of Michelle (Samantha Morton). Together, they shoot heroin, fight, make up, and repeat the cycle. After a horrible tragedy devastates FH, he finds himself in Arizona, working at an assisted living facility, searching for redemption in sobriety. Alison Maclean's film is an impressive and entertaining portrait of debauchery, successfully blending drug-induced visions with an unflinching realism.

Plot Keywords:

Black Comedy | Drama | Drama (General) | Drug Addiction | Theatrical Release

Exerpts:

"The travelling salesman had fed me pills that made the linings of my veins feel scraped out. My jaw ached. I knew every raindrop by its name. I sensed everything before it happened. I knew a certain Oldsmobile would stop for me even before it slowed, and by the sweet voices of the family inside it I knew we'd have an accident in the storm. I didn't care. They said they'd take me all the way." -- FH (Billy Crudup) in voice-over

Production Notes:

• Theatrical release: June 16, 2000 (NY/LA).
• Author Denis Johnson plays the knife wound patient in the "Emergency" segment.
• The film world-premiered at the 1999 Telluride Film Festival.
• Billy Crudup and Denis Leary both appear in Ted Demme's MONUMENT AVE.
• Singer-songwriter Joe Henry, Madonna's brother-in-law, composed music for the film.
• At the 1999 Venice Film Festival, the film was nominated for the prestigious Golden Lion award.
• Paul Tatara of cnn.com and A.O. Scott of the New York Times named JESUS' SON one of the 10 best films of 2000.

Cast and Crew: