Jesus' Son

Critics Consensus

Slight yet ultimately absorbing, Jesus' Son makes effective use of its period setting and talented ensemble cast.

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Movie Info

JESUS' SON is the intense, edgy, often hilarious story of a young man's circuitous journey from drug dependency and petty crime to a life redeemed by this startling discovery of compassion. The story is set in the drug subculture of the 1970's, and it's protagonist -- a young man in his twenties -- careens through his days getting stoned, stealing, or scamming a quick buck. Through it all, he tries to make sense of the mutually destructive passion he shares with a beautiful woman named Michelle. He is also driven by an overwhelming desire to help those around him, so save them from their often-sorry fates, but he repeatedly fails. (He certainly fails with Michelle). Almost by a miracle, redemption does come to him. It sneaks up on him almost imperceptibly, through barely observed lessons learned from a colorful parade of characters who range from a crazed, pill-popping hospital orderly, who takes more drugs than he dispenses; a down-on-his-luck-divorce whose only revenge against misfortune is to destroy the snug suburban home he used to share with his wife; to a half-paralyzed woman he meets in rehab who teaches him about love (and who proves to be a surprisingly nimble dance partner). Whomever he meets and wherever he goes, his attempts to prove his worth are either oddly touching, farcically futile or often both simultaneously. Bit by bit, however, he stumbles towards sobriety and lands a job at an assisted living facility where he discovers the depths of his own compassion for others, and the grace that comes with it. He also begins to write the hospital newsletter, providing him a creative outlet for his earned observations about life, love and loss.

Rating:

R (for graphic drug use, strong language, sexuality and some violent images)
Genre:

Drama
Directed By:

Alison Maclean
Written By:

Elizabeth Cuthrell, David Urrutia, Oren Moverman
In Theaters:

Jun 1, 1999 wide
On Disc/Streaming:

Sep 19, 2000
Runtime:

107 minutes
Studio:

Lions Gate Films

Cast

Billy Crudup
as FH

Samantha Morton
as Michelle

Denis Leary
as Wayne

Jack Black
as Georgie

Holly Hunter
as Mira

Dennis Hopper
as Bill

Will Patton
as John Smith

Greg Germann
as Dr. Shanis

Torben Brooks
as Oldsmobile Driver

Antoinette LaVecchia
as Dead Guy's Wife

Yvette Mercedes
as Nurse

Michael Shannon
as Dundun

Ben Shenkman
as Tom

John Ventimiglia
as McInnes

Mark Webber
as Jack Hotel

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Critic Reviews for Jesus' Son

All Critics (48) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (39) | Rotten (9)

Jack Black has become impossible to ignore.

Nov 27, 2017 | Full Review…

Antonia Quirke
Independent on Sunday
takes some different turns

Jul 22, 2012 | Rating: B | Full Review…

John A. Nesbit
Old School Reviews
JESUS' SON is bottom of the line trash that wants to be art. Full of self important crap, tedious performances, and embarrassing experimental flourishes, this is a movie to avoid at all costs.

May 29, 2012 | Rating: .5/4 | Full Review…

Austin Kennedy
Sin Magazine
While one is able to get interested in FH's internal workings, it's more difficult to get too invested in his external actions--that is, on rare occasion he does act rather than react.

Jan 7, 2010 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com
The film uses dreamlike quality to evoke youth subculture of the 1970s, and Billy Crudup is perfectlt cast as a man who believes he possesses healing powers and wants to do good, but his attempts always end disastrously

Nov 9, 2006 | Rating: B | Full Review…

Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Manages to blend its stories together into a nearly seamless narrative, sliding dreamily from one episode to the next before we even realize we've gone.

May 26, 2006 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
Despite the occasional miscalculation and disappointing last half-hour, an estimable piece of work.

Dec 6, 2005 | Rating: B | Full Review…

Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion
When the film finds a note of bittersweet conclusion, I'm wondering why all these colorful threads remained so loose when they might have woven into an interesting story.

Dec 6, 2004 | Rating: C | Full Review…

Jeffrey Overstreet
Looking Closer
Crudup is a talented young actor.

Feb 28, 2002 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Goatdog's Movies
...between a wasted world of heartland junkies and the dazed, private induced euphoria of one hopeful loser among them.

Apr 9, 2001

Prairie Miller
filmgazette.com

View All Critic Reviews (48)

Audience Reviews for Jesus' Son

Dec 21, 2009

We are all his sons asshole!

Coxxie M Super Reviewer
Apr 21, 2009

Jesus' Son does great things with its titular character, the mysteriously unnamed Fuckhead. He is immensely likable - check out that winning smile and the off-kilter, observant humor - but his behavior is reprehensible. He is an idiot, but the kind of idiot who you're so close to that you want to help them rather than condemn them. The movie plays with your feelings toward FH, engaging you in a rollercoaster of frustration and pride. And when he gets hurt, it's like a punch to the gut. Billy Crudup's performance, in this way, is really remarkable. He oozes charisma and fun and gentle idiocy to the point where this film becomes a vignette in the life of that crackhead idiot you love to talk to at parties. Also notable is Samantha Morton, in a stunning, indelible performance brimming with risk. Michelle is a completely ugly character, but Morton sells her appeal against all odds.

Drew S Super Reviewer
Nov 19, 2006

Jesus' Son is a really fun and hysterical movie about the adventures of a dope fiend. Of course, finding the movie fun may be completely missing the point but then again I've always been a fan of the random humor which is served up in abundance here. The story's told through a series of almost vignettes where the great cast (for the most part) only gets a few minutes to shine. The movie never glamorizes drug use but at the same time never really seems to go out of its way to not make it entertaining. If that makes any sense. Unfortunately, the movie (like most drug people I've known through the years) gets dull as hell once it sobers up. Which may or may not be the entire point of the movie. Great movie full of great moments with a great soundtrack.

Michael G Super Reviewer
Jul 26, 2006

it's okay, worth it only for Jack Black-it is the best part of the movie

julia G Super Reviewer