Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot (2018)

Gus Van Sant's "Don't Worry, He won't get far on foot" is a great telling of about famous cartoonist John Callahan. But this movie follows his journey and his life to getting to becoming a cartooninst. But the movie overall is about this mans life and how crazy and awful it can get at times. (He is a alcohol addicted quadriplegic and it only seems to be getting worse) But the movie shows the how bright and happy it can become too. Joaquin phoenix and Jonah Hill give fantastic performances in the film and the best scenes are when they are together. I saw this movie in a small theater with about 8 other people. This small intimate theater felt perfect for this movie for it felt we were a group being brought together by the movie. We all laugh out loud together and we all cried together. This movie and it's great editing keeps the movie moving at a good pace. Sometimes it can feel slow or have some scenes that seem to go nowhere. But overall I cared for all the characters and opinions even if they were shallow sometimes. This is a great movie (8) that shows one mans life and the obstacles he has to overcome to become happy. Highly recommend.

Films about alcoholism are not my favorite genre. They are either too depraved and sad or too preachy (the 12 steps). And to be sure, that was the case in this film. But the cast turns in a fine performance and the real treat was that about half way though the film, I realized who Callahan actually was.

Joaquin Phoenix driving this heart breaking story gives the audience such a true sense of the unbearable. The will to overcome the tragedy that had changed his life and the dissection of the true problem he faces is remarkable. All of the people that play into his recovery give him the faith and the strength he needs in order to better himself. Jonah Hill and the entire group of AA members are all in the same boat. His selfish desire to lead that group of misfits turns him into a selfless man by giving them exactly what they need. Having such a positive impact on these people is very heartwarming to watch. Rooney Mara fits her character like a glove. She was the exact piece of the puzzle that John Callahan needed. Such a good hearted beautiful woman. Makes you very glad to see these people exist. What a story. Very happy to see it on screen.

"Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot" (2018 release; 114 min,) is a bio-pic about quadriplegic cartoonist John Callahan. As the movie opens, we see Callahan participating in a support group (we quickly learn it's an AA group). We then go back in time to the day of his accident. "I woke up without a hangover" and then starts a day of binge-drinking. As this point we're 10 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.Couple of comments: this is the latest movie of writer-director Gus Van Sant. Van Sant uses Callahan's auto-biography of the same name as the basis for the film. I've not read that auto-biography so I can't comment how faithful Van Sant has remained to the book. Regardless, the movie should be judged on its own merits, and from that angle, I can unequivocally state that this is a darn good film. Van Sant decides to bring Callahan's story in a non-linear way, and the movie frequently jumps back and forth to various phases of Callahan's life. Of course non of this would matter without the brilliant performance, once again, by Joaquin Phoenix. Is there any role that this guy cannot bring? The supporting cast is quite good too: Jonah Hill (as AA group leader Donnie Green) gives his best performance in quite some time; Rooney Mara (as Swedish nurse Annu) is very charming; and Jack Black (as drinking buddy Dexter) is, well, Jack Black. Beware: AA gets a lot of focus in the film, so if that seems bothersome to you, you may want to check out another movie."Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far On Foot" premiered at this year's Sundance film festival to immediate critical acclaim. The movie finally opened at my local art-house theater this weekend. The Saturday matinee screening where I saw this at was attended okay for a matinee. Given the surefire positive of mouth this movie will generate, I can see this playing in theaters for many weeks to come. If you are in the mood for a top-notch quality movie with an even better leading performance, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it in the theater, on VOD, or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.