Considering his talented streak, the Joaquin Phoenix business isn’t a bad one to get into, and Amazon Studios have done just that. After releasing Lynne Ramsay’s You Were Never Really Here, this summer, the Phoenix-led biopic Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot will arrive in theaters. Directed by Gus Van Sant, the Sundance premiere tells the story of John Callahan, a paraplegic cartoonist who is picking up the pieces of his life, and the first trailer has arrived today.
I said in my review, “If Callahan’s cartoons had a certain attractive alternative edge, it’s a wonder why Gus Van Sant–whose cinematic experimentations are always curious–didn’t attempt to do the same with telling his story. Outside of a humorous sequence featuring Callahan learning about the available options of sexual fulfillment as a paraplegic–i.e. performing cunnilingus to achieve an erection–everything about this drama feels sanded-down and safe. John Callahan’s life is a fascinatingly complex one, and Phoenix is certainly the ideal actor to portray him, but Gus Van Sant’s maudlin, erratic approach leaves too little of an impression.”
Also starring Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, and Jack Black, see the trailer below.
John Callahan has a lust for life, a talent for off-color jokes, and a drinking problem. When an all-night bender ends in a catastrophic car accident, the last thing he intends to do is give up drinking. But when he reluctantly enters treatment —with encouragement from his girlfriend (Rooney Mara) and a charismatic sponsor (Jonah Hill) —Callahan discovers a gift for drawing edgy, irreverent newspaper cartoons that develop an international following and grant him a new lease on life. Based on a true story, this poignant, insightful and often funny drama about the healing power of art is adapted from Callahan’s autobiography and directed by two-time Oscar® nominee Gus Van Sant. Jack Black, Carrie Brownstein, Beth Ditto and Kim Gordon also star.
Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot opens on July 13.