Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
Director: Gus Van Sant
Year Released: 2018
Rating: 1.5
John Callahan (Joaquin Phoenix), wasting his days away with the drink, gets into an auto accident and becomes paralyzed - while in this tortured state, he goes to Alcoholics Anonymous, cleans up his act and channels his frustrations into cartoons (which "offend" a lot of people). It's another Hallmark Channel movie from Van Sant except with A-list talent all around: Callahan confronts his own self-doubt, Mommy Issues (he mentions her abandoning him throughout the movie) and inner anger ... but is helped by talking to his friend Donny (Jonah Hill), doing the 12 Steps, "love" (is Rooney Mara's character real or fantasy?) and The Healing Power of Art™. Phoenix's imitation of a quadriplegic appears accurate without being disrespectful, and while it's based on a true story (Mr. Callahan passed away in 2010), it's all-too-familiar grounds - if only Gus was as creative in his plotting as he is in his casting (rockers Kim Gordon and Beth Ditto play alkies-in-recovery)....
