Jesus’ Son is based on the successful anthology of stories by Denis Johnson that was once described as a 50,000 volt kick to the head. The story is set in the seventies drugs subculture. FH, the hero of the story, is a young man who spends his days stoned, stealing and cheating to score some money. He shares his self!destructive passions with the beautiful Michelle. But FH is also driven by an overwhelming need to help people around him and to protect them from fate. This works out so badly that it gave him his nickname of FH or Fuckhead. After a life of barely learned lessons in life, from for instance a pill-taking male nurse and a half-paralysed woman who teaches him love, redemption comes almost as a surprise. When he gets a job in an old people’s home, he slowly sobers up and discovers the compassion deep inside. Jesus’ Son is a rough and funny story – sometimes in spite of itself. The film is made up of beautiful and separate stories and uses a dreamlike visual language, perfectly capturing the mood of the drugs culture. There is also a choice selection of major names: Billy Crudup as FH (well known from Hilo Country and Waking the Dead), Samantha Morton as Michelle (leading lady in Carine Adler’s Under the Skin), Dennis Hopper and Holly Hunter.
Film details
- Country of production
- USA
- Year
- 1999
- Festival edition
- IFFR 2000
- Length
- 110"
- Medium/Format
- 35mm
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