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Jesus' Son

Play trailer Poster for Jesus' Son R Released Sep 5, 1999 1h 49m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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79% Tomatometer 52 Reviews 83% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Set in the early 1970's, "Jesus' Son" is a series of linked yet discrete stories that chart the to-hell-and-back journey of a young man known only as "FH." Told in the way a person might recount a series of anecdotes over a drink -- with all the mistakes and exaggerations, false starts and shuttling back in time that inevitably occurs -- it is a stunning glimpse into the way one man's heart and mind work.
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Jesus' Son

Jesus' Son

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Critics Consensus

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

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Critics Reviews

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Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly Rated: B+ Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Globe and Mail Rated: 2.5/4 Mar 22, 2002 Full Review Peter Travers Rolling Stone Rated: 4.5/5 May 10, 2001 Full Review James Hannaham Out Magazine Crudup pulls through with sheepish charm, but the film's episodic form and skimpy context give it a diffuse quality, compounded by FH's frustrating passivity. May 27, 2022 Full Review A.S. Hamrah The Baffler Every role in this film is just nailed by its actor... Sep 16, 2020 Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com Alison Maclean takes an uncommon approach to a common theme and comes up with a film that is nothing short of a revelation. Rated: 3.5/4.0 Sep 12, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Brett J The most beautiful of tragedies. A telling of the folly of unguided youth into love, sex, and drugs. Witty, fun, and surreal. Deep and inspires gratitude of life. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/15/24 Full Review Toby B A really great adaptation, perfectly cast, perfectly art directed, nicely assembled. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/27/22 Full Review Audience Member A forgotten indie movie from 1999 that I'd only ever heard of due to, oddly enough, having some visual effects by the now-defunct Blue Sky Studios before they dedicated themselves completely to animation. Shame that Jesus' Son was forgotten because it's a decent indie drama. The narrative feel is admittedly disjointed and it gets dull in places but it is saved by its writing, character development and talented cast with Jack Black stealing the show. It's not for everyone but it is surprising to learn that nobody ever talks about this movie to the point that it doesn't even have a Plot section on Wikipedia. Even by bare-bones pages' standards on that site, this never sat right with me. Give it a watch and see if this period-piece drama will emotionally move you. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member The chronicles of a junkie in love trying his best to get by life and keep his girlfriend 2.9 Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/24/20 Full Review Audience Member Jake black is fucking funny good movie Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Somehow this quirky and magical little film has been forgotten. A great movie. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Jesus' Son

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Set in the early 1970's, "Jesus' Son" is a series of linked yet discrete stories that chart the to-hell-and-back journey of a young man known only as "FH." Told in the way a person might recount a series of anecdotes over a drink -- with all the mistakes and exaggerations, false starts and shuttling back in time that inevitably occurs -- it is a stunning glimpse into the way one man's heart and mind work.
Director
Alison Maclean
Screenwriter
Denis Johnson, Elizabeth Cuthrell, David Urrutia, Oren Moverman
Distributor
Lionsgate Films
Production Co
Alliance Atlantis Communications, Evenstar Productions, Blue Sky Studios
Rating
R (Strong Language|Sexuality|Drug Use|Violence)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 5, 1999, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
May 23, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.3M
Runtime
1h 49m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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