vortexrider Jesus' Son Can be analyzed from various angles. From a cinematic perspective this is a really enjoyable film. The camera shots are very creative and well done. Diverse in color and imagery as well as in the kinds of characters you will see this movie is an interesting change from most coming-of-age and drug movies you will see.But let me tell you how this is a disappointing film. This actually bothers me the most. The plot seems to progress as if something pivotal is going to happen and you expect to see a resolution and a change in this man. I don't think this is portrayed well at all. With the deceiving title like Jesus' Son, this movie is very simplistic and shallow in its spiritual content. There are some references to Christianity and Jesus but thats about it. You do not see this man change or accept Jesus. There is nothing like that. What you are presented with is a very man-centered idea that its good to be a "good guy" and to be "compassionate" to people and not do drugs.But as if the lack of any substantial Christian content were not enough, I think this movie glamorizes sex and drugs instead of emphasizing their vanity. Even in the end, when you think that maybe he is changing there is no indication of any true Christian character in him. Even when you feel like the main character may be feeling compassion and love towards the wretched people he encounters he doesn't show it in any way.So, be warned, this is not a Christian movie, nor is it a good anti-drug film. Its a very cinematically pleasing noir-style indie film that simply tells you that people should be nice. It is sad that there are very few real Christian movies out there. I can only highly recommend The End of The Spear, Saint Ralph, Francis of Assisi, or Simon Birch as good Christian movies.

matt-1548 Being a huge fan of Denis Johnson and Lou Reed, I was curious how they could make a movie from such unusually random events. The movie does such a great job stitching together Johnson's stories. They are extraordinary, humorous, and often touching. Together they make, in my opinion, one of the best 'drug' related movies ever. It is Borroughsesque in its candid, accurate portrayal of heroin addiction. The flashbacks and fuzzy pieced together vignettes resemble the actual effect heroin has on time. Time seems to slow down with days starting to blur into nights. The movie really touched me as I saw some of FH in myself. I too am a recovering addict. I have been clean for over a year now. Thank god for suboxone!!! For anyone grappling with heroin addiction please consider suboxone therapy. It has truly saved my life, marriage, and sanity.

E Delicious First off, I must say that I'm a bit biased simply because I'm a fan of the book. I actually had know idea there was ever a movie made for Jesus' Son. I was describing the story "Emergency" to my girlfriend one day and she said, "That sounds a lot like this movie I saw with Jack Black and Billy Cruddup." Much to my surprise, we were talking about the same story...To me the book is about survivors. No matter how much you have destroyed things in your life, or no matter how badly things have turned out, you can still turn it all around. That was that message I used to get from the book, and I think the movie evokes this same feeling. Brilliant acting, beautiful soundtrack, and powerful stories... The scene with Samantha Morton dancing to "Sweet Pea" is one of my favorite scenes ever.If you're squeamish or turned off towards drug culture stories, Jesus' Son is definitely not for you. However, I would suggest both the book and the movie to just about anyone.

Al Rodbell Contains Spoiler--- Highly recommended, dark, realistic depiction of what we call the "drug culture" After you've seen it, read my review:I Just saw the movie on the IFC. Incredibly powerful and affecting. I am a middle class retiree who never lived the life described, yet came close enough to have empathy for the characters. If the film had flaws, they only made it more realistic. We all have flaws. We do not think or live our lives linearly. We all mostly stumble through, only learning vital things too late. Just as poor FH only learned that Michelle has written a note asking to be saved if he loved her--- too late.I would not want, nor do I have the expertise, to analyze this film based on cinematic criteria. The film started with an idea, someone had something to say, each participant-- director, actor, editor, passed that idea along, cleanly and precisely. Every cinematic technique served this advancement of the expression The metaphysical surreal elements didn't seem like an affectation, but worked to express the idea.Emblematic of the tone was after the abortion when FH asked, "what did they stick up you." Michelle's reaction. Her scream. She could have handled the intrusion into her body, the loss of a living being that could have been her child, but the coldness, the rejection of her beloved, was a cause for anguish, expressed perfectly in a primordial cry.And certain lines, as throwaways easy missed, were profound. FH's statement that he didn't even feel the holy water that the abortion opponents threw at him until many years later. The very disorganization and fragmented emotions presaged the awesome decision to end a life. Shallow loser slacker--I think not.In sharing my responses to this film I feel limited by the set of values imposed on artistic endeavor such as this. We search for criteria of excellence of a genre, that others can strive for. We want to see how this work matches up against such criteria. I would rather believe that this was a personal message from someone. And to that person, I just want to say, "Thank you."